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ant3314832 wrote a review of on December 9, 2012

4 5

Used these for a few outings so far this year and figured I'd chime in as there weren't any reviews yet. Overall, you get what you expect with these. They are definitely grippier on the up than the regular alpinists. I did notice some reduced glide (to be expected) but once they break in later in the winter I expect they'll glide better. G3 tip/tail connectors are awesome and the cutting tool they supply makes trimming pretty painless. Only a few minor gripes: I still think Black Diamonds glue is better (the G3 glue froze up in -7 deg. F temps today here in CO and isn't quite as tacky as the BD gold label I've used). Also, these seem to be shedding way more of the plush than I've seen on other new skins after trimming. I know the high traction version has longer hairs so hopefully it's just a function of this and will stop after a few more outings. Overall, I'm happy I retired my Alpinists and picked up the High Tractions. They glide pretty darn well and stick much better on the up which is helpful when you aren't doing a whole lot of rolling/flat approaches.





ant3314832 wrote a review of on December 27, 2009

5 5

Easily the best pair of softshell pants I've used. Plenty warm for even cold temps if you're active and layer right with a baselayer. Does fine in cool weather (ie summer alpine rock) but for a warm day, try the Simple Guides. Sheds snow/rain/ice drips like a champ. I use them for climbing/skiing/hiking/etc in CO and haven't broken out the hardshells in months. Fit is perfect (5'10" 140lbs) and the stretch makes you forget you're wearing them on high steps or hard turns. Durability has been great so far but I also haven't snagged an edge or crampon on them yet. The welded pockets are in good locations and a good size for things like a topo or gu pack. I've only found two possible issues with these. 1st, they do wet out fairly quick. The DWR on some other Patagonia stuff I have seems to be better than on these pants. However, if you're moving they dry exceptionally quick. 2nd, I would have liked some crampon guards on the insides of the legs. Even just a bit more reinforced fabric would be nice. Haven't caught them yet but I would imagine a sharp crampon point would go right through it. Just reinforces better footwork I guess!