Beyond climbing: empowerment and inclusion in the Atacama Desert

In the San Pedro de Atacama desert, Desertika Escalada is a climbing club that teaches the sport while combining technical training, personal growth, and community building. Every hold and every step becomes an act of trust: towards oneself, towards others, and towards the possibility of inhabiting the world with freedom and dignity. To support these adventures, we’ve designed a product specifically created to offer comfort and protection in desert conditions.
1
The Partner
company name: Desertika Escalada
typology: Sport and community
sector: Outdoor, climbing

In the heart of the San Pedro desert, Desertika Escalada has created a safe haven for women and dissidents. Here, climbing becomes a space for trust, dialogue, and collective growth: a place where the strength of community and the wisdom of nature make every personal journey a little gentler. The collaboration with Atlantis Headwear and the support of ONA Short Film Festival have empowered Desertika Escalada to strengthen its mission, combining values of sustainability, inclusion, and environmental respect with climbing and educational activities.

2
The Challenge

In the unique setting of the San Pedro de Atacama desert in Chile, Atlantis faced an important challenge: finding a hat that could meet the technical and environmental demands of an intense outdoor activity like climbing.

The hat needed to provide protection from the desert’s scorching sun and dry winds, remain light and comfortable for long days of practice, and at the same time uphold the sustainability principles that the Desertika community deeply values. It was essential for this accessory to become a visible symbol of belonging and identity. A piece that would help strengthen the collective spirit and the values that drive Desertika Escalada.

3
The Journey

The choice of hat was the result of a careful and conscious search. The selected model is the Erie from the Atlantis Collection: a product designed to meet the needs of those who live and move outdoors. The hat is made from recycled materials, such as nylon and polyester, reflecting the community’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Its lightweight, breathable structure, combined with a foldable brim that’s easy to pack away, makes it practical and comfortable for climbing days in the desert. Additionally, the custom Desertika logo has turned this product into a symbol of identity and belonging.

*Reductions are calculated through a sensitivity analysis contrasting the environmental impact of low-impact materials against conventional ones, using the certified CF Atlantis calculation tool v. 0.7. This tool meticulously tracks the Cradle to gate journey from raw material acquisition to final product delivery at the Atlantis warehouse.
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