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SAMAYA x REFUGE DE TÊTE ROUSSE
INSTALLATION OF TEST BENCHES AT ALTITUDES OF OVER 3,000 METRES
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As part of its partnership with the FFCAM (French federation of alpine and mountain clubs), Samaya has equipped the platforms of the Tête Rousse refuge, on the Mont Blanc normal route. Samaya took the opportunity to set up a materials testing process, at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. Antoine Tirmarche, R&D & Materials Manager, gives us the lowdown on how these tests were carried out in real-life conditions.
What is Samaya 's partnership with the Tête Rousse refuge?
Antoine Tirmarche : Most people who climb Mont Blanc via the normal route pass through Tête Rousse, a route on which bivouacs are forbidden. Having tents set up next to the refuge extends its sleeping capacity. As part of the partnership between Samaya and the FFCAM, 14 Samaya Basecamp tents are set up throughout the season, providing the refuge with 42 additional places.
This year, in addition to installing tents, you've set up a structure for testing materials. Can you tell us more about it?
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AT : Indeed, this year, in addition to the tents, we have brought along a framework with a panel of nine materials that we use on our tent walls and floors, in order to carry out tests on them. Our main objective is to characterize where and how these materials degrade in priority. For example, if there are cracks in the coatings. We characterize and quantify their performance in terms of tensile strength, tear resistance, waterproofing, abrasion and perforation, after a month and a half of use, and then after 3 months of use in the field. We are also installing this panel of materials on our premises in Annecy, in order to compare the difference in performance loss between these two terrains and climates, with conditions in Annecy in particular being more representative of the 3-season practice we have just entered. With these data, we are extending our knowledge of how product performance evolves in different usage contexts.
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Why go so high to carry out all these tests?
AT There are many ways of carrying out artificial ageing tests, such as using UV vats. The constraint we find is that the assessment is more concerned with loss of color, which for us represents a minor component compared with changes in mechanical performance. Samaya is part of a drive to internalize industrialization, in order to have greater control over the parameters of the development process. At Tête Rousse, we're at an altitude of over 3,000 metres, in real-life tent conditions, with exposure to UV rays, cold and wind, enabling us to gather tangible data on which to base the development of our products and techniques.