Our story
Ciesse Piumini was founded in April 1976 by Silvano Cinelli and Giorgio Scardigli. The name “Ciesse” comes from the initials of their surnames — Cinelli and Scardigli — and reflects the shared vision that inspired the brand from the very beginning.
From its earliest days, Ciesse Piumini stood out for the quality and functionality of its garments, designed to withstand extreme weather conditions while adapting naturally to everyday life, between the city and the outdoors.
GREAT ADVENTURES
Over the years, Ciesse Piumini has sponsored and supported mountaineering endeavors, extreme expeditions and sporting challenges, helping to establish its reputation as a brand closely associated with great adventures. During the 1980s and 1990s, its garments were worn by explorers and extreme sports enthusiasts, including climbers taking on some of the world’s highest peaks, providing them with protection in the most challenging 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 metres on the summit of Punta Gnifetti, in the heart of the Monte Rosa massif, this Italian Alpine Club refuge has hosted generations of climbers as well as numerous scientific research projects.
Originally conceived by the Turin section of the Italian Alpine Club as a refuge designed to offer greater comfort to climbers and scientists, the hut was transported by mule and then carried on the shoulders of porters before being assembled at the summit, more than 4500 metres above sea level. It was inaugurated on August 18, 1893, in the presence of Queen Margherita of Savoy, to whom this record-breaking structure was dedicated.
1980
MAKALU
EVEREST
8463 MT
Romolo Nottaris
Romolo Nottaris
The southeast ridge of Makalu, which rises to 8463 metres, is part of the fifth-highest mountain on Earth and was first climbed in 1970 by a Japanese expedition. In 1980, aware that Makalu’s south ridge was considered an immense challenge, Romolo Nottaris organized a winter expedition involving 147 porters and set out to cross the southeast ridge.
1981
GASHERBRUM II
KARAKORUM 8035 MT
Romolo Nottaris & Tiziano Zünd
After the unsuccessful Makalu expedition the previous year, Romolo Nottaris returned to the Karakoram in 1981 with his friend Tiziano Zünd, determined to climb Gasherbrum II — 8035 metres, on the border between Pakistan and China — in alpine style.
It was the first Swiss expedition to attempt an eight-thousand-metre peak in pure alpine style: without oxygen, without intermediate camps, without fixed ropes and, of course, without Sherpa support.
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, as well as a valuable ambassador and reliable tester of Ciesse Piumini’s technical garments, designed to protect against cold and wind.
Many of his legendary adventures began with the first winter ascent of the Gervasutti route on the Grandes Jorasses, in the Mont Blanc massif: a cold, forbidding wall illuminated by the sun for only a few hours each day. It is worth remembering that this climb had been considered impossible in winter for over 40 years, and that Casarotto himself had attempted it unsuccessfully six times.
After climbing the Ratti-Vitali route in the Alps, the west face of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, the Gervasutti-Boccalatte route on Picco Gugliermina and, finally, the Central Pillar of Freney, Casarotto set out in 1983 to take on Broad Peak.
He climbed alone for ten days in alpine style, eventually reaching the Himalayan summit by following the legendary edge of the north route. In April 1984, he continued with the ascent of the West Buttress of McKinley in Alaska via the southeast ridge, nicknamed “the ridge of no return”, making his way through a dangerous labyrinth of unstable cornices while enduring constant bad weather and temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero.
In 1985, he climbed Gasherbrum II together with his wife Goretta Traverso, who was also equipped with Ciesse Piumini garments. She became the first Italian woman to reach the summit of an eight-thousand-metre peak.
1984
BROAD PEAK
KARAKORUM 8047 MT
Gianni Calcagno
Gianni Calcagno was certainly one of the most complete climbers of his generation: capable of climbing in any condition, always driven by extraordinary grit and determination.
Born in Genoa, Calcagno was among the first, as early as the 1970s, to take on the “great mountains”. In August 1975, together with Guido Machetto, he tackled the west face of Tirich Mir, the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush. Just the two of them, in lightweight style, without oxygen tanks and without high-altitude porters, they faced the 7700 metres of this Pakistani peak in an undertaking that was unprecedented and extremely difficult for the time.
Other climbs followed, at six thousand, seven thousand and even eight thousand metres. In 1984, he continued his adventure with an ascent of Broad Peak, in the Gasherbrum massif, the twelfth-highest mountain on Earth at 8047 metres.
1985
EVEREST 8463 MT
Jean Troillet
Swiss-Canadian mountaineer Jean Troillet began climbing at an early age. At 21, he attracted attention with a speed ascent of the Matterhorn, completed in just 4 hours and 10 minutes. That same year, he became an alpine guide and later developed a passion for high-altitude mountaineering, turning his attention to the eight-thousanders.
He has reached the summit of ten of the fourteen highest mountains in the world, all climbed in alpine style and without the use of oxygen tanks. His most extraordinary feat came in 1986, when, together with fellow climber Erhard Loretan, he reached the summit of Everest on August 30 via the Tibetan side.
It was an extreme undertaking, made possible in part by the technical gear provided by Ciesse Piumini, which equipped the two climbers and allowed them to climb from base camp to the summit and return to base camp in just 43 hours in total. It was a speed record that would only be broken by other speed climbers many decades later.
