The adventurer's base camp
Wim Smets is an expedition mountaineer and Belgian record holder for climbing mountains over 8,000 metres. He has reached the summit of an 8,000-metre peak five times and has undertaken expeditions to both the North Pole and Antarctica. He is also the third Belgian to have climbed the “Seven Summits” (the highest mountain on each continent).
Alongside his mountaineering, Wim reorganises IT departments and leads complex IT transformations. He is also the author of “The Only Way Is Up” and a sought-after speaker on the agility and resilience of organisations and individuals. The connection with his experiences as a mountaineer is clear.
Follow his adventures at www.wimsmets.be
Wim knows all about the details of what goes on during an expedition, but in his early years, he didn’t have a particularly good understanding of the range of equipment available on the market.
Selecting the right equipment can be quite a challenge. That is precisely why Wim values Marc’s experience. Marc immediately recommends his preferred product based on the challenge the customer is preparing to undertake.
Marc only needs a few words from me to know what to select for me.
For Wim, price doesn’t play a major role. He simply needs the best equipment. Period. This same principle is clearly reflected in the needs of other customers. The challenges are often so extreme that there is no room for compromise. Only the best will do.
The only drawback is that the shop is located in Nijlen. But Wim simply calls Marc. They discuss the different products over the phone, weigh up the options and make a decision. That’s how much Wim trusts Marc.
When Wim sets his sights on a new mountain summit, top service and top-quality equipment are essential. No half-measures.
Because these products are relatively rare, not everything is readily available in the shop. In such cases, the equipment is ordered. Wim can rest easy knowing that Marc always manages to get the products delivered on time, even when things become particularly urgent.
When Marc says, ‘It’ll be taken care of,’ it gets taken care of.
You can genuinely rely on him.
Marc’s calm demeanour and the way he keeps his promises are particularly important during the hectic preparation phase of an expedition.
Wim: “In my early days, before Marc had taken over Base Camp, I used to go to another shop with my shopping list. Despite spending a considerable amount of money, I received no assistance whatsoever from any of the sales staff. I was left entirely to rely on my own, rather limited knowledge at the time. I’m not a fan of that ‘just have a look around’ attitude.”
Anyone who walks into Base Camp knows that Marc will provide the right advice.
You start with a good pair of trousers, a rain jacket and trekking boots, and with every expedition, you learn something new for the next one. Investing in top-quality equipment always pays off.
I once rented a number of products, which helped reduce the costs and gave me the opportunity to gain some experience before investing in the right equipment.
Wim’s most recent trip was along the GR20 in Corsica. Less extreme, but still challenging. His 120-litre backpack wasn’t suitable for this trip, so he needed something in between. He told Marc about his trip to Corsica and the conditions he would encounter. Based on that information, Marc recommended a particular model. The purchase was settled in less than a minute.
Wim during the ascent of Alpamayo, wearing crampons, trousers, a jacket, a helmet, goggles and a headlamp from Base Camp. He also bought the climbing equipment attached to his harness from Marc.
In the photos from Lhotse, including the summit shots, you can see the crampons, boots, down suit, ski goggles and helmet that Wim bought at Base Camp.
What you can’t see, but is just as important, is everything underneath that outer layer. I bought all of that on Marc’s recommendation, too.
Wim mainly turns to Base Camp for extreme-weather equipment, such as down suits and mountaineering boots. For example, when it comes to down suits and sleeping bags filled with the finest down (Valandré), the equipment is lightweight yet keeps you warm, even at -40°C.
Wim has never been disappointed by any of the products he has bought at Base Camp. If that were ever to happen, he would certainly share his feedback with Marc. That kind of real-world experience is valuable to Marc, too. But as mentioned, there have been no disappointments so far.
Wim is always happy to share tips with colleagues and friends and consistently recommends Base Camp.
Marc takes a genuine and sincere interest in what I experience and encounter as a mountaineer. And that makes a huge difference.
Wim comes from an entrepreneurial family. From that perspective, he recognises in Base Camp’s approach the same principles his parents followed when running their own business. They would rather not sell anything than sell a product that ultimately offers no real benefit to the customer. If customers eventually turn away because of that, nobody wins.
Marc genuinely cares about helping me make my expedition the best it can possibly be.
For now, mountaineering is on hold for Wim. Standards of professionalism in Nepal have declined to such an extent that he no longer feels safe climbing there.
I would definitely recommend Base Camp to anyone who needs top-quality equipment for expeditions like mine. A trip to Nijlen is well worth it. Make sure you prepare properly.
About two months before an expedition, I take my list to Marc. By then, I know what I need, what has worn out, and so on…
For my most recent expeditions, I’ve needed more technical equipment, such as solar panels and power banks, things we didn’t need back in the late 1990s… By now, of course, I already own a great deal of equipment. So quite often, it’s a matter of replacing worn-out gear with newer, improved versions.
An overview of Wim Smets’s expeditions and career milestones is presented in this timeline. You can find out more about Wim at www.wimsmets.be
