Grivel Climbing and Mountaineering Products
A core climbing brand for nearly 200 years
Many of the major brands who produce climbing gear boast rich histories and are rooted deeply in the mountains. Among these core brands however, none have produced performance climbing and mountaineering equipment longer than
Grivel. The Grivel family originally produced agricultural tools and machinery at the foot of Mont Blanc in Courmayeur, Italy. However an influx of wealthy tourists to the area, who wished to explore and climb the towering Alps, inspired and influenced the Grivels to take their experience as blacksmiths and apply it to mountain equipment. In 1818 the family business transformed and began to produce climbing equipment. Grivel combined the functional elements of the alpenstocks and axes that early mountaineers used for security on ice slopes and for cutting steps into the snow, with the forged steel pick axes that they produced in their factory, to produce the first true ice axes. Modern ice axes have evolved greatly and have undergone improvements, yet the original Grivel ice axes provided the genesis for these designs and spurred a new era of mountain innovation.
By 1909, the company had established a reputation in the growing climbing community. When English engineer and mountaineer Oscar Eckenstein designed the first modern-style 10 point crampon, he approached Henry Grivel to produce it. Using Eckenstein's design, Grivel mass produced crampons, which were wildly successful in the burgeoning mountaineering community. 20 years later, Henry Grivel's son Laurent advanced crampon design by adding a set of points to the front of the crampon for additional traction when climbing directly up a steep slope. This 12 point crampon design continues to provide the basis for modern mountaineering crampons.
For the next few decades, Grivel continued to produce high performance mountaineering and climbing gear, utilizing a tradition of quality and a commitment to innovation. In 1936, Henry Grivel's younger son, Amato, built on his brother's design by utilizing a lighter weight chromoly alloy to produce a crampon that was stronger, yet thinner and lighter than previous styles. This crampon, the Grivel Super Leggero, became one of the premier crampons for mountaineers climbing the world's tallest peaks, including Mt. Everest, K2, and Kanchenjunga. The brand had reached an elite status within the mountaineering and climbing communities. By producing reliable hardware and innovative equipment, Grivel remained a core brand with a strong reputation for success.
Tradition meets innovation
A combination of innovation and a tradition of reliability, durability and a high standard of performance has defined Grivel from the turn of the century to the present. In 1982, new management took over the brand with the strong belief that, while Grivel had been surpassed in many ways by competitors and new brands to the climbing market, the historical weight of the brand and Grivel's reputation for excellence would ensure future successes.
Over the next decade, Grivel stormed the climbing industry, by producing original designs that transformed and drove the market. Starting in 1986 with the Super Courmayuer system, which was the first modular ice axe system featuring removable picks and shovels, Grivel began conquering various categories of gear. In 1993, the company released the Rambo crampon, which was a high-performance, rigid crampon for technical climbing. The Rambo was the first crampon to feature forged frontpoints, which have become a common feature for technical ice climbing crampons.
In 1996, Grivel released The Machine, a technical ice tool with an innovative bent shaft and shape. The Machine revolutionized technical ice tools, as other brand quickly imitated Grivel's design to catch up. Two short years later in 1998, Grivel again changed the conversation when they released the Top Machine. The Top Machine was the first ice tool for leashless climbing, utilizing a defined bottom finger rest and trigger rest, as well as a grippy shaft. Modern technical ice tools all stemmed from this leashless design.
Grivel has continued to release innovative new products along the way, from the radically designed Monster ice tool, to the carbon composite shafted
Quantum. Today, the brand stands out with a continued commitment to innovation, with a respect for tradition and history. Modern Grivel ice tools, like the
Tech Machine, the Machine 3.0 and the Light Machine utilize modern tool shapes and design, combined with high quality forged steel picks. Their crampons, like the
G20, are forged steel, but with mono-frontpoints and lightweight construction. While they still use old-world forging techniques and produce their products at the feet of the alps, Grivel has embraced modern technology by utilizing solar panels to generate all of the energy necessary to run the factory. Grivel is a modern climbing brand, but the history of their humble beginnings as a family of blacksmiths are woven into the design process, production of their equipment and in the philosophy of the company.
By 1909, the company had established a reputation in the growing climbing community. When English engineer and mountaineer Oscar Eckenstein designed the first modern-style 10 point crampon, he approached Henry Grivel to produce it. Using Eckenstein's design, Grivel mass produced crampons, which were wildly successful in the burgeoning mountaineering community. 20 years later, Henry Grivel's son Laurent advanced crampon design by adding a set of points to the front of the crampon for additional traction when climbing directly up a steep slope. This 12 point crampon design continues to provide the basis for modern mountaineering crampons.
For the next few decades, Grivel continued to produce high performance mountaineering and climbing gear, utilizing a tradition of quality and a commitment to innovation. In 1936, Henry Grivel's younger son, Amato, built on his brother's design by utilizing a lighter weight chromoly alloy to produce a crampon that was stronger, yet thinner and lighter than previous styles. This crampon, the Grivel Super Leggero, became one of the premier crampons for mountaineers climbing the world's tallest peaks, including Mt. Everest, K2, and Kanchenjunga. The brand had reached an elite status within the mountaineering and climbing communities. By producing reliable hardware and innovative equipment, Grivel remained a core brand with a strong reputation for success.
Over the next decade, Grivel stormed the climbing industry, by producing original designs that transformed and drove the market. Starting in 1986 with the Super Courmayuer system, which was the first modular ice axe system featuring removable picks and shovels, Grivel began conquering various categories of gear. In 1993, the company released the Rambo crampon, which was a high-performance, rigid crampon for technical climbing. The Rambo was the first crampon to feature forged frontpoints, which have become a common feature for technical ice climbing crampons.
In 1996, Grivel released The Machine, a technical ice tool with an innovative bent shaft and shape. The Machine revolutionized technical ice tools, as other brand quickly imitated Grivel's design to catch up. Two short years later in 1998, Grivel again changed the conversation when they released the Top Machine. The Top Machine was the first ice tool for leashless climbing, utilizing a defined bottom finger rest and trigger rest, as well as a grippy shaft. Modern technical ice tools all stemmed from this leashless design.
Grivel has continued to release innovative new products along the way, from the radically designed Monster ice tool, to the carbon composite shafted Quantum. Today, the brand stands out with a continued commitment to innovation, with a respect for tradition and history. Modern Grivel ice tools, like the Tech Machine, the Machine 3.0 and the Light Machine utilize modern tool shapes and design, combined with high quality forged steel picks. Their crampons, like the G20, are forged steel, but with mono-frontpoints and lightweight construction. While they still use old-world forging techniques and produce their products at the feet of the alps, Grivel has embraced modern technology by utilizing solar panels to generate all of the energy necessary to run the factory. Grivel is a modern climbing brand, but the history of their humble beginnings as a family of blacksmiths are woven into the design process, production of their equipment and in the philosophy of the company.