Gstrings Make it to Everest...

…Base Camp, that is. Since we’re not a large company selling Gstrings through retail outlets, we depend on blogs, email list-servs, limited advertising and word-of-mouth. I also thought t-shirts would be a good idea for getting the logo and brand recognition out there. While still in the beginning stages of the Gstrings production process I had two test shirts printed up with a prototype design. 

Antonio and Marion, friends and occasional climbing partners, had a trek planned to Nepal. Antonio asked me if I had a Gstrings shirt he could take along so he could get a photo of it on him with Everest in the background. What a cool idea! Sooo…I gladly provided him one of the t-shirts to pack and do with whatever he saw fit.

After returning Antonio said there was more than one occasion when he considered jettisoning the “excess cargo” to lighten his pack as they continued to gain altitude. But the t-shirt eventually made it to the high point of their trek, he donned it, and Marion shot these cool pics.

Antonio tells the rest of the story...

Here we are on Kala Pattar at an elevation of 18,500', above the elevation of Base Camp, but below that of Camp I (both too small to see in the background in this photo). The front peak is the west ridge and behind it is the summit pyramid of Chomolungma (Mt. Everest). You can see tiny plumes streaming off Lhotse which just barely peeks behind the ridge of Nuptse.

On the return from the Everest area coming across a high plateau, we ran into what had to be the most merry yak dung collector ever. He's looking mighty proud of his afternoon's work, don't you think? I asked if I could take his pic, and then thought to ask if he wanted a shirt.

He gladly took it, then bounded off - I mean hauled ass up the hillside (no small feat at over 15k feet) to join his friend who was also herding yaks and gathering yak-pies. We watched him give the shirt to his friend who immediately took off his own shirt and put the Gstrings one on. They were running around hooting and hollering, obviously happy as can be at getting a nice new shirt (actually I had slept in it a couple of nights). It was cool to be able to see their enthusiasm, even from a distance. I wish I could have gotten a photo of his buddy with the shirt. Needless to say, they spoke no English and they were far enough away that it was all I could do to wave goodbye. 

It made our day really...

----------------

Check out the final Gstrings t-shirts designs here and help spread the Gstrings gospel by getting a shirt and wearing it at the places where you climb. Whoever provides us with a photo of the t-shirt on top of Everest will receive a free set of Gstrings! :-) 

The next blog entry will discuss how to make a RollBar that will give you an incredible finger and forearm burn and augment your Gstrings workouts. Stay tuned...