UKH

Anyone got any recommendations for ski-touring trousers?

My old goretex pair are on their way out

Everyone now seems to say a decent softshell pair is better (do you also carry waterproof trousers or not bother?)

Does anyone use the Simond Alpinism trousers for touring? Any good?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-mountaineering-trousers-alpinism-black/...

Thanks for opinions

Hi, I think it depends on where you are ski touring.

My go to ski touring trousers is a bib from Millet made of Polartec® Néo it great in the southern French alps as its very breathable and as we don't get days of wet weather or damp snow its perfect, I probably wouldn't want that in Scotland, the newer version is goretex and I am not sure they will be as good for where I live.

In late spring I have a set of medium weight soft shells to be honest they doesn't feel a lot of difference between them and the Neo trousers. I also have a super light weight set, for very hot days.

I have toured in the decathlon tourers you have linked to, they are a good medium wight set, the only down side is they are a bit heaver than some of more expensive brands and they tend to bag out a bit if using them day after day (but I find that with some of the more expensive ones as well). I don't carry any waterproofs with any soft-shell's they tend to work find in all but foul conditions. 

They look good but their black. I prefer light colours for spring time in the Alps. Dark kit equals boil in the bag. I have some very very old Rab ones in beige. They did need lots of alterations to make them fit.

I use a set of black diamond softshell trousers i found on a sale. I much prefer them to the hardshell trousers I was using before. They breathe and vent far better so you don't get sweaty on the way up and then cold during transitions and descents. The only downside Vs hardshell is if you sit on a wet ski lift...

Simond Alpinism seem to be great performing trousers but don't easily go over boots.  Check out the Marmot Pro Tour trousers on Sports Pursuit (half price though only couple of sizes left).  I personally don't bother with a waterproof trouser

It really depends, where are you touring... what kind of touring it is.

What other uses you might have for the trousers and what other trousers you have available.

I used to tour on softshell trousers in the spring (artic norway), so black was not the way to go. Also used them time to time for mid winter tours. But in winter, it was always below freezing... so softshells work fine.

And only went out on good weather in the spring stuff (waterproofness was not high on specs)... and my pants were actually a hybrid, so had waterproof fabric in the arse and knees. Plus I only used these for skiing related activities.

When I was skiing at a resort (or side country), I had different trousers... as was the case with mountaineering or winter climbing.

Now, I don't have that much time to go out touring... So I mainly use the same hardshell pants I have for lift served skiing... really nice Norrona Lofoten Pro bibs... Albeit for skiing the local molehills with my kids, I now have a pair of bargain insulated waterproof skiing troos (so I don't wreck the spendy Norrona ones).

For winter (read Ice or continental style mixed), I have other beat to hell hardshell or hybrid troos.


I might re-evaluate my troos, where I to live somewhere else or had a different life situation... but for now, I'm good...

So were I to only get troos for doing pure ski-touring (bag a peak, ski down... not too technical climbing or descent).... And had access to the alps (or scandinavian mountains). I might look into non-black/dark-grey softshells. For more freeride-oritented touring for turns, I'd stick the the hardshells I use anyway for freeriding... and if the weather is too crap for both, I'd hit the park or figure out something better to do .

 

Hi, there was a very comprehensive discussion about best ski pants for touring on British backcountry FB group last month, well worth reading.

I've toured and skied in the Simond ones and they were very good - worked fine whilst snowing although obvious limitations of soft shell if things get too wet. They are very stretchy so easy to put over boots, you just have to use the zipper.  They aren't that insulated though so might not be the best choice if it's really cold - used them at about minus 10 when skiing (rather than touring) and would have preferred something warmer at that stage! Not sure what more I'd want for the trousers hence great value for money - no durability issues so far although only used for 2 weeks.

I was just thinking about trousers, yesterday, on my ascent on our local small hill. Trousers pose a bit of a problem, don't they, because, where conditions to deteriorate in a way that they became wet and one were to need to trade in some breathability for more waterproofness, one thing that most sane people really, really don't want to be doing is faffing about, taking their ski-boots off and changing their pants!

So ski-touring trousers need to handle warm-and-dry, cold-and-dry *and*, to at least some extent, moist.

I don't carry rain-trousers when skiing, today, because, when I did in the past, I never used them. I invariably just hurried up and got down or to shelter instead of getting wetter, changing. Were I to get into trouble in the wet, I've got a bivvy sack in my pack... although whether that will help, who knows?

I go for any old soft-shell that seems like it will handle a bit of abrasion and fits over the top of my boots. After that, a couple of features are key.

For me, one absolutely mandatory feature is the ability to zip open the legs, for sunny ascents. It doesn't matter what your trousers are made of if they're sweated through and the weather turns cold or windy for the summit and descent! Plus, if you sweat too much, your socks might lose their insulating properties -- cold, frozen toes can't make nice turns so the ski down will be miserable.

Another must-have feature is a zippable waist-pocket for your beacon. Sure, wearing it on your chest *is* possible but that requires you to be wearing at least two top layers, if you follow recomendations to the letter and don't wear it against your skin or outside your clothes. Here in the Alps, sure, we have cold tours but I find I'm nearly always stripped to a T-shirt for the ascent on the vast majority of them.

Any old soft-shell that ticks these boxes is fine, by me.

I've got those Simond ones - well from a decade ago but they look basically unchanged. https://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2013/03/simond-alpinism-pants-review... I think they are great. I've ski toured in them a reasonable amount, but basically only in Arctic Norway where getting too hot is rarely an issue. I've used them winter climbing, ski touring and lift skiing in the UK a bit too and they have worked great then. In Norway I've always carried lightweight pretty cheap full zip over trousers (Marmot Precip) as an insurance but I don't think I've ever needed them. 

simond alpinist pant is basically the best touring/winter climbing trouser that money can buy! and you can buy 2 or even 3 pairs for the cost of a similar quality item from a more 'sexy' brand!

The end of season sales on sport pursuit inevitably has some really good deals, if you want a bargain and are ok about lack of support for your local retailer....

In particular the Elevenate range are excellent, Swedish ski touring clothing and generally half price making it affordable (relatively) for high quality kit.

b