SAMAYA x TETE ROUSSE REFUGE
INSTALLATION OF TEST BENCHES AT MORE THAN 3000 METERS OF ALTITUDE
As part of the partnership with the FFCAM (French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs), Samaya has equipped the platforms of the Tête Rousse refuge, on the normal Mont Blanc route. Samaya took the opportunity to set up a material testing process, at more than 3000 meters above sea level. Antoine Tirmarche, R&D & Materials Manager, provides us with an overview of the implementation of these tests in real conditions.
What partnership unites Samaya with the Tête Rousse refuge?
Antoine Tirmarche : Most people who do Mont Blanc by the normal route go through Tête Rousse, a route on which bivouacs are prohibited. Having tents set up next to the refuge extends its sleeping capacity. As part of the partnership between Samaya and the FFCAM, 14 Samaya Basecamp tents are set up throughout the season, which represents 42 additional places for the refuge.
This year, in addition to setting up tents, you have set up a structure to carry out material tests. Can you tell us more?
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AT : Indeed, this year, in addition to the tents, we brought a frame with a panel of nine materials that we use on our tent walls and floors, in order to carry out tests on them. Our main objective is to characterize where and how these materials degrade first. For example, if there are cracks in the coatings. We characterize and quantify their performance in terms of resistance to traction, tearing, impermeability, abrasion and perforation, after a month and a half of use, then after 3 months of use in the field. We are also installing this panel of materials in our premises in Annecy, in order to compare the difference in performance loss between these two terrains and these two climates, with in particular the conditions in Annecy which are more representative of the practice of 3 seasons, in which we have just entered. With these data, we broaden our knowledge of the evolution of product performance in different contexts of use.
Why go so high to carry out all these tests?
AT : There are many ways to carry out artificial aging tests, using UV cells in particular. The constraint that we find is the fact that the evaluation focuses more on the loss of color, which for us represents a minor component, compared to the evolution of mechanical performance. Samaya is part of a dynamic of internalization of industrialization, in order to have more control over the parameters of the development process. At Tête Rousse, we are at an altitude of more than 3000 meters, in real conditions of use of the tent, with exposure to UV, cold and wind, allowing us to collect tangible data, on which we rely. to develop our products and our techniques.
