BALLY CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF EVEREST SUMMIT
By Cyrus Jarvis
Swiss luxury brand Bally’s limited-edition capsule collection is donating 100% of net proceeds to support mountain preservation efforts.
Bally, the 173-year-old Swiss luxury brand, is celebrating the 70-year anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest on May 29th, 1953. To commemorate this milestone, the brand is launching a limited-edition capsule collection, with 100% of the net proceeds going towards the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation’s continued efforts to preserve the world’s mountains.
The recent rise in popularity of mountaineering has taken a toll on Mount Everest and its surrounding communities, accelerated by climate change and the rapid melting of the mountain’s Khumbu glacier, risking the livelihoods of thousands of Sherpa people who live and work in this fragile ecosystem, and the billions downstream who rely on the glacier to supply freshwater. In fact, the ice on Everest’s highest glacier has reduced 80 times faster than it was formed,, meaning it has melted in just 25 years despite initially taking 2,000 years to form.
Established in 2020, the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation was created following Bally’s extensive effort to clean Mount Everest from base camp to the peak. The foundation aims to raise awareness around the issues threatening the future of alpine landscapes and empower local communities to drive positive and sustainable change. Since then, the foundation’s alpine preservation programs, led by climate activist and mountaineer Dawa Steven Sherpa, have successfully removed 8.4 tons of waste from three visits to Everest and the base camps of seven iconic 8,000-meter mountains, including Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna.
To continue mitigating the crises facing Mount Everest, future commitments to the region are underway, including the foundation’s pledge to clean Everest Base Camp (which sits on the melting Khumbu glacier) through 2030. In addition, the foundation built flood barriers in the village of Pheriche in 2022 to prevent the devastating impact of floods and landslides. Scholarships have also been provided by the foundation to local Sherpa students for educational advancement and opportunity.
“This limited-edition capsule pays homage to the legacy of Norgay and Hillary, with 100% of net proceeds benefiting the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation’s mountain preservation efforts,” says Nicolas Girotto, Bally CEO.
Aiming to broaden its global impact, the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation is also driving climate action beyond the Himalayas, by expanding its program to other alpine regions in Tanzania and Georgia.
Bally has partnered with Jamling and Norbu Norgay, the sons of Tenzing Norgay, the renowned mountaineer who was the first to successfully set foot on the summit of Everest, wearing Bally’s Reindeer-Himalayan boots. The limited-edition capsule features 70 individually numbered ivory-toned crewneck sweaters inspired by the mountains. The unique design is made of ethically-sourced, GOTS-certified organic cotton and features patches that recall archival images, alpine iconography, and elements of Himalayan flags.
“We are honored to celebrate the 70-year anniversary of Everest’s ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, and proud to have been there on the day with Norgay wearing Bally boots to the ‘Roof of the World,'” says Nicolas Girotto, Bally CEO. “This limited-edition capsule pays homage to the legacy of Norgay and Hillary, with 100% of net proceeds benefiting the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation’s mountain preservation efforts. We look forward to supporting diverse projects in mountain communities in the high Himalayas and around the world for years to come.”
The limited-edition capsule celebrating the 70-year anniversary of Everest’s ascent, with 100% of net proceeds benefiting the Bally Peak Outlook Foundation, is available in select Bally stores and online at Bally.
