Top layer. It must not only work perfectly, but also look perfect. Of course, there are as many options as there are ways to Rome. Lightweight or lined, with a membrane or as a softshell. Or a Norwegian pullover with a wind stopper. However, most freeriders opt for 3-layer membrane clothing. For me, it's the Mammut Alyeska jacket with matching pants. And the combo has won me over.
Due to various circumstances, this is already the third combo from the Mammut freeride collection that I've used. Interestingly, they have always been Gore-Tex Soft Shell garments. It started with the Alaska jacket and pants, followed by the Alagna combo and now it's the heavily revised successor, the Alyeska. And all three have always delivered exactly what I expect from an outer layer on the mountain.
Of course, there are more breathable membrane laminates than Gore-Tex Soft Shell, and warmer jackets anyway. But for me, this laminate composition with its robust outer fabric and durable membrane in combination with the slightly fluffy inner coating offers just the right performance on the mountain. Wind and water are efficiently kept out. There is also a DWR that efficiently keeps the outer fabric dry. And for a 3-layer textile, it is surprisingly warm. For almost all ski days throughout the season, a pair of ski underpants and a longsleeve plus T-shirt as underwear are sufficient. On very cold days or when inactive, a thin fleece is sometimes added. That's it.
And breathability is rarely a big issue for me. Not if you're going downhill, anyway. And going uphill, the motto is: open all the floodgates anyway! The underarm and leg vents over the entire thigh bring enough air to the body. So neither the RET value of < 20 nor the relatively large number of pockets are a problem. There are four outer pockets each on the jacket and trousers. There is also an inner breast pocket (with goggle cleaning cloth!) and a ski pass pocket on the left sleeve.
The zip-off bib of the trousers is great tennis and the zip connection between the snow skirt (also detachable) of the jacket and the waistband of the pants makes Teletubby one-pieces superfluous. Cuffs with thumb holes and a high-closing collar keep the warmth in. The asymmetrically slanted zipper is particularly pleasant. Especially in combination with the option of making the collar wider with a second zipper, there is no rubbing on the chin. The hood, which is set low on the outside of the collar and is surprisingly helmet-compatible, fits well, is easy to adjust and can be tied inconspicuously around the neck when not in use.
There are, however, two small drawbacks: the rear flap of the leg vents is set or sewn in such a way that the zipper almost always catches if you don't use the zipper carefully. And even in the fourth generation of freeride jackets, Mammut has not managed to place the seam on the cuffs anywhere other than the thumb hole exactly between the thumb and index finger. This is always uncomfortable in gloves when using poles, so I only use the cuffs when I'm resting. Well, there's also a third factor: the price.
But all in all, I think they're the perfect freeride kobo. And the colors also pop really well in pictures.
For the Alyeska jacket and for the pants on the manufacturer's website
