Follow Martha from Taunton Leisure HQ as she takes on Montane’s ultra-reliable walking trousers and gives her thoughts.
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Creating innovative, lightweight and functional clothing that is suitable for activities in extreme environments is what Montane have built their brand around. The award-winning and best-selling Terra pant range is a good example of this. When I was given the opportunity to test the Women’s Terra Ridge pants whilst walking the Affric-Kintail Way in Scotland in September, I was keen to find out if they would be up for the test. Designed for 3-season use and for a variety of activities in the mountains, this trip seemed the perfect opportunity to give these a thorough test.
The Women’s Terra Ridge Pants are ideal for walking, climbing and trekking and combine a lightweight and stretchy material with tough reinforced panels to ensure that comfort is not compromised for durability. Made from a GRANITE STRETCH weather-resistant and wicking material with added tough knees and insteps, they keep you comfortable and protected in changeable weather conditions and activities. The comfortable microfleece-lined waistband is fastened with a press-stud and button closure for added security and features a removable webbing belt making it easily adjustable to suit your specific body needs. A variety of pockets including two zipped hand pockets, with the right one featuring a further extra zipped security pocket inside and a concealed rear zipped pocket make it easy to organise and store all your belongings safely. The Terra Ridge pants feature two concealed zipped vents on the thighs, great for when the temperature is warmer and you need a bit of extra ventilation. The zipped volume adjusters on the lower legs along with the press stud ankle adjustments mean that these trousers work with a variety of different boots and can be easily adjusted to help keep out the elements.
One of my favourite features of these trousers is the regular fit and comfort, the material is very stretchy and these felt instantly comfortable when on and gave a full range of movement, perfect for a multi-day walk! The added reinforced panels on the knees and insteps mean that I had extra protection against the wet and cold ground when pitching the tent for the evening and although comfortable also felt very durable. Whilst on the Affric Kintail Way, the weather was quite changeable at times – we experienced everything from sun and warmth to rain and cold wind, and these trousers coped very well with it all. They fit comfortably under the Montane Women’s Pac Plus waterproof trousers during the rain but were also quick-drying in light showers and wicking for when the temperatures were warmer! The thigh vents were a great addition, especially when under strenuous activity to give some ventilation and to help keep me cool. I found the various zipped pockets very useful to help keep my personal belongings safe and organised and particularly like the additional zipped pocket within the right pocket that gives an extra level of security for things like keys!
To sum up, I found the Terra Ridge Pants to be the perfect trousers for the multi-day hike on the Affric Kintail Way, they were very adaptable to both the weather conditions and to the activity. I have used these trousers multiple times since and they have kept me comfortable each time, both for day-long hikes and for dog walk. I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is looking for a comfortable and versatile pair of 3-season trousers for a range of Mountain adventures, the multiple leg lengths and regular fit along with adjustability on the trousers themselves mean these are suitable for a wide range of body types. I can imagine these will become a well-used part of my outdoor kit for adventures big and small!
