HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012 | 1

Text: Amrei Kommer

Extreme hikers tackle vast distances. They might choose the traditional Rennsteig, the

almost 300-kilometre-long Westweg, or the world-famous Way of St. James. But extreme hiker Thorsten Hoyer is very different from other fans of the sport. Because 44-year-old Hoyer covers his extreme distances in one go. He’s already cracked the 100-kilometre mark several times. One of his most extraordinary adventures was his non-stop crossing of the Alps on the E5 long-distance trail from Oberstdorf in Bavaria to Vernagt near Meran.

Downpour on departureSkies are grey over the Allgäu on the day he sets off. In fact they’re

an entirely different colour than that depicted on tourism posters of this popular holiday region. Tor-rents of rain lash down on the lus-cious green mountain landscape. Thorsten Hoyer doesn’t mind, in fact he actually welcomes the in-clement weather. “I prefer show-ers to searing heat”, he explains and adds that “It also means that it there won’t be so many people out and about”. It’s 7.30 a.m. when he starts off on his epic tour and he’s not wrong. At this time of the morning, nobody’s out in the bucketing rain on the E5 – des-pite its popularity. In spite of his weatherproof trousers and jacket, Thorsten’s very quickly soaked to the skin. But it’s something this

professional trekker tries to igno-re. “Once you’re really wet, at least you can’t get any wetter”. He stoi-cally pushes on. Even people who don’t know him quickly see that this is a man with his mind set on his objective.

After about four hours he reaches the Kemptener hütte. For many E5 Alp hikers, this hut is the end of the first day’s leg. But not for Thorsten. He briefly glances up at the hut, says hello and heads on towards Italy. Our extreme hiker is wearing Altai GTX® trekking boots…

Continued on the next page…

Extreme Hiker Thorsten Hoyer

Non-stop Over the Alps

News, Stories and interesting Facts about the Bavarian Bootmaker Edition 4 | Autumn-Winter 2012 | Free

Greetings Bergpost readers,

We’re delighted to bring you the latest edition of the Bergpost in time for

the winter season. To be honest, the summer is our main season; it’s when our technical alpine boots and trekking footwear get put through their paces. Having said that, we have been working on a collection for the colder months of the year – from technical winter trekking boots, such as the Abisko GTX®, to warm and cosy winter footwear sui-table for urban and outdoor use. And there’s one thing that all the win-

ter models have in common (apart from our double-stitched boots) – the IceGrip sole. These sure-grip winter soles have microscopically small glass particles in their tread blocks that scratch into the surface of the ice. The tried-and-tested so-les have been proven in practise, but don’t take my word for it, try them for yourselves.

For Winter 2013 there’s a new (third) addition to the family – the IceGrip SL. This thinner, lighter ver-sion has a shallower profile, but lar-ger IceGrip tread blocks. The original IceGrip and IceGrip LT are more effec-tive on snow, but on ice the new sole easily holds its own.

However, the Bergpost is about more than just our products; we also want to share interesting Han-wag facts and news. In this edition, we join extreme hiker and ProTeam

member Thorsten Hoyer on his non-stop trek across the Alps, demonstra-te how we make our genuine cemen-ted construction mountain boots and discuss which boots go with which crampons. As usual, there’s an in-terview with a specialist retailer and tech talk with our shoe designer Johann Friedl.

We hope you enjoy reading!

Jürgen Siegwarth and the Hanwag team

EDITORIAL

P.S.: Just like last time, we’d love to get your feedback, whether praise or criticism. Drop us an email at: Bergpost@hanwag.de or visit us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Hanwag

Normal hikers would take six days to walk the distance Thorsten Hoyer covers. In 48.5 hours he hiked non-stop over the Alps, from Oberstdorf in Bavaria to Vernagt in South Tyrol. His route was over 120 kilometres long and involved 13,000 metres of height gain and height loss. Here’s a report about his trip, what motivated him and of course what he had on his feet.

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

Non-stop: Thorsten Hoyer en route from Oberstdorf to Vernagt

Non-stop Over the Alps – Extreme Hiker Thorsten Hoyer on the way

The Big Question’s Why? – Interview with Thorsten Hoyer

Shoe in Detail: The Abisko GTX®

Speciality Retail: Brigitte Pircher from Schuhhaus Pircher (Partschins)

Keep on Your toes. Which crampon for which boot

(and vice versa...)?

Technology: How a mountain boot is made

Friedl’s Boot Basics: How Can I Look After My Mountain Boots Best?

