Quad Archives - polychromelab

Alpine Proof: World’s Highest Alpine Lab

5. Juni 2015/in adventure

Moving to Serfaus Fiss Ladis: World’s Highest Textiles Research Lab

A pile of moving boxes and trunks. The change of scenery takes shape. A change of scenery in the name of innovation. When we first introduced Alpine Proof we located world’s highest textiles research lab at the Glungezer on 2610 meters. This site is unique and extreme, but it isn’t extreme enough for Alpine Proof’s aims: At our new destination Serfaus Fiss Ladis Alpine Proof is able to analyse the interaction of man and textile under strain in alpine regions even better. The goal is to pursue innovation to its very limits to get world’s best textiles.

Part 2: How to Move an Alpine Lab?

To achieve our goals we take on us this extra workload the move means and dismantle Alpine Proof alpine lab at Glungezer and rebuild it in Serfaus Fiss Ladis. This is how it’s done: Weather at Glungezer always was indescribably extreme, one of a kind, majestic, about what it is remembering us on that very day like it’s trying to make our goodbye and move to Serfaus even harder.

And there it was! It’s spring in Tyrol and everywhere snow! It took only one night and suddenly one needs a quad to transport stuff of Alpine Proof alpine lab from 2610 meters into the valley. Thanks again to Gregor from Gufl youth hostel for borrowing us his quad!

After this uphill rollercoaster ride we started packing. This equipment contains a meteo station, batteries for solar panels from Goal Zero, concrete which we initially needed for fixing, cabels, dummies and our ergometer mountainbike which soon is enjoying the view on upper Inntal.

Here’s part one of our moving story of moving to Serfaus Fiss Ladis.

Continue reading our story with part three: the rocky trail of innovation.

Outdoor Gear Lab in the Alps

18. Januar 2015/in alpine proof

Working Day: Outdoor Gear Lab in Tyrolean Alps

We write the thrid year of ‘polychromelab on Mount Glungezer‘ and still unexpected things do happen. To run an outdoor gear lab in the Alps can be unnerving – or in other words: without beeing spontaneous and wearing high quality outdoor gear one doesn’t come too far.

For example, one needs spontaneousness, when a meteo station has to be transported up on 2610 meters in a backpack. One needs high quality outdoor gear to prevent freezing in conditions like at the Himalaya and storms of 300 km/h. It really gets unnerving, when one has to repair this meteo station, which got demolished by flying rocks in the storm, at freezing winter temperatures on 2610 meters.

Video: way to textiles research lab at Glungezer with Quad

Fortunately today wasn’t that unnerving: because of current weather situation there is less snow for a skitour to our outdoor gear lab and too much to go by feet.

This is how our way to the outdoor gear lab in the Alps looks like (including accident in a bend):

Fortunately, we have two nice helpers at mount Glungezer. Gregor, Youthhostel Gufl, lend us his quad, on which we made our way to the textiles research lab. Arriving on top we had to select meteo data, swap temperature sensors on textiles and repair some damages. Afterwards the innkeeper Gottfried kooked a hot soop to help us recover from freezing temperatures.

Winter gear required – working day

29. Dezember 2014/in alpine proof

Working day with quad bike in high mountain range

We can hardly believe that a lack of snow makes work more difficult. But this isn’t a joke: normaly in winter times we ascend with ski tour skies to the polychromelab 2610 textiles research laboratory, but this time there was too less snow for a proper ski tour and too much to go be feet.

Fortunately a good friend of ours lend us his quad bike, so we could transport our working stuff to the Glungezer Hütte. This was great fun – up to 2400 meters we could use a quad bike, the last 250 meters we could test our winter gear and went be ski.

Winter gear, ski tour, working and downhill skiing

In the lab there were many things to do. Next week we’ll tell you all about what the extreme storms at the Glungezer do to our textile research laboratory.

Most fun today was to test our new winter jacket Alta Verde on a nice ski tour up to the peak. The weather was brilliant, it was a way in ease and inspiration, these are the great things of our work.

In the evening, jacketed in warm winter gear, we got the reward for our winter day and enjoyed the prime of this winter day on the Glungezer Hütte at downhill skiing. See you next time!