Made with Gore-Tex's tough, waterproof and breathable three-layer fabric, the Ventus Pants are the bottom half of the Chamonix-based company's highly functional 2018-19 Ventus outfit for the most serious of backcountry adventures.
With a claimed waterproof rating of 28,000mm and breathability of 20,000 mvp, the use of Gore-Tex's 3-layer super tough market-leading fabric alone is enough to set these ski-touring pants apart.
They're comfortable too, and although ideally worn over a baselayer to further maximise the fabric's already excellent wicking properties, we found the Gore-Tex fabric comfortable even against bare skin, with no stickiness or clamminess when the going got hot. If you do need to let the steam of your hard work out there are long vents run from the top of the outside leg all the way to below the knee, with a double-zipped closure to customize your exposure to the elements.
Dynamic comfort - the kind you need when skinning up mountains for hours - is further ensured by the meticulously taped seams throughout. Extra comfort comes courtesy of darts at the knee for a more articulated, form-following shape, a luxuriously deep micro-fleece-lined waistband and even two leg opening settings to choose from, depending on whether you're skiing or skinning. The only caveat would be that you should carefully check sizing, as the legs are quite roomy.
Black Crows have left nothing to chance in the manufacture for on-mountain, in-use durability, with details such as bonded in zip garages on all the critical ends of the waterproof and water-resistant zips, reinforced stitching on those critical zip housings, and tough kick panels on the inside leg bottom.
Extra touches include the latest low-profile version of Recco's avalanche reflector bonded into the bottom of the right leg and a tight extra lift pass sleeve in the top-left pocket, as well as capacious cargo pockets on the front of the thigh as well as easy-access hand pockets above.
Quite simply: stylish, bomb-proof, wonderfully designed and built pants that will take the harshest, hottest, wettest, toughest off-piste adventures in their stride.
