Aconcagua. It’s the highest point in the Americas—towering over the Argentine Andes at 6,960 meters (22,837 ft). If you’re like most of us, you’ll never reach this peak—but it’s nice to know you could in the super-light, ultra-breathable, highly-packable Aconcagua Light ML Jacket and Hooded Jacket, made with Polartec® Power Grid™ technical fleece.
Swiss mountaineers Mammut have been leaders in alpinism and mountain sportswear ever since their innovative nylon glacier rope debuted in the 1950s. One of their iconic pieces, more recently, has been the Aconcagua jacket—an active midlayer that’s perfect for mountaineering, climbing, ski touring or hiking. So when it came time for Mammut to make a lighter-weight version, they knew they’d need a material that could deliver more for less weight.
So they came to Polartec!
For over three decades, Polartec has been perfecting just such fabrics. And one of the biggest breakthroughs along the way was the invention of Power Grid™ technical fleece. This revolutionary fabric uses a special knitting method to construct geometric patterns into fleece. The resulting fabric strips out much of the volume and replaces it with air—making it lighter, more breathable, better insulating, and more compressible in a pack. This new version of Power Grid is made from recycled polyester and it’s incredibly soft, stretchy and quick-drying.
To amplify the capabilities of Power Grid, Mammut did what they do best: Designed a jacket that can stand on its own or slide easily under multiple layers to match colder conditions. For the hooded version, they engineered a hood which plays nicely with helmets—or no helmet—for highly-breathable warmth when you’re climbing mountains. They meticulously stitched the garment with flat seams and a design that moves easily. Plus, we think, they made an extremely high-performance piece that just looks cool. So whether you’re high in the Andes or going about your daily business, the Aconcagua Light is always versatile, functional and stylish.
