Berghaus Patera Pant – £130 / 390g

Review

Designed specifically for technical mountain use, the Patera uses Schoeller’s excellent but expensive Dryskin Stretch with 3XDRY technology  non-membrane fabric, which accounts for the high price. That fabric gives great mobility and very decent weather resistance combined with good breathability. It also allows a very close cut, particularly in the lower leg, so you can see what your feet are up to on the rock.

Reinforced areas at the seat, knees, outside of the thighs and inside of the ankles should suit the clumsy and gnarly, but the slim cut won’t suit everybody and combined with mountain boots has an interesting Max Wall feel.

Verdict

We’ve used the Pateras for a mix of walking, scrambling and some experimental climbing and the Pateras have done it all with a canny mix of weather resistance, protection, mobility and breathability.

The only thing we’re a little ambivalent about is the close fit. In purely functional terms it works well, which of course is the main priority, but it won’t suit everyone, particularly those with larger legs.

Also the narrow ankles make them slightly problematic worn with mountain boots, something a zipped gusset, as used by Montane for the excellent Terra Alpine Pant, would rectify making them also more all-round mountain friendly at the same time. That said, Berghaus also has the Borazon II trousers for more general use.

If your focus is narrow and technical though, the Patera could well be on the same wavelength.

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Montane Terra Alpine Pant – £85 / 220g

Review

Another double-weave stretch, non-membrane soft shell, this time using Montane’s own Granite Stretch fabric, which gives a nice balance of weather protection and breathbability though you’ll need over-trousers if it really starts to rain.

Interestingly, they combine the good points of the G2s – ankle zips and thigh vents – with similar fabric performance to the Patera, though the DWR doesn’t seem quite as effective – so you can opt for cinched down lower legs for climbing foot views and lack of flap or open them up for normal use or to accommodate bulkier mountain boot uppers.

Deceptively tough too you can use them for everything from trekking through to mountaineering, though in an ideal world they’d also have a crampon kick-patch on the inside ankle.

Verdict

Excellent, versatile, no-nonsense mountain legwear that you can use for anything from walking to climbing. The Terra Alpines have good weather resistance, excellent fit and mobility and telling details like the lower leg zips and those thigh-vents.

You’ll still need overtrousers when it really pours, same as with other non-membrane soft shells, but the pay-off is improved breathability and wicking performance. And at £85 we reckon they’re also cracking value for money. Recommended.

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