Blue Ice is celebrating its 10th year. To demonstrate how far they have come in terms of technical product you only have to look at this year's offering of best-in class-products for all aspects of mountaineering.

Dragonfly Rucksacks

The latest generation of Dragonfly rucksacks includes the new 45 litre model that was developed for the successful alpine-style new route attempts on Nuptse by the "3 moustaches" - an ascent for which they won the Piolet d'or. Read the UKC report here.

The Dragonfly 45 is possibly the lightest mountaineering sack in this category, but still maintains bombproof construction and all the necessary features you would expect from an uncompromising elite mountaineering pack. RRP £150

For those whose aspirations don't stretch to the greater ranges there is also the 18 and 25 litre models to consider. They're made with the same attention to detail and pedigree of lightweight durable fabrics for shorter days out on the crag or hill.

The Dragonfly was also worn by Andrzej Bargiel on the first successful ski-descent of K2.

Choucas Light

Blue Ice first showed their innovative credentials with the presentation of the Choucas mountaineering harness which although much imitated, was the lightest adjustable mountaineering harness available.

Since then Blue Ice have "ran" with the skills they gained making this harness to create the award-winning Choucas Light. At around 80g it is the lightest adjustable mountaineering harness available and was used on the successful ascent and first Ski descent of K2.

New for this year is the introduction of the Choucas Pro and the Addax (the lightest sport harness money can buy!)

Hummingbird Ice Axe

As is right and proper all Blue Ice axes are handmade in the shadow of Mont Blanc in Chamonix, at Blue Ice HQ.

Their Bluebird model was the original model in their Piolet lineage. This year they have introduced the price-sensitive workhorse; the Blackbird (RRP £80) and another market-leading product in the Hummingbird Mountaineering / Ski Mo' ice axe. This is again the lightest axe in this category. Some of its credentials rest with the vision of Bill Belecourt who heads up Blue Ice USA (and who spent decades with BD in technical product development).

This is just a snapshot of what is available from this pedigree brand.