The History of the first ‘Direttissima’ ascent on the Eiger & Mammut x Nigel Cabourn’s new collaboration
The Story of Michiko Imai
The first woman to climb the Eiger’s notorious North Face. In the summer of 1969, a Japanese expedition arrived in Switzerland with the ambition to forge a new, direct route up the Eiger’s Nordwand. Among the six climbers was Imai: a doctor and the team’s only woman who climbed, hauled gear, and endured one of the most difficult ascents ever attempted on the face. For a month, the team inched upward, fixing ropes and bolts through vertical and overhanging sections. They succeeded, and in doing so Imai became part of mountaineering history.
Image credit: Grindelwald Museum
Image credit: Mammut x Nigel Cabourn
Cabourn × Mammut collaboration
The climb forms the backbone of this new collaboration, combining the history and heritage of winter mountaineering with technical mountain equipment. Cabourn, a lifelong collector of vintage expedition wear, has spent decades mining military and alpine archives for inspiration.
Together, Cabourn and Mammut have created a collection that reimagines the kit of 1969 through a modern lens: jackets made from Scottish wool and Swiss military blankets, layered with Pertex® linings and down insulation. Our favorite pieces are as follows:
Mammut x Cabourn Direttissima Wool ML Sweater:
Image credit: Nigel Cabourn + Mammut
Mammut x Cabourn Direttissima Cord Pant in ‘Vintage Earth’
Image credit: Nigel Cabourn + Mammut
Both have a hint of Jackrabbit. Pair these with a set of VALLON Ski Aviators or Heron Glacier side-shield sunglasses, and you’re right back in the 1950s-70s golden era of winter mountaineering and discover – but now with gear strong enough to withstand the environment!