For Spring 2019, Arc’teryx introduced the climbing-specific Oriel Leggings into their line. They traveled with me to the limestone and schist crags of New Zealand, red desert sandstone in Utah, and the polished granite of Yosemite. Here’s how they fared.
climbing pants
When Arc’teryx introduced the Sabria Pant the summer of 2016, I was excited. Good pants are hard to find. Would these be the pants that knocked my beloved Norrøna bitihorn lightweight pants off their pedestal? Read on to find out.
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.
When I flew into Oslo for my Norway trip, one of the first things I did was pop into the Norrøna flagship store in Sentrum. I couldn’t pass up a trip to see Norrøna in real life! They’re finally making their way to the United States for Spring 2019.
I told myself I would only try things on and wait to buy stuff back home because of the exchange rate. But then I saw the Norrøna bitihorn pants in Hot Chili aka bright, obnoxious orange, and I had to have it. Backcountry definitely did not have this color in stock.