Mike Parsons,my memoir

The Gear That Got Us There………. and back!

Innovations and the innovators .................who changed ‘the impossible’ to ‘doable’, and even enjoyable!

My memoir is a gear maker and innovator’s perspective of the second golden age of British climbing and the ensuing new adventure activities.  

I was a key gear supplier to Annapurna 1970, Everest 1975, Kongur 1978, led by Chris Bonington and the bold lightweight style expeditions epitomised by Boardman, McIntyre/Porter which followed. The 2-day mountain marathon began in 1978 and embraced orienteering from Scandinavia with lightweight camping, becoming the KIMM then OMM as my business. In parallel backpacking arrived from the USA impelled along by many enthusiastic participants, writers and publishers.    

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The post-WW2 baby boomers became the youth of the energetic, rebellious, musical and mini-skirted 1960s. Open-minded, sometimes even change-provoking. Ending our interwar period of isolation from Europe, we adopted from other nations and their activists, innovating further. 

British climbing and skiing opened up to the working classes. Mindful of the mass trespass of the 1930s, the UK government facilitated access, and national parks and motorways opened. Outdoor education pervaded schools, influenced by the ascent of Everest in 1953, the D of E award, and many new activities boomed.   

Orienteering arrived from Scandinavia and was embraced within 2-day mountain marathons and adventure racing. Backpacking crossed the Atlantic from the USA, driven by enthusiastic activists, writers and publishers. 

The context; our family bike store and bike bag workshop, was close to failure in the late 1950s. My Dad lost his eyesight, and the bike market collapsed, as so many headed for the crags and summits, with the BMC’s publication, ‘Climbing in Britain’, in hand. 

In surviving and rebuilding the family business, Karrimor, later KIMM/OMM, I was the product designer, innovator, hands-on maker and even sewing machine mechanic. Learning all the skills, perforce, when staff didn't arrive. My hands-on skills with the machines enabled me to innovate the processes, a key competitive factor for efficiency and product reliability.   

I matched materials and processes to the needs of leading climbers and explorers, including Joe Brown, Don Whillans, Dougal Haston, Chris Bonington, Peter Boardman, Doug Scott, Alex McIntyre and the polar people, Roger Mear and Ran Fiennes. 

Following this, I met the challenging needs of the breakthrough expeditions led by Sir Chris Bonington; Annapurna 1970 and Everest, the hard way, 1975. When Don and Dougal topped out on Annapurna, and Dougal and Doug Scott topped out on Everest, they were using my packs and Karrimats and enjoyed the protection of my Karrimor box tents during the ascent.  

These expeditions propelled British climbing into the world spotlight, and Chris Bonington’s books, published in 5 languages, profiled and positioned British brands worldwide. At the forefront was myself as Karrimor (packs and box tents), Troll (climbing harness) and Mountain Equipment (down clothing).

The UK, formerly unknown as a source of gear, eventually became a leading source of tents, garments and climbing hardware. Followed by many others; Ultimate, Saunders, Vango, Clog, DMM, Wild Country, with Berghaus as my very special competitor, a story in itself. 

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To be published in 3 parts, as an ‘adventure gear trilogy’, each initially as an ebook for speed, followed by printed versions.  Each will have its own front cover design and appeal to different activity interest groups.

TITLES……………

1. MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE; High summits, big walls, cold journeys.    

2. ADVENTURING FAR, Backpacking, cycle camping, bikepacking. 

3. ADVENTURE RACING. The story of the 2-day mountain marathon KIMM, later OMM, Original Mountain Marathon, the forerunner of adventure racing. Including the story of the great storm in Borrowdale in 2008.