1985
CERRO TORRE
ANDES 3128 MT
Ermanno Salvaterra – Maurizio Giarolli
Andrea Sarchi – Paolo Caruso
Four Italian climbers and one of the toughest mountains in the world: in July 1985, Ermanno Salvaterra, Maurizio Giarolli, Andrea Sarchi and Paolo Caruso conquered the legendary summit of Cerro Torre with a winter ascent.
It was an extraordinary feat because, although the summit had been reached a few times before, no one had ever managed to conquer it in winter. Mountaineering history considers Cerro Torre one of the most challenging mountains on Earth: it has repelled more expeditions than almost any other peak, a sign of its extreme technical and environmental difficulties.
The mountain was first climbed in summer by another great Italian mountaineer, Cesare Maestri, in 1959, together with climber Toni Egger. They followed the east route and then the north ridge, but unfortunately Egger died on the descent. Maestri attempted the winter ascent several times afterwards, without success, and at one point spent 54 days on the wall trying to reach the summit.
The four Italian climbers were the first to achieve this success, thanks also to the essential clothing provided by Ciesse Piumini, which protected them from the cold, snowstorms and strong winds.
1989
DHAULAGIRI
GANDAKI PRADESH 8167 MT
Oreste Forno
Oreste Forno, from Lombardy, led numerous mountaineering expeditions around the world throughout the 1980s. The most famous took place in 1989, on Dhaulagiri in Nepal, at 8167 metres.
Alongside Forno, the team included Fausto De Stefani, Sergio Martini, Silvio Mondinelli, Claudio Schranz, Elisabetta Schranz, Maurizio Simonetto and Lino Zani, all equipped with Ciesse Piumini technical gear. The climb was successful, although only Martini and De Stefani reached the summit.
Encouraged by this achievement, they later decided to attempt the north face of Everest. Unfortunately, the expedition was unsuccessful: no one reached the summit, as the team fell behind schedule and the arrival of the monsoon forced them to abandon the attempt.
Oreste Forno did not give up. Two years later, together with Graziano Bianchi, who had already accompanied him on previous climbs, he organized another expedition to the north side of Everest. This time, two climbers from the group reached the summit at 8848 metres.
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.
He conquered K2 in 2007 with the “K2 Freedom 2007” expedition, which brought him together with other Russian climbers, three Americans and an Iranian. However, the descent proved to be the most difficult part of the endeavor: one member of the expedition disappeared in a storm, while another injured climber was painstakingly brought back by Nardi and another teammate using ropes for two days, until they finally reached base camp.
Another obsession remained in Nardi’s mind. After two previous unsuccessful attempts, he returned for a third time to Kashmir to climb Nanga Parbat in winter with English climber Tom Ballard. Their objective was the unclimbed Mummery Spur.
Bad weather forced the two climbers to remain in their tent for two weeks, before they resumed the ascent during a brief improvement in conditions. They climbed quickly and reached Camp 4, but after that no further news was received from them.
After all contact with Daniele and Tom was lost, a rescue operation was launched. Bad weather, together with political and military tensions between Pakistan and India, slowed the operation. On March 6, the lifeless bodies of the two climbers were found on a rocky outcrop of the spur. Recovery was deemed too dangerous, and the search mission was closed.
Since then, Daniele and Tom have rested forever up there, on the Mummery Spur of Nanga Parbat.
BRAND VALUES
The values on which Ciesse Piumini is built are rooted in a passion for freedom, exploration and authenticity.
The brand speaks to people who seek unique experiences and challenge their own limits, offering garments that deliver protection and comfort without compromise. In recent years, sustainability has become another important pillar: Ciesse Piumini is committed to using sustainable materials, reducing environmental impact and promoting responsible practices throughout the production chain.
Giovanni Soldini
1999
AROUND ALONE
CIRCUMNAVIGATION
OF THE WORLD
Nissan & Ford
1990
RALLY
The Great North
1986
SVALBARD
NORWAY
BEYOND THE PEAKS
1985
PARIS DAKAR
Beppe Gualini
A physical education teacher from Bergamo and, above all, a man of adventure on two wheels, Beppe Gualini was one of the leading figures of the adventure world, taking part in grueling motorcycle and car races across the globe.
Ciesse Piumini chose him as a testimonial and ambassador, seeing in him the embodiment of those young people who tirelessly seek new boundaries to cross and increasingly ambitious goals to pursue.
Gualini began his adventure career in 1980, retracing the Via del Sale alone on a trial bike, from Dolceacqua near Ventimiglia to Geneva: 20 days in the saddle, 1000 kilometres of trails and 20,000 metres of continuous climbs and descents.
Immediately afterwards, he began competing in African rallies, achieving his first class victory at the Rally of the Pharaohs, where he raced as a privateer without assistance. From there, his path continued to rise: the Atlas Rally in Morocco, the Iceland Rally, where he took victory, the Incas Rally and the Paris–Dakar. Always competing in maximum autonomy, he achieved remarkable results, almost always winning his category and earning a reputation as one of the leading figures in adventure motorcycling.
