AAI at the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market

The American Alpine Institute (AAI) has announced that it will award eight Guides Choice Awards to six companies on August 8th at the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City.

This years award recipients are:
  • Patagonia for the Guide Pant and CSS Technology;
  • Buff for Buff Original Headwear;
  • Mont Bell for the Thermo Wrap Parka;
  • Black Diamond for the Quantum Pack and Anarchist Pack;
  • Mountaineers Books for the Expert Series; and
  • VoilĂ© for the Telepro T6 Avalanche Shovel.
The equipment and clothing awarded the American Alpine Institute (AAI) Guides Choice designation have proven to be of the highest quality in their product category. The awards are determined on the basis of excellence in design, performance, and durability demonstrated in rigorous international field tests conducted by professional guides of AAI. Evaluations are made throughout the year in desert, cold weather, rain, snow, high wind, and high altitude environments. The American Alpine Institute has no financial ties or financial interest in any manufacturer or distributor. All testers and their expenses are paid by AAI.

A core group of AAI professional guides conduct Guides Choice field tests year round, throughout the world. Tests may be completed in a single long season (for example five summer months of intensive climbing in South America), or over several seasons (for example McKinley expeditions in the spring and Himalayan expeditions autumn). Because of the intensity and constancy of use, the wear and stress that gear receives during these tests corresponds to many years of use by a recreational climber.

For more information on the Guides Choice program, the American Alpine Institute, or this years Guide Choice Award recipients, please contact the American Alpine Institute at info@guideschoice.com.
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