Doug Chatten - Profile
Doug Chatten is a member of the MONT Pro Team & lives in Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. He works year round in the Kosciuszko National Park as a Professional Ski Patroller, Alpine Hiking Guide and as a Field Officer for the Department of Environment & Conservation. Working in the alpine area performing a variety of tasks over all seasons provides Doug with the ideal conditions to put new designs and ideas through their paces.
Doug has been with Mont since 1994 and his alpine pursuits have taken him to Russia, Switzerland, Italy, France, Canada, USA, Alaska, New Zealand, India, Kashmir and Tasmania. Doug is also sponsored by K2, Tecnica and Marker and is the back country editor for The Ski Mag
Seventeen years ago when I figured out that the Mtn life was for me I packed up the Kingswood ute and headed for the Snowies. I scored a high profile job as a kitchen hand which allowed maximum time on the boards and helped to subsidise my skiing fetish. I’d grown up in the surfing culture of the 80’s during my teenage years on the central coast and after a few trips as a holiday maker my life was soon to take a new direction. During my first full season in 1990 I was able to clock up over 100 skiing days, it was an awesome season, the weather was wild and the bug bit deep. I found myself peering over the resort boundary signs between blizzards, being drawn to the alluring pristine slopes of the Main Range. I began to ski tour deeper into the back country and soon realised that there was an important piece of my tool box missing, not only did I need good skills and knowledge but I needed top quality gear and equipment. After scouring the retail outlets and magazines for the best label it wasn’t long before I was tracking down MONT for sponsorship. The deal was to supply MONT with quality product feed back and credible media exposure in return for quality technical clothing, sleeping bags and backpacks.
Over the past fourteen years MONT clothing and equipment has kept me safe, warm and brought me home in some real ugly situations; Pinned down on the Murchison Head Wall in 150km/hr winds in New Zealand, entombed in a snow cave in the Kosciuszko National Park,
-35C on Mt Elbrus in Russia (Europe’s highest Peak) and being interrogated by the local police inspector in Gulmarg Kashmir (he rather liked my MONT two piece suit) to name a few.
The crew at MONT are dedicated to providing cutting edge products to those who want to enjoy life’s great adventures. I’m proud to be part of such a great Australian company and look forward to testing many more great products.