Wild Country was founded by UK-based climber, Mark Vallance, in order to manufacture climbing gear. Wild Country is an insider brand for climbers and the inventor of the legendary “Friends,” arguably the most famous piece of rock climbing gear of all time. As a creator of high-quality rock climbing equipment, the company is based in the heart of one the UK’s most famous rock climbing areas; the Peak District. Read more
Friends were originally developed by Ray Jardine, an American climber who Mark met years earlier. When Ray couldn't find a partner to help him develop his product, the Wild Country brand was born in 1977.
Friends soon became the first climbing camming device, which revolutionised climbing protection. The complete story about Friends is available in 'The Cam Book,' Wild Country's definitive guide to understanding Friends and camming. The name ‘Friends' was coined by Chris Walker and came about when he and Ray were about to go climbing with several climbers who did not know about the development of the company’s secret product, which was still in development.
After over two decades, Wild Country knows more about cams than any other company. In addition, the unique design, manufacturing, quality control, standards, and testing have added to Wild Country's continued success.
As a growing business, Bogong is proud to offer a full range of rock climbing hardware from Wild Country, including a wide variety of passive, as well as, active protection. In addition to their success and continued production of climbing goods, the development of these high quality products has revolutionised climbing protection.