The Latest

Pac plus waterproof jacket | montane 22/09/2020
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In Search of Wild Things

In the far north of England, huddled against the Scottish border and looking out unflinchingly at the North Sea lies a primitive yet often overlooked wilderness. A rarely-awarded panorama shows the hills share the same pockmarked muscularity of the Cairngorms. To many these vistas are beautiful. To others, bleak. The mist and mizzle lift so rarely an agreement is yet to be reached. It is an uncompromising amalgam of bogs, moss, and stone. Water oozes down porous valleys overlooked by scree-scattered slopes below wind scarred summits. Its heathery peat, once... Read More

18/09/2020
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Surviving the Lakes

In the wake of this summers’ lockdown, experienced arctic expeditionist Ash Routen chose a more domestic and, at least on paper, relaxing mini expedition. His experience was a masterclass in Lake District appreciation. It was also a timely reminder that more than ever, we need the outdoors as a welcome distraction from the slightly chaotic and unstable world around us. Lockdown hit only a few days before a friend and I were due to fly out and spend a month or so dragging a sledge along the frozen coastline of... Read More

alpine spirit review | montane 16/09/2020
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Alpine Spirit Review

The Alpine Spirit is a serious workhorse of a jacket. Built for uncompromising abuse and long, tough days, it is rugged and uncomplicated. Fitting then that it is named after Montane Athlete Becky Coles’ project to be the first all-female team to summit all Alpine 4000ers. An outstandingly well-designed jacket. Which came as a relief – when I was told they were naming a jacket after our project to climb all the Alpine 49000m peaks (check out Project Alpine Spirit here) I was a bit worried. What if it wasn’t... Read More

new winter kit | montane 16/09/2020
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New Season Kit

Winter is on its way, and with it comes with the adversity, drama, and challenge we look forward to. We want Check out some of our new gear to help squeeze as much as possible out of the shortening days. Continuing our culture of innovation, we have a series of developments this year that explore and develop our ‘lightweight without compromise’ ethos. Developments with longstanding partners such as Gore-Tex have created clothing and equipment which blurs the line between specialist technicality and versatility. Our remit remains the same; to go... Read More

pac plus jacket review | montane 10/09/2020
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Pac Plus Review

Montane ambassador Kat reflects on a year spent with her Pac Plus, putting it through its paces as she runs, climbs, and fastpacks around her home in Snowdownia National Park. For me, the Montane Pac Plus is the perfect lightweight waterproof jacket. Its simple feature set and Gore-Tex Paclite membrane make it super packable whilst also ready to tackle the elements! I use it for everything from mountain running to climbing, forever keeping the wind and rain off me. The wide adjustable hood fits over my helmet perfectly! It is... Read More

becks ferry wales climbing | montane 04/09/2020
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Domestic Practice for the Greater Ranges

Becks Ferry – already an accomplished ultra-marathon runner, is continuing her transition into mountaineering with an ambitious new project of climbing the 6812m Ama Dablam. She kicks off her campaign with a number of days under the tutelage of Montane athlete Jon Gupta and, like the explorers of the early 20th century, they use iconic routes in North Wales to recreate technical conditions and practice routines. Having visited the Himalayas a handful of times now and been fortunate enough to both run, trek and compete there, I have always had... Read More

ukc competition winner report | montane 31/08/2020
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Gupta Comp Winner

There I was again, mindlessly filling in my details to yet another UKC competition. Do people even win these things? Of course they do, Jake has won two of them already! Lucky so and so… Fast forward to the start of May. Another perfect weather day in the depths of lockdown and still, at this point, climbing is off the cards. An email falls into my inbox “You’ve won a UKC competition!”. I let out an embarrassing squeal of excitement and quickly open it up. £500 worth of Montane gear... Read More

Gecko race vest review | montane 26/06/2020
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Minimal Pack, Best Value

The Montane VIA Gecko race vest won ‘Best Value’ in a group-test of 12 minimalist running packs. Designed around the revolutionary FREELIGHT chassis, the Gecko allows efficient storage of all the essentials and nothing more. Ideal for training or chasing PB’s. ‘Best Value’ WHAT TRAIL RUNNING SAYS:   Testers were impressed that so many features were packed so cleverly into such a competitively priced pack, making it ideal for supported races and warmer weather runs, where a ginormous kit list isn’t warranted: “Tough and comfy, a workhorse of a small... Read More

pac plus jacket review | montane 04/06/2020
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Pac-ing a Punch

The Montane Pac Plus Jacket was recently awarded their coveted BEST IN TEST rosette in a ‘Summer Waterproof’ group test. Despite its apparent modesty, this simple, lightweight waterproof jacket seriously punches above its weight. The Pac Lite takes Gore-Tex’s 2-layer Pac Lite Plus technology and couples it with a dry-touch, abrasion-resistant inner treatment. This updated interpretation on quite an old-school 2-layer construction creates a lightweight super breathable shell system. Couple it with a tough 30D outer and a suite of intuitively placed features and you are left with a well-considered,... Read More

jessie leong crag to trail | montane 02/06/2020
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Discovering Trail Running and Climbing during lockdown

A sanctuary of green spaces between the knitted crochet blanket of terrace houses, steep houses and leafy green neighbourhoods; lockdown in Sheffield ain’t a grim place to be.  A time to pause, stay at home and root in one place with my new housemate Hilary, a fellow Trad climber, trail runner and cycling enthusiast in a part of Sheffield I’ve not lived before.   Yet for so many, myself included, lockdown has been a mixed bag of emotions.  I’ve found it a difficult and somewhat overwhelming time.  After shaking off... Read More