Black Diamond Equipment is an employee owned company made up of climbers and backcountry skiers committed to designing and producing the best equipment imaginable.

Black Diamond's roots date back to 1957 when Yvon Chouinard started hand-forging, and selling, the first cromoly, hard steel pitons, enabling climbers to make ascents of the sheer granite walls of Yosemite. Subsequent climbing equipment firsts for his company, Chouinard Equipment, included rigid crampons, curved ice axe picks and the promotion of clean climbing in North America with the development of Stoppers and Hexcentrics. During the 1980's Chouinard Equipment played an important part in the development of telemark ski equipment with the XPD binding and first cable bindings. By 1989, Chouinard Equipment, though recognized and respected throughout the climbing world, was still a small maverick business and when faced with several lawsuits was forced to seek Chapter 11 protection. Rather than accept defeat, the employees purchased the assets of the company and in December 1988 Black Diamond Equipment was born. Today Black Diamond Equipment is by far the largest climbing equipment manufacturer in North America and a major brand in the UK. First Ascent has represented Black Diamond Equipment in the UK, first as sole distributor and today as sales agents, since January 1989.