Trousers for Bouldering, Climbing and Mountaineering

Grit season is here so we think it is a good time to be choosing trousers for your climbing, mountaineering and bouldering adventures.

Autumn and winter transform the UK's crags. Those polished slopers at Stanage suddenly feel positive, friction returns to Burbage, and Font trips get added to the calendar. But gritstone doesn't forgive - and neither do the countless other UK crags where you'll find yourself thrutching through chimneys, jamming cracks, and scraping knees on low starts.

With the Peak District grit right on the doorstep of our Hathersage store, here's what we have learned about which trousers actually survive a climbing season.

Quick Navigation

• Indoor bouldering? → Jump to Bloc
• Outdoor autumn/winter sessions? → See Kraft, Sequence and Jeanius, Chilkoot
• Alpine/winter mountaineering? → Check out Ardent
• Not sure? → Use our the Right Trousers decision framework

Best trousers for cold conditions: Our Autumn/Winter recommendations

Prime grit season picks:

• Kraft & Sequence/Jeanius - Maximum durability for outdoor bouldering (5-15°C)
• Chilkoot softshell - Wind resistance for exposed edges (0-12°C)
• Ardent softshell - Full winter protection for scrambles and alpine approaches (-5 to 10°C)

Layering potential: Chilkoot and Ardent have roomier cuts that accommodate base layers underneath. With more technical features they are best for big mountain days out when you'll be constantly managing temperature, rain and wind.

Sequence & Jeanius

What they're actually like: They look like jeans, they are jeans but your non-climbing friends won't realise they're technical. The Cordura-blend fabric is 4x more abrasion-resistant than standard denim, stretches in four directions, and dry quickly if you are caught in a shower.

Split your time between gym training and Font trips? Sequence jeans transition seamlessly from evening wall sessions to La Forêt. They handle the variable weather and dry quickly if caught out.

Versatility sewn in: These are the answer to "I want one pair of trousers that work everywhere." Morning session on the Roaches, back to the woodshop for the afternoon and evening at the wall. The secret is in the fabric blend - Cordura for durability, Thermolite and Coolmax for moisture management and temperature regulation, T400 for mechanical stretch that doesn't bag out.

Durability meets style: The Cordura content means these handle gritstone with aplomb. Kraft might be more durable but they'll outlast any high-street jeans and develop character over time, just like you.

Best for: Gym-to-crag versatility, travel, everyday wear with climbing capability
Durability rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fit notes:

• Sequence: Regular fit, straight leg
• Jeanius: Slim fit, tapered leg
• High-step reach: Good
• Heel-hook friendly: Good
• Runs true to denim sizing

Features:

• Cordura® reinforced high-wear zones
• Moisture-wicking and temperature regulating
• Quick-drying (2-3 hours)
• No more sitting on your phone, Sequence has the best phone pocket you will find on any pair of jeans right on your thigh
• Belt loops
• Mechanical stretch that doesn't lose shape

Technical fabric: 57% BCI cotton, 12% Cordura® Nylon 6,6, 9% Thermolite® Core polyester, 9% Coolmax®, 12% T400 polyester, 1% Lycra

Available: Sequence Men's | Sequence Women's | Jeanius Men's | Jeanius Women's

Kraft Trousers

One pair of trousers for everything. Kraft trousers are our daily drivers - durable enough for outdoor climbing, comfortable enough for work, smart enough for the pub. When they eventually start to show their age booked them into a Repair Station to be patched up.

What they're actually like: These are the ones you reach for when you know you'll be scraping up offwidths or spending the day on sharp grit. The 260gsm canvas has that lived-in softness but refuses to quit.

Boulder ready: Kraft trousers are boulder-proof. The heavier organic cotton construction with reinforced stress points survives repeated contact with coarse gritstone. After a full season on grit, expect scuffed knees and chalk stains - badges of honour rather than signs of failure. The stretch (3% spandex) means they move with you without the fabric feeling technical or rigid.

Use and abuse: Designed for your outdoor life these transition seamlessly from dawn sessions at Stanage to afternoon pints in Hathersage. They're the trousers that survive in the boot of your car, get pulled on for impromptu after-work sessions, and somehow still look presentable enough for the pub.

Best for: Outdoor bouldering, trad climbing, scrambling, everyday adventure wear
Durability rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fit notes:

• Slim fit with room through thighs for movement
• High-step reach: Excellent
• Heel-hook friendly: Good - fabric has give but slightly more restrictive than Bloc
• Runs true to size, slightly relaxed through waist

Features:

• Reinforced high-wear areas, riveted, bar-tacked and double stitched
• Womens cut has a deeper waistband and shaped to prevent gaping at the back
• Stretchy cotton canvas (97% organic cotton, 3% spandex)
• 4 pockets including zipped thigh pocket
• Belt loops and chalk bag attachment
• Articulated knees

Available: Kraft Men's | Kraft Women's

Bloc Trousers

What they're actually like: Your problem solving companions. Soft organic cotton climbing trousers with just enough stretch that you can throw high feet without thinking about it.

