It's shocking to think that it's been over 35 years since we cranked up the Metolius Climbing machine. Getting our start in Doug Phillips' tiny garage near the headwaters of the Metolius River (from where we take our name), none of us could have envisioned where climbing would be in 25 years or that we would even still be in the business of making climbing gear. In the 1980s, the choices one had for climbing equipment were fairly limited & much of the gear then was un-tested, uncomfortable, inadequate or unavailable. Many solved this problem by making their own equipment, the Metolius crew included.
Much has changed in the last 3½ decades since we rolled out our first products. The expansion we've seen has been mind-blowing and what a journey it's been. The climbing life is so full of rich and rewarding experiences that it really becomes the perfect metaphor for life, with its triumphs and tragedies, hard-fought battles, whether won or lost, and continuous learning and growing. Over time, we've come to figure out what our mission is and how we fit into the big picture. Our safer-by-design philosophy has evolved as a result of the incredible dangers associated with climbing: rock fall, bad pro, falling off, avalanches, untied knots...the list is long! It's not just some jive marketing statement, but one born and bred from a lifetime's worth of accumulated experience. Our mission is to make the strongest, safest, most bombproof gear in the world. At every opportunity, we try to exceed the established safety standards while providing the highest level of performance. We exhaustively test and re-test, in the lab and out in the real world...using ourselves as the test guinea pigs! If we don't feel like the standards are up to par, we work with the sanctioning bodies (CE/UIAA) to help re-write the standards. We do this because we, too, put our lives on the line and you need to know that you can count on our gear 100%!
The sport of climbing, a way of life really, has so many amazing aspects: the incredible places it takes you, the wide variety of ways you can climb (from wee boulders to massive 8000 meter mountains), as well as the people you meet. Climbing brings people and nations together. I can't even begin to list all the incredible climbers I've met through the years, plus I'm still meeting them. Every trip you go on, every country you visit means a whole new list of contacts...some will become friends for life. Enclosed in this catalog is a very small sampling of people who touched our lives, influenced the way we think about climbing, showed us how to climb better, train harder, laugh out loud, and expand the doors of perception so that we could move off our current mental plateau and ultimately become better people. From Fred Beckey to Lynn Hill, Jim Bridwell to Matt Wilder and all the unsung heroes you've never even heard of...climbing has such a wild collection of rogue individuals it's quite amazing. Of course, there were generations before these cats...and all helped to get climbing where it is today. We want to thank all of you who helped keep us strong and in business...here's to another 35!