The people behind Hanwag: Josef Sipek

Hanwag ProTeam: Dagmar Steigenberger

IN THIS ISSUE:

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

Side 2

Side 3

Side 4

Side 4

Side 5

Side 6

Side 7

Side 7

Side 8

2 | HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012

Nonstop over the Alps(continued from first page)

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

HANWAG PROTEAM

The rain finally stops at around 3 p.m. The skies slowly start to look more like those on the Allgäu tourism posters. But the going’s getting tougher. The route continues steeply to the Memminger hütte in the Lechtal Alps. Thorsten’s now been walking for more than 13 hours and covered 42 kilome-tres when the hut comes into view. Although it’s nearly dark, he recognises it in the distance. It lies at 2242 metres altitude and is covered in fresh snow. At least it’s not rained up here…

Thorsten treats himself to a short break and some tea and chocolate. Like a mantra, he stresses to himself the impor-tance of not getting too relaxed and comfortable. He keeps his Altai GTX® on and only his jacket is placed to dry briefly next to the warm fireplace. While the other guests are relaxing and enjoying the cosy atmosphere in the hut, Thorsten picks up his rucksack, bids the incredulous onlookers goodnight and sets off into the dark.

Up and down – day and nightEverything goes to plan during the first night. Thanks to his GPS device, Thorsten remains on the route despite the snow and the dark. Concentrating all the time, he covers the 2000 metres of descent. The path is sludgy and treacherous. He treads each and every step carefully. The aggressive profile on the soles of his Altai GTX® do their job. Thorsten’s also ple-ased to see that his feet are still warm and dry thanks to the GORE-TEX® lining.

The sleet slowly starts to subside when Thorsten reaches Zams in Inntal on Sunday at 5 a.m. He allows himself a short break and a drink before he takes the cable car (an exception) up the Venetberg, together with the other E5 hikers. At the summit station, rays of sun are there to welcome him and the exer-tions of the night are forgotten.

His next destination is the Braunschweig hut at the end of

the Pitztal, which lies at 2795 metres. Thorsten moves easily through the pristine white snowy landscape. He follows a wide path – through the Ötztal glacier skiing area which is far too built up – and on to Geislach. Shortly before Vent at the end of Ötztal, after 40 hours and 110 kilometres on his feet, twi-light signals the second sleepless night. Our extreme hiker is exhausted, but still stubbornly continues step by step. Fatigue

forces Thorsten to proceed more slow-ly. For the first time on the E5, he takes slightly longer than the times shown on the small yellow signposts.

He takes a break in the drying room at the Martin-Busch hutte. Just before dawn breaks, Thorsten crosses the border to

Italy and reaches the Similaunhütte at 3019 metres. He now completed all the ascents – just under 6500 metres. From the hut, he “only” has another 1200 metres downhill to Vernagt, his final destination.

The finish – exhausted, but happyAfter a brief, but well-deserved rest, he’s back on his feet. For the last time. Thorsten knows that he now has to tread care-fully to avoid slipping, or spraining an ankle. Maximum con-centration is required, particularly because he’s so exhausted. Our extreme hiker chooses to go slower because the risk of accidents is greatest when you’re tired. He generously allows himself seven hours to reach his destination. The trail is rocky and varied. Thorsten’s welcomes this. Time goes faster than on the open paths; despite the tiredness it’s more enjoyable.

At 8.30 a.m. and after 48.5 hours, Thorsten Hoyer reaches his destination. Exhausted, but happy, he reaches the south Tyrolean village of Vernagt. He’s gone non-stop on foot from Oberstdorf. Exhausted, but happy, he arrives at the south Tyrolean village of Vernagt. He’s come non-stop on foot from Oberstdorf – 120 kilometres away. A lonely arrival at the finishing line. Thorsten grins. He’s made it.

Altai GTX®

put to the endurance test

Thorsten Hoyer completed the whole route with just one pair

of Altai GTX® trekking boots. Thanks to its GORE-TEX® lining,

the HANWAG TREK-category model is fully waterproof and

guarantees to keep feet dry even in rain and snow. Thorsten ap-preciates the boot’s low weight

and stability as well as its sure-grip sole. He needs a boot that is

robust, but with a flexible sole that allows the foot to roll ef-

fectively – to prevent fatigue on (very) long hikes.

Thorsten treats himself to a short break and some tea and chocolate. Like a mantra, he stresses to him-self the importance of not getting too relaxed and comfortable.

On the right track – Thorsten’s not interested in record times.

Thorsten takes a brief break in the hut, before heading back out into the dark.

Coloured waymarks provide orientation in the middle of nowhere

Mystical atmosphere as the clouds part.

07:30

1st. Night

2nd. Night

11:30

20:30

05:00

16:15

02:00

05:30

08:30

AUSTRIA

GERMANY

ITALY

SWITZERLAND

Oberstdorf

Vernagt

Kemptener Hütte

Memminger Hütte

Zams

Martin-Busch Hütte

Similaunhütte

Braunschweiger Hütte

Meran

G. Partenkirchen

Zugspitze

Innsbruck

E 5

THORSTEN‘S NON-STOP( 120 kILOMETRES... 13,000 METERS Of ELEvATION GAIN AND LOSS... 48.5 HOURS) TRANS-ALPINE ROUTE.

