Our story
THE GREAT ADVENTURES
Over the years, Ciesse Piumini has sponsored and supported various mountaineering endeavors, extreme expeditions and sports challenges, helping to solidify its image as a brand linked to extreme adventures. In the 1980s and 1990s, its garments were worn by explorers and enthusiasts of extreme sports, such as climbers challenging the highest peaks in the world, ensuring them maximum protection in difficult weather conditions.
1980
REGINA MARGHERITA HUT
MONTE ROSA 4554 MT
The Regina Margherita Hut is the highest mountain refuge in Europe. Located at an altitude of 4554 meters, on the summit of Punta Gnifetti. In the heart of the Monte Rosa massif, this refuge of the Italian Alpine Club has hosted generations of climbers and numerous scientific research projects. Initially envisioned by the Italian Alpine Club of Turin as a refuge to provide climbers and scientists with greater comfort, the hut was transported by mules and then carried on backs before being assembled at the summit, over 4500 meters in altitude, and was inaugurated on August 18, 1893 in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy, to whom the record structure was dedicated.
1980
MAKALU
EVEREST
8463 MT
Romolo Nottaris
Romolo Nottaris
The South East ridge of Makalu, standing at 8463 meters, represents the fifth highest mountain on Earth and was first climbed in 1970 during a Japanese expedition. In 1980, knowing that the south ridge of Makalu is considered an immense challenge, Romolo Nottaris organizes a winter expedition, with 147 porters, crossing the south-east ridge.
1981
GASHERBRUM II
KARAKORUM 8035 MT
Romolo Nottaris & Tiziano Zünd
After the not very fortunate expedition to Makalu the previous year, Romolo Nottaris returns in 1981 with friend Tiziano Zünd to the Karakoram, determined to climb Gasherbrum II (8035 mt, on the border between Pakistan and China) in alpine style. This is the first Swiss expedition aiming for a peak over eight thousand meters in purely alpine style, that is without oxygen, no intermediate camps, no fixed ropes and of course without sherpas.
1983
BROAD PEAK
KARAKORUM 8047 MT
1984
MCKINLEY
ALASKA 6190 MT
1985
GASHERBRUM II
KARAKORUM 8035 MT
Renato Casarotto
Renato Casarotto was undoubtedly one of the greatest mountaineers in the world and a valuable testimonial, a reliable tester of Ciesse Piumini’s cold and windproof technical garments. Many of his legendary adventures began with the first winter ascent of the Gervasutti route on the Grandes Jorasses, in the Mont Blanc group, a cold and repulsive wall, illuminated only a few hours a day. It’s worth noting that this climb had been impossible in winter for over 40 years, and Casarotto himself tried unsuccessfully six times. After climbing in the Alps the Ratti-Vitali route, the west of the Anguille Noire de Peuterey, the Gervasutti-Boccalatte route on Picco Gugliermina and finally the Central Pillar of Freney, in 1983 he ventures to tackle Broad Peak. The climber ascends alone, for ten days in alpine style, ultimately winning the Himalayan summit by climbing via the legendary edge of the North route. In April 1984, he continues by climbing the West Buttress of McKinley in Alaska via the south-east ridge, nicknamed “The ridge of no return,” navigating his way through a dangerous labyrinth of precarious cornices while enduring constant bad weather and temperatures reaching 50 degrees below zero. In 1985 he ascends Gasherbrum II together with his wife Goretta Traverso, who is also equipped with Ciesse Piumini garments, thus becoming the first Italian woman to reach the summit of an eight-thousand meter peak.
1984
BROAD PEAK
KARAKORUM 8047 MT
Gianni Calcagno
He was certainly one of the most complete climbers, capable of climbing in any condition, always equipped with great grit and determination. Gianni Calcagno, from Genoa, was one of the first, already in the seventies, to assault the “great mountains.” In August 1975, with Guido Machetto, he faced the west of Tirich Mir, the highest mountain of the Hindu Kush. Just the two of them, in light style, without oxygen tanks and without high-altitude porters, on the 7700 meters of this Pakistani peak in an unprecedented and extremely difficult endeavor for the time. Other climbs followed at six thousand, seven thousand, and even eight thousand meters. He continued in 1984 with his adventure to the summit of Broad Peak, in the Gasherbrum massif, the twelfth highest on Earth at 8,047 meters.
1985
EVEREST 8463 MT
Jean Troillet
Swiss-Canadian mountaineer Jean Troillet began his climbing career early. At the age of 21, he gained attention with a speed ascent of the Matterhorn, completing it in only 4 hours and 10 minutes. In the same year, he became an alpine guide and then became passionate about high-altitude climbing, approaching the Eight-thousanders. He has summited ten of the fourteen highest mountains, all climbed in alpine style and without using oxygen tanks. However, the most incredible feat was in 1986, when together with fellow climber Erhard Loretan, he reached the summit of Everest on August 30, 1986, via the Tibetan side. It was a borderline feat, but the conquest was also thanks to the technical gear provided by Ciesse Piumini, which equipped the two climbers, allowing them to ascend from base camp to the summit and back to base camp in just 43 hours total. A speed record that would be broken by other speed climbers only after many decades.
