Highlighting its dedication to redefining the narrative in mountain sports, Oberalp Group will showcase its well-established climbing brands, Wild Country and Evolv, alongside the exciting newcomer, LaMunt—a mountain sports brand designed by and for women. These brands are not just about new products on the market; they represent a lifestyle and a fresh perspective on the essence of mountain sports and are therefore key for a developing business landscape. For this year's ISPO edition, the well-established Oberalp brands Salewa, Dynafit, and Pomoca make way and leave the stage entirely to the so-called “cool kids” of the mountain sports group: Wild Country, Evolv, and LaMunt.

In times of individuals seeking communities, the climbing community is shifting its priorities not only on climbing walls but in combining climbing with their personal self-expression. Climbing halls are becoming vibrant centers for community engagement, co-working, yoga, fitness, cafes, and shopping, redefining the way people connect with the sport. Furthermore, climbing has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past two decades, evolving from a niche sport into a widely embraced activity; since 2020 even an Olympic discipline. This transformation is closely tied to the proliferation of climbing gyms and weather-safe outdoor climbing locations, enabling the sport to thrive year-round and reducing its reliance on seasonal conditions. For businesses in the industry, this presents an opportunity to diversify and meet a growing market that isn't tied to seasonal fluctuations and addresses new climbers. At this year’s ISPO, Oberalp’s climbing brands Wild Country and Evolv are going to showcase how the climbing category can add value to traditional winter sports, and how dealers can turn the currently changing market conditions into a long-term profitable business recognizing the need for a paradigm shift in product development, distribution, and assortment planning.

In a sports market that is moving towards genderless dynamics, Oberalp Group is breaking barriers with LaMunt—a brand designed exclusively by women, for women. The launch of LaMunt in 2020 can be considered as a statement, a celebration of individuality, and femininity, a stride towards more inclusive and diverse mountain sports. The newcomer brand of Oberalp Group is approaching a new kind of woman exploring the mountains in a different way. Mountains are a place for their self-expression and where these women live unique experiences. The brand attracts to the mountain sports segment an entirely new feminine target group – confident, passionate, and style-conscious. Being the only brand in the mountain sports industry focusing exclusively on women and involving the community in the product development, LaMunt brings new customer groups towards retail and offers additional business opportunities.

Oberalp revised its sustainability strategy in 2022 and put the reduction of its climate impact, and ultimate goal to reach Net Zero, at the forefront. Nearly 75% of the carbon footprint of Oberalp comes from the products it sells. This poses challenges on two fronts: first, most of the impact is generated in the production of raw materials and this is done by third-party companies; and second, the other larger part of this climate impact is generated during the use phase of products. So, collaboration and engagement are key: a successful emissions reduction strategy requires commitment from best-in-class suppliers, that adhere to high social and environmental standards, and cooperation from Oberalp’s customer base. To achieve its sustainability goals, Oberalp is having to re-think its traditional linear business model envisioning and conceptualizing its role within a circular system. This paradigm shift encompasses important aspects that regard product design: the utilization of lower-impact materials such as recycled, recyclable, or ethically sourced natural materials; a focus on product longevity; and designing products for easy disassembly, repair, and recycling. On the operational front, Oberalp is implementing a take-back system for repair, reconditioning, re-selling, sharing, or ultimately, recycling. Moreover, finding or building a network of strategic partners to handle services beyond the company's scope, to ensure that materials or products at the end of their lifecycle are reintegrated into the loop as new raw materials.

The group’s brands LaMunt, Wild Country, and Evolv have already made first steps in the transition towards a circular economy that engages suppliers, consumers, and partners in a collaborative effort to minimize environmental impact:

LaMunt developed ReMOCA Pad®, a new technical padding for its jackets that uses recycled leftovers from the production of POMOCA ski-touring skins.

Wild Country offers take-back and re-slinging services for its “friends”, plus spare parts (trigger kits).

Evolv was born with the thought of circularity and started its activity as a re-soling company.

The Oberalp Group will be welcoming partners, sports enthusiasts, and industry experts at ISPO Munich with its brands Wild Country and Evolv Hall at Hall A3.605 and LaMunt at Hall A2.206.