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

Phot

o: J

o S

tark

HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012 | 3

Phot

o: P

eter

Wil

son

/ H

an

wag

When I heard you’d crossed the Alps non-stop, I was full of admiration, but then I started wondering why. Why would you want to do that?

That’s a good question and I’m not even sure I know what the answer is (Thorsten says grinning). But let me stress that it’s not about breaking records. That doesn’t ap-

peal to me at all. What motivates me is something that sounds a lot more trivial – it’s curiosity, pure and simp-le. I wanted to find out how crossing the Alps non-stop works. I’d covered long distances in the past; I knew that it wasn’t a problem. Now I was endeavouring to combine a long rou-te with huge differences in altitude.

INTERvIEW MIT THORSTEN HOYER

The Big Question’s Why?Interview: Julia Englhart

Thorsten Hoyer presents his favourite Hanwag boot in our new video

Extreme hiker, Thorsten Hoyer

No mean feat – crossing the Alps in two days. But how do you come up with such an idea? And is it really enjoyable? We asked Thorsten Hoyer.

And how was it?Super. I succeeded and it was

great fun, although conditions weren’t ideal.

In what way weren’t conditions ideal?I started off in heavy rain which

higher up meant snow – and re-member it was August. From the Memming hut onwards the route was snowed over and at the Braun-schweig hut it was knee deep, so I wasn’t sure that I’d get through. But I did. The weather improved and I was able to manage the difficult sec-tions well.

Did you take many breaks and did you stop off anywhere?

I never take long breaks on my trips. The longer and cosier a break is, the harder it is to press on. While crossing the Alps, I took the first break after 14 hours of walking to have two cups of tea and an ener-gy bar. If I ate more it would be im-possible to get going again. But my body’s used to that and I don’t suf-fer from hunger pangs when hiking.

How do you keep yourself awake for so long?

I don’t drink any coffee, nor do I take any stimulants. I just mentally prepare for the long hike before-hand. And I don’t find that I have any problems staying awake. After all, I’m always on the move.

But honestly now, how long was your hike across the Alps fun and when did it become agony?

(He laughs) The trip was mostly agony at the beginning because it poured with rain from Oberstdorf to the Kempten hut. Everything was soaked through – me included and quite honestly I felt pretty exhaus-ted. But once the weather improved, everything was great. Above all, the nights were a lot of fun. You have to concentrate on where you‘re go-ing. Up in the mountains you can’t afford to slip. Which is why I had a companion at night. In the dark, that’s important for safety.

Do you prefer hiking by yourself or in a group?

On really long hikes I prefer being on my own and relying on my own resources. Otherwise I like being in a group.

Aren’t you bored when you’re hiking alone?

No, not at all. That’s because I’m outdoors with the nature. There’s so much to see that you don’t have time to get bored. On a treadmill in the gym on the other hand I don’t think I’d last ten kilometres.

What boots do you normally wear?My two standard models are the

Tatra and Altai GTX. For the Alps, the Altai GTX was a very good choice. It’s very stable, but still fle-xible and not too heavy.

How long do your shoes last?I don’t know how many kilome-

tres the Altai GTX has already do-ne. My Performance GTX trail shoes

lasted an incredible 2,500 kilomet-res. And thanks to their cemented construction, I was able have them re-soled.

I’m sure you didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to hike 200 kilo-metres non-stop… How did you get into hiking?

I used to hate hiking at school. Later I discovered travelling and re-alised that you get to know a coun-try best when on foot. A trekking trip to Greenland in 1993 triggered my interest in long-distance hiking. Since then I’ve hiked a lot and it’s become something I love doing. In 2004 I took part in a 24-hour hike for the first time. After that I knew that I was capable of more. As the curiosity I mentioned before got the better of me I started extreme hiking. I was very lucky to be able to turn this demanding hobby in-to my job.

What other projects are in the pipe-line?

Next year I’m off to Albania to write a hiking guide. I’m also plan-ning a trekking trip to Nepal. And 300 kilometres non-stop is another project on the agenda…

4 | HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012

RETAIL INTERvIEW: ScHUHHAUS PIRcHER IN PARTScHINS

How old is Schuhhaus Pircher and how has business devel-oped over the years?

Schuhhaus Pircher was founded in 1882 as a tradi-tional shoemaker’s shop. In 1957 my father-in-law took it over and began selling well-known Italian footwear. We’re very proud of the fact that the fourth generation of the family is now running the shop and that we’re still all involved in making deci-sions. We have only ever sto-cked high-quality European footwear. Our main focus is mountain boots and hiking footwear – we carry some 300 models.

When did you first come ac-ross Hanwag?

