Black Diamond Creek Pants

I’m really good at destroying my pants while climbing. Cracks aren’t terribly forgiving. You can find me awkwardly humping the rock to top out more often than not. 99% of the time I find myself scooting on my butt on an approach or descent. Add in my slob factor and it’s basically a recipe for disaster when it comes to ever looking socially acceptable after climbing. The Black Diamond Creek Pants were the answer to my prayers.

Made of Cordura® stretch-woven nylon (152 g/m2, 96% nylon, 4% elastane), the Black Diamond Creek Pants pants are designed to move and breathe with you. The fabric is tough, perfect for wedging yourself in cracks. It sheds dirt and water with ease, so you don’t really look like the dirtbag you are.

The cut is fairly flattering so you can head over to the bar after a solid session or hike and look mildly presentable. The pants come with standard pockets: two butt pockets, two hand pockets and a coin pocket. All are too small to really be useful for anything other than chapstick or a Fitbit.

Available through REI | Amazon

I received mine in a size 2. I’m 5’, approximately 110 pounds, solid size 26, and found them to be on the slightly tighter end. I definitely rounded out during the holidays which made fitting into these a struggle in the earlier spring months. The waistband isn’t as forgiving as I’d like, which is both a pro and a con.

On one hand, the Black Diamond Creek Pants maintain their shape and don’t stretch out. On the other hand, if I eat too many cookies/doughnuts/tacos/burritos, I’m definitely unbuttoning them to expand. I didn’t find the pockets to be useful at all, especially the butt ones; I felt they sat very high on my behind which didn’t make it easy to get my phone in and out of.

Available through REI | Amazon

For climbing, these pants were pretty stellar and could handle what I threw at it. Shoving my legs in cracks, beached whaling, gripping onto the rock for dear life… granite, granite, and more granite, they still look as good as the day they came out of the box. When your life consists of rolling in dirt and bumping against every inanimate object possible, the Black Diamond Creek Pants are winners. Bonus points for being able to wear them out or to work.

Buy through Black Diamond, REI or Amazon for $99.

Photos by Josh Ourada. Pictured climbing in Carmel.

These were sent to me for review.

Last updated on December 4, 2017.