Designed for movement: Deep gusseted crotch and articulated knees mean you can mantle, heel-hook, and bridge without feeling restricted. The low-profile elastic waistband disappears under harnesses - no bunching, no pressure points during long belays.

Comfort vs Durability in use: Cotton is naturally hard wearing and suitable for a range of climbing activities. At 200gsm these organic cotton trousers are at the lighter end of fabric weight making them comfortable and breathable. You will appreciate these most outdoors in milder weather or padding around on the grit with good footwork. If it is colder or your technique is full contact harder wearing trousers like Sequence of Kraft may give you more milage.

Best for: Indoor bouldering, sport climbing, warm-weather outdoor sessions

Fit notes:

• Slim fit with athletic cut through thighs
• High-step reach: Excellent - can get feet to chest height
• Heel-hook friendly: Yes - stretch in hip allows rotation
• Runs true to size

Features:

• Gusseted crotch
• Low-profile elastic waistband
• 2 hand pockets, 1 back pocket

Available: Men's | Women's | Shorts: Men's | Women's

Chilkoot Softshell Trousers

Softshell trousers provide flexibility and durability for scrambling.

What they're actually like: Lightweight softshell trousers. They feel like walking trousers until you hit wind-exposed edges and realise they're cutting the breeze that's making everyone else shiver.

Weather protection: Highly wind-resistant with PFC-free DWR means they handle the variability of UK autumn/winter - windy, occasionally damp, unpredictably changeable. The double-weave construction is moisture-wicking which is actually what you want on long walk ins or layering over thermals or under waterproof over trousers.

Year-round versatility: Despite being softshells, the lightweight fabric and high moisture management mean they don't overheat in the shoulder seasons. Equally at home on summer alpine approaches or winter cragging.

Best for: Year-round walking, scrambling, approach walks, windy crag days
Weather resistance: ⭐⭐⭐

Fit notes:

• Regular fit with room for base layers
• High-step reach: Good (not climbing-specific cut)
• Articulated knees aid movement
• Runs true to size

Features:

• Wind-resistant double-weave softshell
• PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent)
• Moisture-wicking
• Multiple pockets

Available: Men's | Women's

Ardent High Performance Mountaineering Trousers

What they're actually like: The serious winter option. Ardent is tough, warm, and built for the sharp end of scrambling. Let's go mountaineering.

Winter performance: Reinforced panels on seat, knees, and lower legs handle the rigours of winter: scraping up frozen chimneys, perching on icy rocks, bushwhacking through heather to find that obscure crag. The heavier softshell fabric provides genuine warmth without bulk.

Alpine pedigree: Designed for winter Munros, Scottish mixed routes, and alpine approaches where the approach is as committing as the climb.

Best for: Winter walking, scrambling, mountaineering, alpine climbing
Weather resistance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fit notes:

• Regular fit with room for thermal layers
• High-step reach: Moderate (mountaineering rather than climbing cut)
• Reinforced areas provide structure
• Runs true to size, generous through thigh

Features:

• Tough, stretchy performance softshell
• Highly wind-resistant
• Reinforced seat, knees, and lower legs
• Ankle zips for boot access
• Multiple secure pockets
• Articulated knees

Available: Men's | Women's

Escapade Women's Slim Fit Softshell Trousers

What they're actually like: The best of both worlds - feel like leggings, tough as trousers, with actual pockets. Comfortable and durable to provide all the protection and freedom of movement you need for climbing.

Freedom of movement: If you've ever worn leggings climbing and thought "these are perfect except they'd get destroyed," these are that solution. Women-specific cut, full mobility, but with softshell fabric that handles scrapes and provides weather resistance.

Best for: Women's specific walking, scrambling, climbing, year-round mountain use
Weather resistance: ⭐⭐⭐

Fit notes:

• Slim fit, women's specific
• High-step reach: Excellent
• Heel-hook friendly: Excellent
• Runs true to size

Features:

• Softshell fabric
• Weather resistant
• 4 Pockets
• Moisture-wicking
• PFC-free water repellency

Available: Women's

Which Trouser for Which Climbing Activity?

Here is a quick summary to help you choose which of our trousers are best for your climbing or bouldering activity.

Indoor bouldering
→ Bloc (lightweight, maximum flex, breathable)

Outdoor bouldering (autumn/winter)
→ Kraft or Sequence/Jeanius (durability + comfort, survive gritstone abrasion)
→ Chilkoot if wind-exposed crags

Outdoor bouldering (spring/summer)
→ Bloc

Sport climbing & trad
→ Kraft (all-day comfort, reinforced for harness wear)
→ Sequence/Jeanius (versatile, post-climb jeans look)

Winter walking & scrambling
→ Chilkoot (year-round softshell)
→ Ardent (serious winter option)

Multi-pitch & alpine
→ Ardent (weather protection, reinforced)

Trousers: What Actually Matters

After seasons climbing and bouldering on UK crags, here's what we've learned about what works well:

Your trouser journey

Starting out most people begin with whatever's comfortable - often Bloc or similar lightweight options. They work well in the gym and for your first outdoor sessions when you're on easier problems with good holds.