My first experiences with Hanwag were around 20 ye-ars ago, when we decided

to include the brand in our range.

You know what your cus-tomers want. What kind of qualities do people look for in a mountain boot?

People want a sole with good grip and most custo-mers nowadays see light-weight design as important. The boots have to be as light as possible and, of course, comfortable. Quality is also an important issue: peop-le expect their boots to last. Which is why they’ve come to the right place at Schuh-haus Pircher.

How about winter boots?That’s harder for me to

say. Our main season is from spring through to autumn – from Easter to Halloween. We don’t stock that much speci-

alist winter footwear. Custo-mers, trying on winter boots generally want a sole that provides good grip on snow and ice, good insulation un-derfoot and – especially wo-men – a warm lining.

What gives you the most satisfaction?

I’m always delighted when customers value our detailed advice, expertise and experience. The moment I look at someone’s feet, I can normally tell which models are suitable. Positive feed-back confirms that my as-sessment is correct. We’ve got lots of regular custo-mers – this makes it all wor-thwhile. Some of them have been coming to us for over 40 years.

South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Home of the Ortler, the Rosengarten massif and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. We often gaze over the border with admiration... and we send plenty of boots there too. For example, to the Schuhhaus Pircher in Partschins – a specialist footwear retailer with a longstanding tradition. We asked co-owner Brigitte Pircher to tell us more about it.

A South Tyrolean Family BusinessText: Amrei Kommer

Sou

rce:

Sch

uh

hau

s P

irch

er

SHOE IN DETAIL:

ABISkO GTX®

TEcHNIcAL WINTER BOOT fOR MULTI-DAY SNOWSHOE TRIPS AND AMBITIOUS WINTER ADvENTURES

Lining: Waterproof and breathable – the GORE-TEX® lining guarantees dry feet and climate comfort on longer trips.

Weight: The Abisko GTX® weighs 1,100 grams (size 7).

Insole: The “heart” of a boot – not visible from the outside. The Abisko GTX® has a reinforced plastic insole for stability and durability.

Sole: The Hanwag IceGrip sole uses a special rubber compound with fine glass particles on its tread blocks. They scratch into the surface of ice – like sandpaper - to provide a sure grip. This innovative winter compound-sole provides a secure grip even on hard ice.

Elevated Brim: An all-round rubber rand is handcrafted around the lower part of the upper. It provides additional protection from rocks, scree and ice and significantly increases the boot’s stability and durability.

Cordura®: The upper is made of textured Cordura® polyamide 6.6 HT (High Tenacity) fibres. Cordura® is light, yet extremely robust and abrasion-resistant.

Thermo footbed: The removable footbed provides extra insulation at low temperatures.

Insulated: Additional insulation in the upper and the sole unit keeps feet warm on winter days or frosty mornings.

Outstanding feature: The Abisko GTX® combines high insulation with superb wal-king comfort. Most insulated winter boots are more suited to standing about than walking in.

Mini gaiter: The integrated gaiter keeps snow and cold out. Fitted with drawcord adjustment.

WarmthPlus: An additional insulating layer added to the insole. For extra insula-tion underfoot.

Snowshoe: With its waterproof uppers, additional insulation and robust construc-tion the Abisko GTX® is ideal for snowshoe tours.

Brigitte Pircher with her husband Günther and daughter Maria

Removable inner boot: The removable thermo felt inner boot keeps the feet warm even at very cold temperatures. Its lacing system allows adjustment for a perfect fit. This versatile inner boot can be dried separately, worn for extra insulation in the sleeping bag or doubles up as a com-fortable hut shoe (it has a thin outsole).

HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012 | 5

Keep on Your Toes

Not just for ice climbing: crampons provide a secure grip on snow and ice for general mountaineering and easy snow and glacier travel

TEcHNOLOGY & MATERIALS: cRAMPON cOMPATIBILITY: WHIcH cRAMPON fOR WHIcH BOOT (AND vIcE vERSA...)?

Text: Amrei Kommer / Jo Stark

Even the best mountain boots have their limits on snow and ice. Anyone planning a glacier crossing or a route involving ice (e.g. gullies in spring) should be thinking about using crampons. In fact, they should be using them already.

Crampons normally have two connected moveable metal base plates joined by a me-

tal bar and 8 to 14 sharp spikes or points. At the front of the crampon are the front points. These horizon-tal front points are used to ascend steeper sections or climb ice walls, by kicking them horizontally into the ice. The second row of generally for-ward-slanting points improves stabi-lity when climbing snow and steep ice. The remaining points are positi-oned at right angles to the ground.

Crampons are normally made of steel or (more expensive) stainless

steel. There is also a new generati-on of lightweight crampons made of aluminium alloy. However, alu-minium crampons are designed for shorter passages of moderate snow climbing, glacier tours or ski moun-taineering objectives. They are not suitable for ice climbing or mixed routes – they are just not strong enough and may bend or even break.

