A Night Around Mont-Blanc

Born in northern Norway, home to dramatic fjord landscapes and an endless winter night, Moonlight has been lighting up the dark months for the past eight years. Here in the north, the moon reflecting on the snow and the dancing curtains of the aurora borealis are the only natural sources of light breaking through the night. Out here we are in the wild, incredibly small in a vast darkness and keenly aware of each icy breath. Yet as ski tourers and outdoor explorers with a passion for the mountains, we also have a responsibility to travel them safely. With this in mind, we created headlamps (up to 4000 lumens) that allow us to see further and discover more in all weather conditions and terrain, brightening the uncharted. 

More recently, athletes have started running with Moonlight headlamps – visibility during the night is a challenge, whether it is for training through the winter season or tackling the night section of a long endurance race. In the darkness of the mountains, we are tuned into our movements and often outside of our comfort zone. Here, Moonlight products have proven to be a huge advantage with their brightness and durability. Runners with brighter and more consistent lighting felt more confident to be able to push harder and focus on their running during the night.

Moonlight booth at the UTMB Ultra-Trail Village.

This year, we packed up our bags and headed to Chamonix for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc events to meet and engage with the community for the first time. The whole town was buzzing; runners from around the world have trained hard to be here and to experience this legendary and unique race week. It was also an opportunity for us to connect with others involved in trail running, as well as to meet with our ambassadors.

We couldn’t be happier to have been part of the amazing performance by Kilian Jornet, setting a new 170km UTMB course record with a time of 19:50:30 – and a 4th win for him! Zach Miller also put our lamp to the test: after dunking his head in a fountain before Courmayeur, he realized the lamp was still on. Was that a problem? Nope – our lamps are made for that, just keep going! Zach ended up finishing 5th, what a great race and performance to follow. Out on the course Sebastian Krogvig also fought hard through the night but had to drop around 130km; we wish him a good recovery before the ski season ahead! Out on the 56km OCC course Sanna & Lina El Kott Helander also had great performances, finishing in 13th & 10th place, respectively. On the 100km CCC course, Jonathon Albon raced hard for a 2nd place finish, which was also under the previous course record. While all the races may not have had night sections, the training, preparation, and dedication toward the season were lit up by Moonlight. Congratulations to all!

The Bright As Day 800: Our lightest iteration combines high, lasting visibility in a lamp that is comfortably worn running. It offers real 800-lumen brightness thanks to the Constant Lighting technology, which helps to regulate the lamp’s heat and thus keep the brightness consistent over time. The lamp is also completely waterproof (IP 67), and resistant to any rain or snowstorm while in use. The 21700 battery, the same type used by Tesla in all of their cars, brings an extra 25% longevity compared to other options in the headlamp market. Athletes are using the bundle Bright As Day 800 + Extra battery. Read more about the tech specs of the product here.

Kilian Jornet leading the race before setting a new course record. 

We are now back home on the West Coast of Norway, feeling motivated by the community and excited for adventures ahead. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and shared your stories, gave feedback, and inspired ideas to keep empowering people to get outside safely. Here at Moonlight we have both the privilege and responsibility to offer better, long-lasting outdoor equipment. To help us with this, we have started a new product cycle where we will share our progress — and struggle — with users, suppliers, and the industry at large. We are all accountable in raising the bar to protect and preserve our playground, and we are all in it together.