Montane Alpine Edge Pants

£100 304g

versatility, seat reinforcement

single leg length

Materials: ‘Chameleon LT’ with ‘Granite Extreme’ panels – 87% nylon, 13% elastane Fabric treatment: DWR Sizes: S-XXL, 1 leg length Women’s version: no montane.com

The Alpine Edge Pants are Montane’s three-season climbing and mountaineering offering. The Chameleon fabric has just enough elastane content to give plenty of stretch around the hips and groin when moving, whilst the reinforced panels mean more durability at the knees and ankles – especially welcome when wearing crampons or moving over technical ground. I particularly like having this ripstop fabric extended around the seat of the trouser, although it does make them a fractionally warmer, heavier proposition than the immediate competition. Despite this, they shrug off weather as well as abrasion very well, and dry quickly enough. There are two hip pockets and one rear ‘wallet’ pocket, all zipped. There’s a zip at each ankle, exposing a gusset for more volume around winter boots. There are no belt or belt loops, and waist fastening is by elastic volume adjuster, which on my sample has the tendency to slip occasionally.

These are so similar to the Rab Torque that it’s impossible not to compare them! Here you get a marginally more relaxed fit, a slightly warmer garment, a reinforced seat, no hem loops and only a single leg length, but otherwise there is little to distinguish between the two. I’ve found them to be excellent all-rounders, especially as the mercury dips, and if the fit works for you there’s no reason not to choose them over the competition.