There are three main types of binding systems for fitting cram-pons. Which crampon for which boot depends on the activity they are to be used for, the conditions and the type of boot.

Construction: A full wire toe bail firmly clips on to the front of the sole unit, while a rear wire bail system cradles the heel. The heel lever is pulled up to secure the crampon to the boot. Most step-in crampons have a strap that runs between the front and rear bail. And by the way – step-in crampons are also known as automa-tic or clip-on crampons.

Which boots? Step-in crampons are only suitable for fully crampon-compatible boots. These boots have a ful-ly rigid sole construction with a heel and toe welt de-signed for full step-in crampons. The heel and toe welt have to be very robust as they need to withstand huge forces. All Hanwag ALPIN models are compatible with step-in crampons.

Area of use: Expeditions, challenging high-alpine moun-taineering, difficult mixed and ice routes. They can of course be used for easier tours.

Construction: Hybrid crampons have a rear wire bail sys-tem with a heel lever, but at the front they have a basket system instead of a wire toe bail. Here also, there is nor-mally a strap that runs between the front and rear bail. Hybrid crampons are also known as semi-automatic, se-mi-step-in, basket or mixed crampons. Hybrid crampons are the most versatile type of crampons, but it is impor-tant that they fit properly.

Which boots? Hybrid crampons are only suitable for crampon-compatible boots that have a proper heel welt designed for the rear wire bail system with a heel lever on hybrid crampons and at least a semi-rigid sole construc-tion. All Hanwag ALPIN boots are compatible with hybrid crampons as well as certain models from our ROCK and TREK categories with a suitably rigid sole.

Area of use: Snow slopes and glaciers, high-alpine moun-taineering, easy to moderate ice tours. Boots with suffici-ently stiff soles are also suitable for more demanding ice or mixed tours.

Construction: Crampons with a strap-on binding are so-mewhat of a compromise that makes it possible to use relatively flexible trekking boots on glaciers or snow pas-sages. They either have a strap and buckle (awkward to fit) or a basket at the front. Advantage: they are easy to walk in (as they allow the foot to roll effectively). Disad-vantages: the fastening is less secure. Pulling them tight may constrict softer footwear (bad for the circulation).

Which boots? Generally speaking, strap-on crampons are better for non-rigid soles and are less suitable for ri-gid boots, especially ski-touring boots. It’s normally not possible to prevent the straps from loosening during use, which increases the risk of losing a crampon.

Area of use: Easy mountaineering and treks that might involve firn or glacier crossings. Strap-on crampons are not suitable for technical climbing.

Tip 1: Anti-balling platesSnow building up or balling up under crampons

(between the base plates and points) causes

numerous accidents every year. It can prevent the

crampon from having any contact, which means

the points cannot bite. We strongly recommend

purchasing crampons with an anti-balling system.

Mountain guides also recommend: treating anti-

balling plates regularly with ski wax or silicone

spray.

Tip 2 : Don’t buy crampons on the internetUnlike ski bindings, crampons and mountain boot

soles are not standardised. They might all be similar,

but certain combinations are not secure. We strongly

recommend taking your boots with you to the shop

where you intend to purchase your crampons.

MASTHEAD Hanwag Bergpost is the customer maga-zine from Hanwag GmbH and is published twice a year.

Publisher: Hanwag GmbH, Wiesenfeldstr. 7 85256 Vierkirchen +49 – (0)8139 – 9356 0 v.i.S.d.P.: Jürgen Siegwarth www.hanwag.de bergpost@hanwag.de

(The contents are the sole responsibility of Hanwag.)

Printing: Offsetdruckerei Gebr. Betz GmbH 85258 Weichs

Print circulation: 5.000 Editorial and Conceptual Development:Kern Gottbrath Kommunikation GbR, Ungererstr. 161, 80805 München, www.K-G-K.com

Editorial Team (Text, Photography, Graphic) Julia Englhart, Till Gottbrath, Amrei Kommer, Peter Wilson, Joachim Stark, Jürgen Siegwarth, Johann Friedl, Max Bolland, Ralf Gantzhorn, Thorsten Hoyer

Marketing managerBastian Jung

STEP-IN cRAMPON HYBRID cRAMPON STRAP-ON cRAMPON

Phot

o: R

alf

Ga

ntz

hor

nW

ith

th

an

ks

to S

por

thau

s S

chu

ster

in

Mu

nic

h f

or t

he

loa

n o

f th

e cr

am

pon

s.

6 | HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012

TEcHNOLOGY: HOW A MOUNTAIN BOOT IS MADE

Bootmaking Has Many Steps You might be forgiven for thinking that high-quality mountain boots would be expensive. But anyone viewing our production facilities in Vierkirchen is surprised at how much skilled manual work is involved and promptly changes their mind. We take our traditional TATRA boot as an example and show you all the many key steps in the production process.

