Summer 2023 marks the great relaunch of the exclusive program created by Ferrino for testing its mountain equipment, with the direct and free involvement of enthusiasts and end users. After two years of interruption due to the restrictions related to the Covid 19 pandemic, last year the camp set up since 1994 at the Quintino Sella refuge at Colle Felik on Monte Rosa returned, where it is possible to test and give your feedback on the use of tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and backpacks from the Turin-based company’s HighLab line, dedicated to technical mountaineering and high altitudes.
This historic location continues to be joined by that of the Toesca refuge, located at 1710 meters in the splendid mid-mountain environment of the Val di Susa, which for over 5 years has been the ideal place for testing the products of the Ferrino line intended for trekking activities and hiking.
Highlab & Treklab: the Ferrino product test field for mountaineering and trekking is back
This year, with a view to winking not only at hiking enthusiasts, but also at families who walk in the mountains, at the Toesca refuge it will also be possible to test the Ferrino baby carrier backpacks, picking them up at the “Paradiso delle Rane”, starting point for the excursion to the Toesca refuge.
The main novelty of this summer is the expansion of the HighLab & TrekLab project throughout Italy, with the activation of new fixed fields and some “TrekLab Experience” events lasting a weekend, with the philosophy of bringing the public to Ferrino products and to give everyone, enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike, a high-altitude bivouac experience in complete safety. The new partner refuges of these initiatives are located in the Western Alps, the Dolomites, the Julian Alps and in the Modenese Apennines.
The Quintino Sella and Toesca refuges are flanked by the Remondino refuge, the Celso Gilberti refuge, the Duca degli Abruzzi refuge and the Roda di Vael refuge
In fact, the Quintino Sella and Toesca refuges, now historic partners and leader of the project, are flanked by the Remondino refuge, located at 2430 meters in the Assedras valley of the Maritime Alps, which will host a fixed field where to experiment with the characteristics of the HighLab products, dedicated to high-altitude bivouac and mountaineering, and the Celso Gilberti Refuge, at 1850 meters in the Julian Alps, in front of the Canin chain, home to a new TrekLab camp, i.e. designed to test equipment designed for the most demanding trekkers.
To these are also added the Duca degli Abruzzi refuge at Lake Scaffaiolo (1787 m) in the Modenese Apennines and the Roda di Vael refuge (2283 m ) in Val di Fassa, which, on the weekends of August, will offer interesting “TrekLab experiences” , a new experience format offered by Ferrino and its partner refuges, which combines the test of Ferrino products ideal for activities in mid-mountain environments, such as tents, sleeping bags and mattresses where you can spend a night under the stars, with astronomical observations, concerts at high altitudes and guided walks organized by the refuges.
Research & Development with those who use the products
Marco Chiaberge, product manager who coordinates Ferrino’s Research and Development team, explains the meaning and value of the HighLab and TrekLab projects as follows: “The philosophy that guides the creation of our products is that of a constant process of research and development which , to be truly effective, cannot be based only on the skills of the professionals directly involved in the implementation phase. The “road test” of the equipment, repeated over time in the most diverse environments and in the most diverse conditions, together with the observations of those who actually use them, represents a fundamental element for raising quality standards, collecting an extraordinary amount of data that allow you to modify and improve performance. This is why at the end of each experience at high altitude in a fixed camp or a shelter promoting an ‘experience’, participants are asked for feedback on the products tested through a questionnaire, which crosses the subjective parameters of the testers with the objective parameters of meteorological detectors placed next to the fields and allows to obtain important indications for the improvement of our range of products”.
A unique experience in wonderful places
“The HighLab and TrekLab program – adds Anna Ferrino, CEO of Ferrino – was created with the main intention of integrating the product development process by adding to the laboratory tests carried out in the research phase and field tests carried out by professionals, final tests open to “non-professional” testers, who in fact represent most of our target. However, we must not forget that participating in a camp or a HighLab or TrekLab experience represents a unique experience in wonderful places, so the enhancement of this program aims to offer more and more outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to live this experience and to become a tester for a day, becoming part of a real Ferrino community and accessing exclusive benefits and information. We therefore want to thank the partners, old and new, who join us in this important adventure and with whom we are happy to contribute to the promotion, knowledge and protection of the extraordinary places which are the theater of our passion for the mountains and our little and great adventures”.
Info and reservations
For more detailed information and to book your participation in the HighLab and TrekLab camps and experiences, you can consult the dedicated page in the Ferrino web portal.
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