Yvon Chouinard Was Destroying the Mountains He Loved. He Made 1 Painful Decision That Built the Patagonia Empire

Long before ESG and sustainability became buzzwords, Patagonia risked its core business to solve an environmental problem of its own making.

BY CHRIS STOKEL-WALKER

Yvon Chouinard. Photo: Courtesy Patagonia/Kyle Sparks

Yvon Chouinard has described himself as a “reluctant businessman.” An outdoors enthusiast, Chouinard began his business career forging pitons—metal spikes that rock climbers hammer into rock faces to give them a handhold where none exists. He sold those pitons under a predecessor to Patagonia, the Chouinard Equipment........

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