The most technical piece of freeride clothing from the fossilized and tusked shaggy animal comes with a strong mammoth look. Mammut's extensive experience in the development of technical mountain sports clothing reaches its peak with these pants. Probably the most interesting innovation is the fully integrated climbing harness, which you can't tell from the pants, but which nevertheless enables rapid abseiling without compromising on comfort and style. In addition, the good piece comes with a variety of other useful details.
First impression
At first glance, the trousers are hardly any different from their peers. The color "Salamander" is neither particularly bright nor discreet, but pleases the eye of the beholder and looks good against a blue sky and glittering powder. The choice of a signal color is also welcome in terms of mountain emergencies. Once you have the pants in your hands, however, they clearly stand out from visually similar models. At 910 grams, the weight is slightly higher, which is due to the integrated climbing harness. At the same time, you get the feeling that you are holding a very robust textile in your hands. The GORE-TEX® Pro logo clearly indicates that these are pants that meet the highest standards. Several generous front pockets with various waterproof zippers set the tone. The cut is wide and casual without looking like a bag. Other useful details also stand out. All in all, I can speak of love at first sight. But how would the relationship with this technical clothing "supermodel" develop in everyday freeriding and ski touring?
Test conditions
Since the end of November 2014, the trousers have protected me from all weathers and snow on almost all tours and freeriding days. They have had to cope with long ascents of over 2000 meters in altitude as well as hours of riding in heavy snow and storms. Landing in streams is not part of the specification, but even in this unpleasant situation the pants saved me from worse... Of course, the function of the integrated climbing harness was used in an emergency. Even in combination with a T-shirt, sneakers and a beer in hand, the trousers had to prove their worth and withstand prying eyes.
Material, features, function
As you would expect, only the best materials are used. The 3-layer GORE-TEX ® Pro material is much lighter than the older XCR and at least as robust. Splash-proof zippers from YKK accentuate the look of the pants. A ski edge protector made of lightweight but very durable Dyneema® effectively protects the lower sections of the pants against mechanical damage. But even the best materials are ineffective without high-quality workmanship. Mammut has left nothing to chance in this respect.
Let's now focus on the wide range of useful and well thought-out features. A detachable, elasticated bib with adjustable straps ensures a perfect fit on the body. Without this, however, the trousers are a little too wide for me. You will search in vain for an adjustment option on the waistband, but in my opinion this is not necessary. The bib also has an integrated Barryvox-compatible zip pocket with a safety catch and loop on the inside.
But now to the most innovative detail on the pants, the integrated, lightweight climbing harness. The belt is sewn into the waistband, making it slightly less flexible. This also explains why there are no adjustment options on the waistband. Two leg loops are connected to the waistband with a flexible mesh fabric. The belt cannot be adjusted, which is surprising at first glance, but not at all annoying in practice. My skepticism regarding freedom of movement disappeared in no time at all. To my astonishment, the harness does not interfere with movement either on long ascents or technical descents. On the contrary, you hardly notice it, which I find really remarkable. The rope loops are located to the left and right of the crotch zipper in separate zip pockets, can be pulled out if necessary and connected with a carabiner. And all in no time at all! While my colleagues are still searching for their climbing harness in the depths of the backpack, I'm already completely finished with the Realization Pant. Once you're on the rope, the harness sits comfortably even without individual adjustment options. Two gear loops hold the necessary hardware. They don't offer much space, but the pants aren't aimed at potential Cerro Torre conquerors...
Less spectacular but just as useful are the three different leg pockets. The generous amount of space includes a zipped pocket with a concealed flap, a splash-proof zipped pocket and is rounded off with a map-compatible leg pocket with a splash-proof YKK Vislon® zip. There is a further zipped pocket on the seat, which in my opinion could have been left out. The knee sections are anatomically pre-shaped to minimize resistance during leg movements on the ascent and descent. There are two splash-proof ventilation zips along the sides of the thighs. When open, they are backed with a mesh fabric. Although this limits the degree of opening somewhat, it also allows the ventilation openings to be kept open in snowfall. With the ventilation open, it is also more comfortable to walk, as the freedom of movement in the pants is further increased. An elastic snow skirt is integrated at the transition from the ski boot to the trousers. Naturally, this is one of the most stressed areas. So far, however, the snow skirts have not revealed any weaknesses. Two loops with conventional press studs can also be used to secure ski boots. However, I have never felt compelled to make use of these despite bootpacks through deep snow. I therefore find them rather annoying, especially as one of them is already defective. The Dyneema®-reinforced lower sections of the trousers are, of course, subject to the usual wear and tear, but there is still no significant damage to the fabric. If you are wearing crampons, the leg width can be adjusted with press studs. A simple but effective function that protects the pants from damage caused by crampons.
Conclusion
Love at first sight definitely delivered what it promised! It is not only very pretty to look at, but also impresses with its inner values. Despite the slightly higher weight, I almost always opt for the Alyeska Realization Pants. They are extremely comfortable and functional. This is partly due to the design, but also to the GORE-TEX ® Pro material, which has developed positively compared to previous products, especially in terms of comfort. In my opinion, the highlight is of course the integrated climbing harness. A concept that, despite initial skepticism, has proven its worth. I find it astonishing that the harness is not a hindrance at all, even on long ascents of over 2000 meters in altitude. Now that the time for the "realization" of large, high-alpine ski projects is slowly dawning again, I will probably do without an external climbing harness altogether and fully entrust myself to the Alyeska Pants.
Of course, a word must also be said about the price, which is almost astronomical. Despite the very positive overall impression, it is not easy for me to justify this. The trousers will remain a niche product, because anyone who doesn't occasionally travel in high alpine or technical terrain is unlikely to simply plunk down CHF 820.00.
Advantages & disadvantages
+High-quality materials
+High-quality workmanship
+Robust
+Casual, functional cut
+Thoughtful, practical details
+Integrated climbing harness
+High wearing comfort
+Versatile application options, whether touring or freeriding
+Lots of "storage space" thanks to generous zipped pockets
-Very high price
Details
- RRP € 649.95
- Innovation through the combination of lightweight climbing harness and freeride trousers
- 2 gear loops
- Complies with climbing harness standard EN 12277
- Detachable, elasticated bib
- 1 Barryvox-compatible zipped pocket with safety catch and loop inside
- 2 front pockets: 1 zipped pocket with concealed flap, 1 splash-proof zipped pocket
- 1 back pocket
- 1 map-compatible leg pocket with splash-proof YKK Vislon® zip
- Pre-shaped knee section
- Side ventilation with splash-proof zip, with mesh backing
- Belt loops at waistband for jacket-trousers connection
- Leg width adjustment with press stud for better crampon compatibility
- Hem edge reinforcement and ski edge protection made of Dyneema®
- Snow skirt with loop for ski boot attachment
- Loose fit
Here is the manufacturer's website with further information, here is where you can buy the pants from our partner store Bergzeit.