1985
CERRO TORRE
ANDES 3128 MT
Ermanno Salvaterra – Maurizio Giarolli
Andrea Sarchi – Paolo Caruso
Four Italian climbers and a mountain among the toughest in the world: Ermanno Salvaterra, Maurizio Giarolli, Andrea Sarchi, and Paolo Caruso conquer the legendary summit of Cerro Torre with a “winter” ascent in July 1985. An extraordinary feat because, although the summit had been reached a few times in the past, no one had ever managed to conquer it in winter. It is indeed a mountain that the annals of mountaineering consider the most challenging on Earth: it has repelled more expeditions than any other peak in the world, a sign of truly extreme technical and environmental difficulties. It was first climbed in summer by another great Italian mountaineer, Cesare Maestri, in 1959, along with climber Toni Egger. They followed the East route and then the North ridge, and unfortunately, on the way back, Egger died. Maestri then attempted the winter ascent several times but was never successful, and at one point spent 54 days on the wall attempting to reach the summit. The Italian climbers were thus the first to achieve this success, also thanks to the necessary clothing provided by Ciesse Piumini that protected them from cold, snowstorms, and strong winds.
1989
DAULAGHIRI
GANDAKI PRADESH 8167 MT
Oreste Forno
The Lombard Oreste Forno led numerous mountaineering expeditions around the world in the 1980s. In 1989, the most famous: to Dhaulagiri, in Nepal, 8167 meters. The members, alongside Forno, included Fausto De Stefani, Sergio Martini, Silvio Mondinelli, Claudio Schranz, Elisabetta Schranz, Maurizio Simonetto, and Lino Zani, equipped with Ciesse Piumini technical gear. The climb was successful, although only Martini and De Stefani reached the summit, who, emboldened by this victory, decided to also attempt the north face of Everest. A unfortunately failed expedition as no one would reach the summit because the expedition fell behind schedule, and the monsoon season forced them to abandon their attempt. However, Oreste Forno didn’t give up and two years later, along with Graziano Bianchi, who had already been a companion on previous climbs, organized another expedition to the north side of Everest: this time two climbers from the group reached the summit, at an altitude of 8848.
2021
NANGA PARBAT
KASHMIR 8126 MT
Daniele Nardi & Tom Ballard
Daniele Nardi was the first climber born far from the Alps and south of the Po River to have climbed five eight-thousanders: Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, Makalu, Everest, and K2. The latter peak was conquered in 2007 with the “K2 Freedom 2007” expedition, which featured him alongside other Russian climbers, three Americans, and an Iranian. However, it was the descent that proved to be the most difficult endeavor: a member of the expedition disappeared in a storm, and another injured climber was painstakingly brought back by Nardi and another climber using ropes for two days until they reached base camp. However, there was another obsession in the climber’s mind, after two previously failed attempts, he returned for the third time to Kashmir to climb Nanga Parbat during the winter with the Englishman Tom Ballard: the goal was the unscaled Mummery Spur. Unfortunately, bad weather forced the two climbers to stay in the tent for two weeks and resume climbing by taking advantage of a weak clearing. They ascended quickly and reached Camp 4 but thereafter no more news was received from them; having lost all contact with Daniele and Tom, the rescue operation was initiated, but the bad weather and the political-military tensions between Pakistan and India slowed operations. On March 6, the two lifeless bodies were found on the rocky outcrop of the spur, but their recovery was deemed too dangerous, and the search mission was closed. Since then, Daniele and Tom rest forever up there, on the Mummery Spur of Nanga Parbat.
THE VALUES OF THE BRAND
The values on which Ciesse Piumini is founded are rooted in the passion for freedom, exploration, and authenticity. The brand appeals to those who love to experience unique experiences and challenge their limits, offering garments that guarantee protection and comfort without compromise. Sustainability has become another important pillar in recent years: Ciesse Piumini is committed to using eco-sustainable materials, reducing environmental impact and promoting responsible practices along the entire production chain.
Giovanni Soldini
1999
AROUND ALONE
CIRCUMNAVIGATION
OF THE WORLD
Nissan & Ford
1990
RALLY
The Great North
1986
SVALBARD
NORWAY
THE CHALLENGES BEYOND THE PEAKS
1985
PARIS DAKAR
Beppe Gualini
Bergamasque, physical education teacher but above all an adventure man on motorcycles: Beppe Gualini was one of the leading figures of adventure, engaged in grueling competitions on motorcycles and cars all over the world. Ciesse Piumini chose him as a testimonial and ambassador, seeing in him a representative of those young people who tirelessly seek new boundaries to cross and increasingly challenging goals.
Gualini began his adventure career in 1980, retracing alone, with a trial bike, the Via del Sale from Dolceacqua (Ventimiglia) to Geneva, 20 days in the saddle, 1000 km of trails, 20 thousand meters of continuous ups and downs. Immediately after, he engaged in African rallies, achieving his first class victory at the Rally of the Pharaohs, where he raced as a privateer without assistance. Then it was an upward spiral: Atlas Rally in Morocco, Iceland Rally (with victory), Incas Rally, Paris-Dakar and always in maximum autonomy he achieved remarkable results, almost always winning his category, earning the title of the ultimate
