ORTOVOX Highlights Spring/Summer 2024

ORTOVOX News

ORTOVOX at Sport Bittl

ORTOVOX stands for the greatest possible mountain safety – since 1980 we have been protecting climbers, mountaineers and the mountains themselves. Emergency equipment, backpacks, technical apparel made with wool, and specialized training with a network of experts help make mountain sports safer every day. ORTOVOX defines itself as a brand for climbers and mountaineers and offers products year-round for ski tours, freeriding, alpine climbing and high alpine tours.

In 1980, enthusiastic ski tourer Gerald Kampel revolutionized avalanche search and rescue with the “F2”, the first ever double-frequency avalanche transceiver. His invention also marked the birth of the ORTOVOX brand – the brand name is a portmanteau of “ortung” (the German word for detection) and “vox”, meaning voice. Since then, ORTOVOX’s pioneering spirit and passion for the mountains has never wavered – in the years that followed, ORTOVOX played a key role in the development of emergency equipment for mountain sports. The training toolsoffered as part of the ORTOVOX SAFETY ACADEMY, with its practical courses and digital training tools, contribute to saving lives by making mountain sports that much safer.

Protection and a pioneering spirit also characterize the functional wool clothing that ORTOVOX has produced since 1988. Back then, the South German company defied the trend of using purely synthetics and laid the foundations for its reputation as a wool expert. Today, ORTOVOX provides a comfort system for each season, using this natural material sustainably in every layer to suit the product’s specific requirements and to guarantee the highest possible level of protection, functionality and quality. ORTOVOX’s merino wool comes from Tasmania. The ideal living conditions of merino sheep form the basis for the especially high quality of the fine wool fibers, which are so soft that they are used prominently in underwear and fabrics that lie directly on the skin. Since 2011, Swiss wool has also been specially worked into insulated products. This robust wool is collected in numerous Swiss valleys by local farmers and is characterized by its excellent thermal properties and climate control. From the Bavarian Alps to high mountain terrain, from ski and freeriding tours to alpine climbing routes – ORTOVOX sees itself as the voice of the mountains and embraces mountain sports and the enjoyment of nature.Everything is based upon a foundation of friendship and trust – within the team, with customers and in cooperation with partners and suppliers.

Responsible action and protection

Responsible thinking shapes every area of ORTOVOX’s business activities. The brand has been performing pioneering work with wool apparel since 1988 and has been making amark in the industry with its own wool standard, the ORTOVOX WOOL PROMISE (OWP), since 2017. The OWP guarantees the protection of the sheep by banning mulesing, focusing upon sustainable agriculture, addressing the significance of friendly relationships with farmers, and providing complete transparency of the development process of the products. It is based not only upon audits as part of the Responsible wool Standard (RWS) but also predominantly upon close, long-term relationships with select farmers and constant dialog between all involved across the globe. "Protecting what we love" is the motto of our protACT2024 sustainability strategy. It defines the six areas of the ORTOVOX sustainability objectives, including climate neutrality through compensation by 2024. In addition to the protection of sheep and the environment, ORTOVOX is also committed to the protection of people: ORTOVOX does more than pay lip service to dealing fairly with employees, customers and business partners. ORTOVOX has been a member of Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) and the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles initiative since 2015. The brand's commitment to fair working conditions has been recognized four times in a row with Leader Status. As a proud FWF member, the pursuit of global justice and compliance with high social standards is and remains a central part of ORTOVOX's efforts to protect what we love together. Furthermore, ORTOVOX is committed to protecting regional uniqueness. The promotion of regional resources and traditional expertise among all partners is of special importance. 49,33% of all textile products are made in Europe and will continue to be. An important aspect of ORTOVOX’s sustainability strategy is a commitment to environmental protection and climate neutrality. Protecting the mountains means actively implementing measures for achieving complete climate neutrality. To ensure individual products also protect mountain athletes and the environment, ORTOVOX relies on “chemical management” of the substances in the manufacture of products. All ORTOVOX products are 100% free from perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). Last,to ensure that these high-quality products can be used in the mountains for years to come, ORTOVOX places special focus upon the reliably robust design and reparability of its products. In the event of a defect, an uncomplicated repair service offers speedy support.

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