1. Material selectionThe Tatra is made of a total of 64 pieces of leather and rubber, plus a further 92 metal parts, such as rivets and lacing hooks. We select our ma-terials according to the most strin-gent statutory regulations and ex-clusively from suppliers in Europe.

2. Punching and skivingThe leather uppers, lining and rein-forcements are punched and then prepared for stitching using simple, hand-operated machinery. All ad-joining parts have to be skived (pa-red). They are reduced in thickness to ensure that the joins are clean (e.g. between two pieces of the le-ather upper) so that there are no bulges that could cause pressure points. Areas to be glued or riveted at a later stage are carefully marked.

3. StitchingThe different sections of the up-pers are taken to the stitching de-partment, where they are stitched together to form a complete upper. The various markings show how the parts should be correctly positioned. After stitching, the boot starts to take shape.

4. Riveting and gluingNow it’s time to get stuck in. First the reinforcing sections at the sides are worked into the upper and the heel section is glued. Then the heel and toe caps, foam cushioning and lining are all added. The foam elements provide extra cushioning at the ankle, tongue, rivets and la-cing hooks. It’s important that all these parts are fitted in exactly the right position in order to guaran-tee a good fit. If the lining is not fit-ted correctly, folds might occur that could cause pressure points and rubbing. Now all the lacing hooks and rivets can be added to the out-side of the boot.

5. Cemented constructionCemented construction is a complex technique for making high-quality boots. The uppers are worked over the insole on a last before the sole unit is connected. The insole is the “heart” of the boot (that can’t be seen from outside). It sits inside the shoe directly beneath the foot under the sock lining (lining material that covers the insole) and above the out-sole. The uppers are formed around the last and then cemented together with the insole. This special const-ruction also means that the boot is re-soleable (as all Hanwag footwear is). The Tatra is fitted with our Vib-ram® AW Integral trekking sole.

6. Fitting the soleAt the toe and heel sections the Tat-ra is also given a rubber rand, which is glued to the upper. It protects the leather upper from rocks and scree. The boot is now ready for the out-sole to be fitted (glued). First the surface of the rubber is roughened to ensure optimal adherence. Next the glue is heat-activated and the Vibram® AW Integral sole is fitted (using high pressure) onto the in-sole. We developed this specialist trekking sole ourselves and source the high-quality rubber, as the name suggests, from Vibram.

7. FinishingNow comes comes the finishing. The boot is removed from the last where it was shaped. Any glue or dirt from the manufacturing process is clea-ned from the leather. Finally, the Ta-tra is given its sock lining. In order to protect the upper and the future wearer’s feet, the leather is specially impregnated.

8. PackingAfter a final check by one of our team, the Tatras are laced, labelled and packed. Every pair of new boots is placed in a box with our Quali-ty Seal so that wearers can see that they are buying a pair of carefully crafted, high-quality boots.

Phot

os:

Pet

er W

ilso

n /

Ha

nw

ag

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012 | 7

Text: Amrei Kommer

High-quality footwear is not just produced in Vierkirchen. People are also busy at work

in Croatia, Hungary and Romania for the Bavarian mountain-boot maker. One of them is Josef Sipek, head of production at the Croatian compa-ny Consors that with a workforce of 230 makes footwear exclusively for Hanwag.

Born and bred near the Consors headquarters in Donja Ladanje (around 100 km north of the capital Zagreb), Sipek has already been wor-king for Hanwag for thirteen years. His grandfather was a shoemaker so he virtually inherited the passi-on for traditional shoe making. As a result, he didn’t hesitate when Con-sors offered him a job.

His love of “correctly and proper-ly made shoes” is what spurs him on till the present day. And his stan-dards are high. “As at all Hanwag’s production sites, we comply with stringent regulations and proce-

dures. The goal is to give our custo- mers high-quality shoes that they will enjoy wearing for as long as possible.” To ensure this objective is achieved, Sipek constantly has his eye on production. He liaises with the people at Hanwag head-quarters in Vierkirchen in Bavaria and plans, organises and co-ordi-nates all processes. Everything has to pass Sipek’s exacting standards, whether it’s the quality of the ma-terials supplied, cutting to size, sew-ing and gluing, or the finished item.

Sipek is always there for his team and wants them all to feel happy in their work. “Making a finished shoe consists of a lot of different steps. You need a well-oiled team with professional, dedicated and experi-enced employees. Team spirit and a pleasant working atmosphere are the foundations for good and ef-fective work. And that’s what I like about my job – working together to create a fantastic product”.

fRIEDL’S BOOT BASIcS

Friedl knows everything there is to know about bootmaking. His full name is Johann Friedl, but at Hanwag everyone calls him just Friedl. He comes from Austria and he’s been with us as a footwear developer since 2008.

