Paul & Shark is supporting Italian explorer Alex Bellini as he takes on an extreme adventure of climbing one of the biggest and most impenetrable glaciers in the world.
Bellini will cross an ice cap of almost 8,100sq km, alone. The Vatnajökull, the biggest glacier in Europe, rises 1,400 metres above sea level.
Paul & Shark CEO and President Andrea Dini said: “Literally stepping out of one’s own comfort zone. Abandoning certainties and the modus operandi that one has always relied upon until now. This is what we are required to do today.
“We are a company that has been studying contemporary men – sailors, travellers, explorers – of all ages for the past three generations; their passions, their needs and their innate desire to go beyond the horizon.”
“The journey merges two values,” said Paul & Shark. “The first is the need to face the unknown and the impossible, themes that symbolise a world caught up in continuous and sudden changes. The second involves witnessing first-hand the dramatic change in the climate, an ethical and ecological issue that closely affects us all.”
Bellini’s journey is being followed and recorded daily by Paul & Shark on its social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube) and on its dedicated website freezethemoment.it. The -40 Capsule Collection, comprising three technical jackets, a fleece and a pair of trousers designed to withstand arctic temperatures and extreme conditions, will dress Bellini during the expedition.
Bellini departed on 23 January from Jökulheimar in Iceland, and will continue on foot to Snaefell, the last outpost west of the Vatnajökull glacier.
Paul & Shark Global Travel Retail Director Catherine Bonelli noted: “This is a fantastic way of increasing the brand profile, and the first time we have had a collaboration of this nature, which always reflects well into travel retail. What Alex is doing is the ultimate travel experience – again identifying well with our distribution channel, and we wish him every bit of luck on exciting yet dangerous journey. ”
Bellini commented: “In regard to the challenge, this adventure fully expresses my belief: the best and most authentic way we have of gaining knowledge and understanding ourselves is to push ourselves beyond the boundaries of our habits and certainties.
“Concerning the environmental awareness and the dramatic change in the climate, this expedition will allow me to face the consequences of our habits. The only way to bridge the gap between what we know, what we imagine and what is actually happening to the climate is to experience it firsthand. And then record it live.”
