Good, functional clothing that fits the intended use is just as important for having fun in the cold white stuff as the right sports equipment. And just as much a question of type. And not least a question of taste. The Mammut Alagna Pant was able to convince German Wehinger.
In my search for pants for freeriding and ski touring, I opted for the Alagna Pant, which turned out to be the right choice. I have to admit that the timeless style of the pants - in addition to their functionality - was a pro-argument for me. The Alagna Pant has my preferred loose fit and is available in black. The most important features of these Gore-Tex Soft Shell pants are the side zippers, three front pockets with waterproof zippers and the edge protection. The waistband is infinitely adjustable and has belt loops. Last but not least, suspenders can be retrofitted.
Functionality
The trousers have been used in adverse weather conditions, in the cold and on sweaty freeride and ski touring days. I was pleasantly surprised by the vapor permeability of this Gore-Tex Soft Shell 3L membrane. But the membrane alone wouldn't be enough for me, I really need the side openings of the trousers. The zippers allow partial and variable opening on the one hand and full opening from the hip to the knee on the other.
These trousers withstand all adverse weather conditions. Be it rain, snow or wind. I am impressed by the outstanding thermal performance of such thin and lightweight trousers. Normally, a thin layer of functional underwear was enough for me. Extra warm underwear is only recommended when temperatures drop into double figures below zero. On deep powder days, a jacket-trousers combination is invaluable. Unfortunately, this only works with the Alagna Jacket of the same name and some other Mammut jackets from the freeride range. A dungaree version would improve this significantly. In my opinion, the sewn-in edge protection offers insufficient protection and could definitely be more extensive. After just one season, I have countless small cuts on the inside of the pants (tip: Seam Grip works excellently for repairing small cuts). At this point, the use of a more robust fabric would be recommended, even if the pants would then weigh a few grams more.
Conclusion
The Alagna Pant is a well-designed Gore-Tex soft shell pant for freeriding and ski touring. They fulfill this "hybrid function" perfectly for my needs. The weaknesses are that the pants are only hip-high and the edge protection is too weak. The Alagna Pant is reliable against all adverse weather conditions such as rain, snowfall and wind. The rider definitely stays dry. The thermal performance is excellent for the weight and only weakens in arctic cold without correspondingly warm underwear.
Editor's note: In the 2012/13 winter season, Mammut replaced the AlagnaPant with the Verbier Pant, which features many of the desired improvements (e.g. edge protection, zip-off bib with suspenders).
