Wild Country, the Peak District firm that has been making Friends since 1977

Ask almost any trad climber about the gear that changed the sport, and the Friend will come up. The spring-loaded camming device was brought to climbers around the world by Wild Country, a company founded in 1977 and based in Tideswell, in the heart of the Peak District.

Its founder was British climber Mark Vallance. He met American climber Ray Jardine, who had invented the camming device but could not find a manufacturer willing to produce it in volume. Vallance took out a second mortgage on his house around 1977 to help get the early Friends made, a decision that helped bring the device to climbers everywhere.

Vallance was a remarkable figure in the outdoor world. He took part in several Himalayan expeditions, including one to Broad Peak, started the outdoor retailer Outside in the Peak District, and co-founded The Foundry climbing wall in Sheffield. He also served as president of the British Mountaineering Council and sat on the board of the Peak District National Park. His book, Wild Country: The Man Who Made Friends, was shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. He died in April 2018.

Wild Country grew well beyond its first famous product. In 1986 it bought Clog, a Welsh climbing equipment maker, and over the years its range has included harnesses, nuts, carabiners and other climbing gear, as well as tents, backpacks and technical clothing in earlier times. Its smaller superlight range of nuts is still made in the UK.

In February 2012 the company was bought by Italian climbing equipment maker Oberalp, giving it international backing while keeping its Peak District roots. Today its range covers trad, alpine, sport climbing and training, from nuts, quickdraws, carabiners and harnesses to helmets, chalk bags and clothing, plus a re-sling service for older kit.

The brand still celebrates its heritage proudly, with the line "Making Friends Since 1977" and photographs of Ray Jardine in Yosemite in 1978. Closer to home, Wild Country is among the partners of Sheffield's Climbing Works, a sign of how deeply it is woven into the region's climbing community.

With its 50th anniversary on the horizon in 2027, Wild Country's story is a fine example of Peak District ingenuity. Its full range is on the Wild Country website.