Everyone knows that the large Swiss brand with the extinct cousin of the elephant as its emblem is one of the leading manufacturers of mountain sports clothing. It has also been offering clothing specifically for freeriders for over 10 years (i.e. long before the big trend). At the same time, this clothing line is revised and improved every year. We have tested the top models from Mammut for you.
Test conditions
I have been wearing the jacket and trousers for about two months and have not only worn them during the first powder of the season, but also on a few ski tours and when skiing on the piste in the ski area. This has covered a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, as well as some mechanical stress.
I am 183 cm tall and weigh around 75 kg, I wear a size L jacket and a size 50 trousers. I am often between two sizes, in both cases I could wear a size smaller, but I prefer to wear slightly wider ski clothing. However, I would recommend a size smaller, especially for smaller and/or narrower people.
First impression
The outfit is quite classic and rather simple. You won't find any huge patch pockets, really bright colors or pointless features, but the jacket and pants make a well thought-out and robust impression.
Personally, I like the outfit quite a bit: the pants could also be worn to a wedding in combination with a jacket, the jacket has a good signal effect in the color "Salamander", which not only looks good in photos, but can also be important in an emergency.
Test
So far, the jacket and pants make a stable impression. As expected, the workmanship is top-notch, of course, waterproof branded zippers from YKK are used, and the seams and Velcro fasteners also make a very good impression.
The jacket has two normal handwarmer pockets and two Napoleon pockets. The left pocket has an additional zipper on the inside, which allows you to access pockets in garments worn underneath. There is also an inside pocket, of course, which is large enough for a goggle and is also equipped with a microfiber goggle cleaning cloth. The snow skirt of the Alyeska Jacket can be attached to the trousers and is also detachable. The jacket has roomy ventilation zips under the arms and a highly adjustable, helmet-compatible hood.
The cuffs are kept wide so that they can be easily pulled over gloves, but the width can be easily adjusted thanks to a large Velcro fastener. They are also equipped with Lycra inner cuffs with thumb loops, which effectively prevent the sleeves from riding up. The collar should also be mentioned, which can also be adjusted in width thanks to an additional gusset with a zipper.
The trousers have a large bib and are made of material with high stretch properties on key parts such as the back and straps, ensuring freedom of movement at all times. The trousers have a patch pocket on the right thigh and two pockets on the bib. One of these is intended as an avalanche transceiver pocket and is therefore equipped with a safety zipper. This pocket also has an inner flap to which the avalanche transceiver can be attached. In combination with the Alyeska jacket, this pocket is also located directly underneath the pocket with a pull-through, so you have access to the avalanche transceiver without having to open the jacket. Of course, the pants also have ventilation openings, these are located on the outside of the thighs and are backed with a mesh to prevent snow from getting in. The edge protection at the leg ends is robust and goes all the way around the legs.
The excellent weather protection of the Alyeska combination is evident in practice. The trousers with the bib and the jacket with adjustable collar, snow guard, great hood and good cuffs keep out wind, snow and rain in the best possible way. Of course, the hardshell material itself is hardly insulating, but because of the good wind protection, I only wear ski underwear and a medium fleece underneath. This has been sufficient for me so far, even at temperatures well below -10°C. Of course, the material is also waterproof, and I haven't had any moisture penetrate it so far. The combo also fits and is very comfortable. The pockets are easy to reach and useful, and the ventilation and breathability of the material ensure that you don't get wet from your own sweat when freeriding. The Alyeska combo is of course also suitable for ski touring, although some people may find the jacket a little too heavy and the pack size too large. I personally find the pants quite warm due to the bib on days with mild temperatures on the ascent, especially as the ventilation zippers on the legs are not too generously dimensioned. A detachable bib would be nice here, especially in spring.
Conclusion
High-quality, robust freeride suit with excellent weather protection. No frills but still with well thought-out details. Perfect in deep powder and in bad weather, but of course also works in sunshine.
Advantages & disadvantages
+ Good workmanship, great quality!
+ Excellent weather protection
+ Robust
+ Well thought-out and useful pockets
+ Good cuffs, the sleeves stay where they belong and don't slip
+ Snow skirt of the jacket can be attached to the trousers
- Bib of the trousers cannot be removed
- Ambitious price
Details
Jacket:
- Gusset on the collar for width adjustment
- Pre-shaped, three-sided adjustable, helmet-compatible hood
- 2-way underarm zip for optimum ventilation
- Splash-proof, robust YKK Vislon® 2-way front zip
- 2 higher front pockets, can be used with backpack on
- ski skins can be stowed in the jacket pockets
- 1 wrist pocket for ski pass
- pre-shaped sleeves with Velcro cuffs
- extra wide cuffs with enough space for gloves
- laser-cut hand gaiters
- spacious zipped inner pocket for ski goggles with microfiber goggle cleaning cloth
- multimedia-compatible interior
- detachable, elasticated snow skirt
- Loops with press studs for attaching jackets to trousers
Available sizes: S-XXL
Available colors: Dark Space (blue) and Salamander (yellow)
RRP € 700.-
Bib Pants:
- An elastic insert in the back waistband provides freedom of movement with strongly bent legs
- 2 front pockets: 1 Barryvox-compatible zippered pocket with security & Loop inside, 1 radio-compatible zip pocket
- Ideal combination with Alyeska GTX Pro Jacket, which allows access to the bib front pocket
- Belt loops on waistband for jacket-trousers connection
- 1 map-compatible leg pocket with splash-proof YKK® Vislon zip
- Pre-shaped knee section
- Side ventilation with splash-proof zip, backed with mesh
- Leg height adjustment possible on the inside with snap fastener
- Snow guard with loop for ski boot attachment
- Reinforced hem edges and ski edge protection made of Dyneema®
- Loose fit
Available sizes: 44-56
RRP € 550.-
Here's the manufacturer information about the jacket and trousers, here and here you can order these two classy pieces from our partner store...
