Easy To Wear, Hard To Tear

Earlier this year, aspiring mountaineer Claire Mackay completed a successful mountaineering expedition to Argentina where she summited Aconcagua in the Andes mountain ranges. Kitted out in Mountain Designs gear, the avid adventurer from regional New South Wales put some of our more technical pieces to the test, including the women's Alola CORDURA® pants. Read on for her review of this rugged, technical hiking pant.

Alola CORDURA® Pant

I've always been hesitant to make the change from hiking in leggings to a pair of hiking pants, simply because I assumed, they would be too restricting. However, I gave it a go recently on my trip to Aconcagua in Argentina, opting for the Mountain Designs Alola CORDURA® pants, and I was completely blown away by their comfort and mobility! Although these pants are a slim fit, the two-way stretch meant they never once felt tight, and the design allows for flexibility and range of movement (e.g. articulated knees, panelling on the inner leg). In addition, their fabric composition makes them incredibly durable. For reference, I wore these pants descending scree slopes where I slid and fell often, but thankfully the CORDURA® nylon in the construction resists against tears and scruffs.

These pants are lightweight, breathable, quick drying and the Durable Water Repellent technology keeps them water and dirt resistant (within reason - I mean, I was hiking a 6,962-metre mountain). Overall, I was incredibly impressed with the Alola's and can highly recommend them to anyone looking for a high quality, lasting, comfortable pair of hiking pants.

(Note: For men, the Menari CORDURA® pant is the men's equivalent to the Alola).

Photo Credits

Images supplied by:

Claire Mackay

• Instagram @clairelouise.mackay

Pema Chinyam

• Instagram @pema.travels

Andrew Morgan

• Instagram @andy_7summits