How Can I Look After My Mountain Boots Best?Text: Johann Friedl

Caring for footwear is all about cleaning, drying, impregnating and waxing. To enjoy wearing your mountain boots for as long as possible, it’s worth looking after them properly. But what’s the right way to clean and protect your boots? And what do you have to remember for different materials? Friedl has the answers.

Mountain boots are like old friends. They’re with us every step of the way when we’re mountaineering, trekking

for days on end, or hiking. They are faithful com-panions you can always rely on. Provided we look after them properly of course.

Cleaning: Mountain boots need cleaning every time you’ve been out and about. First remove the insoles and the laces if they’re very dirty. Brush the dirt off the outside. Place the boots under running water to get rid of any dry dirt you can’t brush off. Leather cleaners are only necessary if the dirt is particularly stubborn. I advise you not to use soap because it damages the leather and the impregnation. Water is best for cleaning the lining, whether it’s leather or textile. Just take a soft sponge, or brush, and off you go.

Drying: Never place your boots near an open fire, on the heating, near the oven, or in full sunlight. Heat combined with moisture damages even the most robust leather. It turns brittle and can crack. We shoemakers say it burns, but that has nothing to do with flames. After you’ve cleaned them, place your boots with the tongues wide

open in a dry, well-aired place. Stuff leather- lined boots with newspaper. But don’t forget to replace it with fresh paper. And by the way, mo-dels with a GORE-TEX® lining dry faster without paper.

Impregnating: You will need to impregnate your boots regularly to protect them (and your own feet) from moisture.

Impregnating textile materials is particular-ly easy. After cleaning apply the impregnation spray to the boot, not forgetting the laces and areas that might be difficult to get to. Sprays are OK for nubuck and suede as well. But a liquid product like our HANWAX UniversalCare is better.

Waxing: Similarly to smooth leather, waxing is also possible, particularly if you want your boots to last. You can also use standard shoe wax. Ap-ply it thinly and rub it in gently. Don’t apply too much, or you’ll have to brush the remainder off. Please note that suede is not suitable for waxing. And that waxing makes nubuck leather smoo-ther and darker each time. This doesn’t bother me. But if you don’t like it, then use an impreg-

nation spray instead. Never use grease or oil be-cause it blocks up the pores.

Some sprays and cleaners are aqueous emul-sions – in other words the solvent’s water-based, which means it’s an eco-friendly option.

These products are also absorbed more easily if you apply them to footwear that’s still damp. All other products require completely dry foot-wear.

But it’s only worth taking all this trouble if you store your footwear properly. Stand your boots up in a dry and well-aired place. Shoe trees will keep the material in shape. We recommend brushing off the profiled outsole with a wire brush, or fine sand paper, if you haven’t used your boots for a long time. But we’re assuming that’s unlikely to be the case…

THE PEOPLE BEHIND HANWAG: JOSEf SIPEk

Dobar dan...

HANWAG PRODUcT cARE

Hanwag has special, eco-friendly care products for all models:

HANWAX UniversalCare: silicone impregnation spray with moisturising wax, suitable for leather and textile materials.

HANWAX IntensiveCare: especially and ex-clusively for leather. Contains waxes dissol-ved in water, as well as silicone to refresh the impregnation. Available as a gel, or cream with sponge.

Phot

o: P

eter

Wil

son

/ H

an

wag

Josef Sipek keeps a close eye on production

8 | HANWAG BERGPOST – NR. 4 – AUTUMN / WINTER 2012

NEWS

TORNE GTX®: WINNER Of ALPIN’S WINTER BOOT TEST“The fit, great comfort, good insulation and Ice-Grip sole convinced all testers” – the verdict of the ALPIN test team. We sent our all-round Torne GTX®winter boot to take part in the German magazine’s comprehensive test of twelve different winter boots (issue 02/12). The test team named the Torne GTX® as their “test winner”!

HANWAG PROTEAM: DAGMAR STEIGENBERGER

Dynamic and Energetic Personalities

For more news and events, please visit www.hanwag.de

IcE-GRIP: SURE GRIP ON SNOW AND IcEWe were the first bootmaker to fit their winter models with a special, sure-grip winter sole – the tried and tested Hanwag Ice-Grip sole. The sole is based on a simple idea: fine glass particles scratch into the surface of the ice to provide a secure grip. This winter we are introducing a new (third) version of the original Hanwag IceGrip sole – the IceGrip SL. The IceGrip SL is lighter and has a shallower profile than the original. Its extensive Ice-Grip tread blocks provide greater winter safety and superior trac-tion on treacherous city pavements or winter walks on icy paths.

BOOTS fOR ROMANIA

In addition to our work and our desire to produce high-quality shoes, we also take our social res-

ponsibility very seriously. We’d like to make our own contribution to helping less fortunate members of society.

