The Alpinist Mountain Standards reviews apply Alpinist's tradition of excellence and authenticity to gear reviews by providing unbiased, candid feedback and anecdotal commentary to equipment tested (hard) in the field. Our panel is comprised of climbers who use the gear every day as part of their work and play. Only the gear they would actually buy themselves, at retail price, qualifies for the Alpinist Mountain Standards award. The five-star rating system is as follows: One Star = Piece of junk. Two Stars = Has one or more significant flaws, with some redeeming qualities. Three Stars = Average. This solid piece of gear is middle-of-the-road on the current market. Four Stars = Better than most comparable gear on the market. It has one or two drawbacks, but still 90% positive. Five Stars = Is there such thing as perfection? An Alpinist Mountain Standards award-winner. Review Panel Adam George Caroline George Larry Goldie Blake Herrington John Race Bert Severin Jed Workman The rest of the MS Team |
 Mammut Courmayeur PantsPosted on: August 16, 2005 
MSRP: $180 The Mammut Courmayeur Pant is our choice over the popular Champ due to it's reinforced patches over the knees, seat and cuff. They add durability and longevity from the daily wear and tear of crampons, ski edges and rocks. With many miles under my belt wearing these chaps, they hardly look any different from when I bought them. While they definitely seems a little more suited for the colder months, you can wear them into late spring by keeping the layering to a minimum and maybe choosing the lighter taupe color-way to reduce the heat from the sun. As always, the Schoeller 3XDRY performs to a "T" in regards to balancing water resistance and breathablity for "on the go" activities. Most of the time I like to wear them with a nice wind brief or boxer to help keep the core warm when the wind picks up. I have about five different pairs of boots I wear with these and they range dramatically in cuff size, so I love to be able to adjust the tension at the bottom. Lucky with the Courmayeur you can. |
