Climber Kiyoshi Funayama selects the Kalimar, which covers all kinds of fields.

. It is a well-established brand with a long history , but with flexibility as well. Even though their roots are in backpacks for climbers and they have established a firm position in the world of backpacks, they are not resting on their laurels and are constantly taking on new challenges. I sympathize with their stance, and especially recently, I feel that they are gaining momentum.

. and not only items for serious climbing, but also casual everyday wear that is comfortable and pleasant to wear. They are indispensable to my daily life.

As I was born and raised at the foot of Mount Asama in Nagano Prefecture, the mountains have been my playground since childhood. My family also loved the mountains and often took me camping and hiking. . When I was in the third grade of elementary school, I climbed Mount Tateshina. Tateshina when I was old enough. It was customary in the Funayama family to climb Mount Tateshina.

My first climbing experience was when I was in high school. It was part of the program at a nature class I attended. I was athletically inclined, so I took it easy and thought, "If I try, I can do it," but I couldn't climb at all. That was frustrating and frustrating. ......

So, I started going to a climbing gym and practicing desperately. After going there for a while, I was able to climb to a certain level. But as I increased the difficulty level, I hit a wall and couldn't climb again. I thought to myself, "What the hell, I'm going to practice to the death again, and finally I was able to climb. ...... As I kept doing that, I got more and more addicted to it.

. I guess I am very competitive. However, I am not interested in competing or being compared to others. Climbing is just "fun" for me. It is largely a matter of self-satisfaction. I don't want to do anything dangerous, so I don't do anything daredevil.

What motivates me the most in climbing is the competition with myself and the ability to face myself. I am sometimes inspired by my friends who are world-class skiers and snowboarders, but in my case, it is the feeling of accomplishment I get when I face myself, immerse myself in the activity, and overcome the rigors that motivates me. It makes me want to face the mountains even more. . That's what motivates me in climbing and other activities.

. I tried to take the university entrance exam, but it didn't go as well as I had hoped. . Then I decided to take the plunge and go to France by myself.

When I asked my mentor, an international mountain guide, if he would like to become a mountain guide himself, he advised me to go to France, where the real thing is done. I stayed in France for about a year while attending a language school. I went climbing in my spare time, went snowboarding in the winter, and enjoyed the local mountains.

After returning from France, I started alpine climbing in earnest, and for the next two years, I worked part-time to save money to go climbing abroad.

In addition to free climbing and alpine climbing, I also snowboard, skateboard, and surf, and I love mountain climbing and camping. In Japan, each activity is clearly divided into different categories, but in Europe, there are almost no boundaries between these activities, and I get the impression that everyone is enjoying themselves freely.

Yes . . I would like to enjoy mixing various activities in all directions, without being bound by categories. For example, I would like to go to places that can only be reached by alpine climbing, and try skiing on slopes that no one has ever skied before. There are not many people who play that way.

I don't have any off ....... Weekends and holidays are irrelevant to me , and I don't have any time to just sit at home and do nothing. It is impossible for me to do nothing all day long, from morning to night. I have to be doing something all the time. There are so many things I want to do that no matter how much time I have, it is never enough (laughs).

Alpine climbing is a serious world . The slightest discomfort in your clothing or bag can cause a great deal of stress and lead to poor performance.

In product development, I was conscious of the need to reduce the negative. In other words, I am thinking in terms of "subtraction. When we pursue functionality in product development, we tend to "add up," but I don't think it's enough to just add functions to everything. For example, even if I think, "I wish there was a pocket here," it does not necessarily apply to everyone.

. What should be left is left, and what should be cut is cut. This is my basic approach to manufacturing.

This season, with the release of "ultimate," which I was involved in the development of, I would like to actively participate in alpine climbing. Also, last season I was awakened to the fun of backcountry climbing, so I would like to enjoy it at the same time. I would like to feed this kind of activity back to "CALIMAR" so that we can make better products and manufacturing. Please look forward to the future of "Karimar.