I’ve been using this for: Six Months Where?: Scottish winters, Alpine routes, Ski touring and Spring Rock Climbing Official website: http://arcteryx.com/product.aspx?language=EN&gender=mens&category=Pants-Shorts&model=Gamma-Guide-Pant These soft shell trousers are one of many in Arcteryx’s line of soft shells. They are unlined and suitable for warmer weather, i.e. Alpine summers etc. Good Stuff: Like most Arcteryx kit, these are well thought out trousers, and look good too. I love the thigh pockets, one zipped, the other with a velcro flap. You can stash gear in them but unlike some trousers these pockets aren’t too bulky when their empty. The trousers are fairly close fitting on me, it’s often tricky to find something that isn’t too baggy which just flaps in the wind and catches on everything or that’s so tight you get the “euro look”. For me at least, these strike a really good balance between the two. Crampon patches on the lower inside leg – are made with a hard material (I don’t know what I’m afraid) which means that your boots and crampons slide across it rather than catch. Most other trousers I’ve owned just have extra material here, which still catches and rips if you’ve been an idiot and tripped on your own crampons.. Not so good bits: Not much to moan about in this section. These are the only soft shell trousers I’ve used which don’t have ventilation zips along the side. I quite like the lack of clutter, but if you really like being able to vent your legs then bear that in mind. Most of Arcteryx’s trousers don’t come with an “internal” gaiter anymore, instead using a couple of hooks to secure the trouser leg to your laces. These work well apart from on my mountain boots which have an over gaiter already and therefore no where to hook the trousers onto. This hasn’t bothered me at all, but it’s something you might want to know. There are no ankle zips for getting your trousers over big boots, but mine (just about) go over my ski boots when I’ve used these touring. Again, I like the lack of zips and general clutter. Conclusions: I’m a massive fan of these (if you haven’t already guessed), I like the minimal faff, the cut and the little extras. Perfect for Summer Alpine, Scottish winters and expedition trekking. 