One of our production facilities is in Romania. Therefore it makes sense for us to partner with an organisati-on that operates in this region. And in our case, what could be more approp-riate then donating footwear?

As a result, this summer we han-ded over several palettes to Hilfstrans-porte + Waisenhilfe e.V. (a German charity that ships aid and supports orphans) with altogether 300 pairs of shoes destined for Romania.

The organisation supports six in-stitutions in Hungary and Romania each which include orphanages and children’s homes, as well as parishes and a hospital. Thanks to our donati-on, people who previously had to do without proper shoes were given proper footwear.

We plan to continue this partnership within this year and send some more shoes with the planned aid flotil-la in December.

Mehr Informationen zu Hilfstransporte + Waisenhilfe e.V.

unter http://www.hilfstransporte.org

We don’t engage celebri-ties to put their face (or in our case their feet) to

our products in return for money. We partner 20 mountaineering and outdoor enthusiasts who take being outdoors to the extreme. They en-joy putting our footwear through its paces and provide important feedback. They tell us what we do well, what we could do even better and above all where the problems lie. We’ll be introducing members of the team in each issue of Han-wag Bergpost. For more information about the ProTeam visit www.han-wag.de/proteam.

Dagmar Steigenberger: Into the wildWhen she sets out, Dagmar Steigen-berger doesn’t seek the most spec-tacular routes or toughest trails. She takes a different approach. Instead of just experiencing nature around her, she wants to get even closer to it, live with it and in it. Her enthu-siasm for the outdoors encouraged the journalist to go on a one-year wilderness learning course (known as learnscaping) which the 35 year old completed at the beginning of this year.

In various block courses she learnt about responsible ways of

dealing with nature and other li-ving things. To achieve this goal, a level of understanding and focus on what’s important are required. How do animals communicate? Do deer and birds understand one another? Dagmar now knows the answer to questions like these and welcomes the opportunity to pass on what she has learnt. She explains that birds are the custodians of the forest and that they have different warning calls. She can also list the most im-portant domestic and above all edi-ble wild herbs and describe how to look for water.

During the training, her class-room was anything but the norm. The forest clearing at Jenbach at the foot of Wendelstein didn’t have a whiteboard, but plenty of oppor-tunities for practical exercises. Dag-mar created a ranger’s sleeping bag – a structure made of branches that shelters a bed of leaves. She can al-so start a fire without matches or a lighter. She learnt new orientation skills and much more besides.

Above all, Dagmar particularly enjoyed tracking. In February, during her training, she joined like-minded people for a spot of tracking in Aus-tria. In the frosty conditions and on

her long treks through the snow, she was glad of her Hanwag Alaska GTX® that kept her feet warm and dry the whole time.

As a learnscaper, Dagmar com-pares her fascination for tracking with her job as a journalist. In her view it’s similar to reading and be-coming absorbed in stories. Nature supplies the elements of a story that she then just has to put together. And that’s also what her goal is. She wants to tell stories from her natural surroundings, in writing or around the camp fire in the eve-ning. And of course, there’s always the possibility that a couple of wit-ches, ghosts or magicians might just creep in.

Dag

ma

r S

teig

enb

erge

r D

agm

ar

Ste

igen

ber

ger

Dagmar Steigenberger, journalist and learnscaper

Dag

ma

r S

teig

enb

erge

r

Learning to make a fire Dagmar shows patience and stamina

Final preparations before the trip to Romania

NEW PROTEAM fILMSA new series of short image films featuring Hanwag ProTeam members shows them on alpine adventures and talking about their favourite boots. To accompany our new advertising cam-paign, we’ve produced these compact audio-visual descriptions of our ALPIN, TREK, TREK LIGHT and WINTER categories. The films are online at www.hanwag.de.

OUTDOOR cELEBRITY Of THE YEAR 2012: JOSEf WAGNERHanwag President Emeritus Josef Wagner was celebrated as “Out-Door Celebrity of the Year 2012” at the OutDoor trade show in Friedrichshafen.

An international panel of journalists and representatives from the industry paid tribute to 90-year-old Josef for his life’s work and long-term commitment to the outdoor industry. Congratu-lations Sepp!

AIkO BODE PUSHES SUSTAINABILITYIn March this year Aiko Bode was ap-

pointed to the newly created post of Chief Sustainability Officer at Fenix Outdoor AB, the Swedish outdoor group that is our parent company. With Aiko at the helm, Hanwag is working alongside the group’s other brands to promote

sustainability and social res-ponsibility.

The heart of a learnscape camp – the kitchen, a meeting point and Dagmar’s refuge when it tips down

Phot

o: P

eter

Wil

son

/ H

an

wag

Phot

o: P

eter

Wil

son

/ H

an

wag