Mountain Hardwear

Mountain Hardwear was founded in 1993 in Richmond, California, by a small group of former employees of Sierra Designs led by Jack Gilbert. Soon after, Mountain Hardwear's first sponsored athlete, Ed Viesturs, the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks, helped develop several of the company's products. ==Sponsored athletes==

Mountain Hardwear sponsors a number of athletes. Most are alpinists, climbers, or skiers. == Community Initiatives ==

Since 2020, Mountain Hardwear has hosted the annual Open Aperture Photo Clinic, a program designed to help underrepresented voices in outdoor photography. The multi-day clinic offers mentorship, workshops, and field experiences led by professional photographers and athletes. In 2022, the event was held in Washington's Cascade Mountains. ==References==