After your first grit season you'll be throwing yourself in hard. You will notice abrasion points. The thrutching, the low starts, the mantles - gritstone contact is constant and abrasive. This is when many climbers switch to Kraft or Sequence for outdoor days, preferring the lighter trousers for indoor climbing or summer.

Early sessions teach you that perfect friction days are rare so you start checking the weather obsessively. On windy days at exposed edges like Stanage or Burbage, you'll appreciate the windproofness of Chilkoot or the Thermocore insulation of Sequence.

As your climbing ambitions grow you wil find that the trousers that work for roadside bouldering don't always cut it when you're scrambling to remote problems or linking pitches together in the hills. Ankle zips, see Ardent, suddenly make sense when you're switching between approach shoes and climbing shoes on technical ground.

Eventually, most climbers end up with multiple trousers. Something durable for outdoor bouldering (Kraft/Sequence), something lighter for the gym (Bloc), maybe softshells (Chillkoot/Ardent) for variable conditions, mountain crags or winter hill days. Different days genuinely demand different tools.

Season 1: Gym-focused, occasional outdoor trips, Bloc or Sequence work fine

Season 2: Regular outdoor bouldering, starting projects; Add Kraft for durability, keep lighter options for the gym or summer

Season 3: Seasonal thinking, you are chasing conditions visiting more remote crags; Softshells join the rotation for wind/weather, different trousers for different venues

Your varied climbing life: Specialized choices based on ambitious climbing objectives; from Ardent for winter scrambles, Sequence for Font trips and Bloc for summer evening sessions.

Gritstone bouldering demands durability

Bouldering can be a physical activity. Every point of contact you have with the rock is an opportunity to eek out more friction. Rounded holds invite maximum contact area between skin, fabric and rock. Low starts will have you crawling around on your bouldering mat, the coarse grit crystals rubbing deep into your knees. Mantles mean rubbing your hips and thighs against edges. Rounded top-outs are the final sting in the tail, never be too proud to rule out knees.

The pattern: Kraft's 260gsm canvas and Sequence's Cordura content survive repeated seasons. Expect polished knees after your first autumn - that's normal wear, not failure. Ripped knees after a handful of sessions means you need tougher fabric.

Quick-dry matters more than expected: When bouldering mats get soaked, when you sit on damp rock during lunch, when unexpected drizzle hits - trousers that dry in 2 hours (on the car dashboard between crags) vs. still-damp-tomorrow make the difference between one session and two.

Wind resistance on exposed edges: Those gritstone escarpments catch every breeze. Softshells (Chillkoot, Ardent) cut wind that makes 8°C feel like 2°C. You won't realise how much this matters until you've spent a November day on Curbar in cotton trousers.

The details are in the fit

Gusseted crotch: You won't appreciate this until you're attempting high feet on technical problems. Flat-seam construction here prevents chafing during all-day sessions.

Articulated knees: The difference is subtle until you've spent 6 hours attempting the same mantle. Pre-shaped knees reduce fabric bunching when squatting or bridging repeatedly.

Harness-friendly waistband: Low-profile elastic (Bloc) or structured belt loops (Kraft, Escapade) that don't create pressure points matter more on multi-pitch days than gym sessions.

Complete Comparison Table

Care & Maintenance: Making your trousers last

Gritstone will destroy trousers eventually. But proper care extends their life significantly.

After sessions

• Brush off chalk and rock dust before it embeds in fabric
• Check for small tears and repair early (one stitch now prevents ripped knees later)
• Air dry rather than drape over your radiator (preserves DWR treatments)

Washing your trousers

• Turn inside out to protect outer fabric
• Cool wash, avoid fabric softener (kills DWR and moisture-wicking)
• Reproofing: Reapply DWR treatment annually for softshells (Chilkoot, Ardent)

Storage

• Don't leave damp in your car boot (mildew = game over)
• Store uncompressed (elastic waistbands lose memory when stored tight)

Repairs

• Polished knees are normal - award yourself a badge of honour
• Small tears near seams: hand-stitch or iron-on patches
• Major rips: contact an Alpkit Repair Station

Bundle suggestions for year-round coverage

Finally here are some recommended legwear combos for specific climbing scenarios.

The Grit Season Specialist
Kraft + Chilkoot = outdoor autumn/winter sorted
Kraft for when friction is perfect, Chilkoot for when it's windy and damp

The Minimalist
Sequence or Jeanius = one pair for everything
Genuinely versatile enough for 80% of climbing scenarios

The All-Seasons Boulderer
Bloc + Kraft + shorts
Bloc for the climbing wall, Kraft for outdoor, Werk/Hauler for summer

The Scottish Winter Convert
Ardent + Chilkoot
Ardent for the big, serious days, Chilkoot for the other 70% of the year

Still not sure what trousers are best for you?

Get in touch. We're climbers too, and we've tested these trousers on everything from Fontainebleau slopers to Scottish winter chimneys. Tell us what you're climbing and we'll help you choose.