SAMAYA x REFUGE DE TÊTE ROUSSE
SETTING UP TEST BENCHES AT AN ALTITUDE OF OVER 3,000 METERS
As part of the partnership established with the FFCAM (French Alpine and Mountain Clubs Federation), Samaya has equipped the platforms of the Tête Rousse refuge, located on the normal route of Mont Blanc. Samaya has taken the opportunity to implement a materials testing process at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. Antoine Tirmarche, R&D & Materials Manager, gives us the inside scoop on implementing these real-world condition tests.
What partnership unites Samaya with the Tête Rousse refuge?
Antoine Tirmarche: Most people who climb Mont Blanc via the normal route pass through Tête Rousse, a route where bivouacking is prohibited. Having tents installed next to the refuge allows for increased sleeping capacity. As part of the partnership between Samaya and the FFCAM, 14 Samaya Basecamp tents are set up throughout the season, which represents 42 additional spots for the refuge.
This year, in addition to installing tents, you have set up a structure to conduct materials testing. Can you tell us more?
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AT: Indeed, this year, in addition to the tents, we brought a frame with a panel of nine materials that we use on our tent walls and floors to perform tests on them. Our main objective is to identify where and how these materials degrade primarily. For example, if there is cracking in the coatings. We characterize and quantify their performance in terms of tensile strength, tear strength, waterproofing, abrasion resistance, and perforation resistance after one and a half months of use, and then after 3 months of use in the field. We also install this panel of materials at our premises in Annecy to compare the difference in performance loss between these two terrains and climates, particularly with the conditions in Annecy, which are more representative of the 3-season practice we have just entered. With this data, we are expanding our knowledge of how product performance evolves in different usage contexts.
Why go so high to perform all these tests?
AT: There are multiple ways to conduct artificial aging tests, notably using UV chambers. The limitation we find is that the evaluation focuses more on color loss, which for us is a minor component compared to the evolution of mechanical performance. Samaya is part of a dynamic of internalizing industrialization in order to have more control over the parameters of the development process. At Tête Rousse, we are at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, in real-world usage conditions for the tent, exposed to UV, cold, and wind, allowing us to collect tangible data that we use to evolve our products and techniques.
