Men's Rock Climbing & Bouldering Trousers, Pants & Shorts

This depends on what kind of climbing you mean. Are we talking local crags, boulder gyms, climbing walls, multi-pitch climbs or crazy alpine trips? Climbing is generally best in trousers made from tough, hardwearing fabrics, like outdoor trousers, hiking pants or good pants for outdoor work.

For the climbing gym and summer rock climbing, thinner stretch fabrics make the best materials for climbing pants and many people prefer to climb in shorts. As soon as you head outdoors, it’s also good to have some protection in cooler temperatures and light winds.

For sports climbing and bouldering in particular, you often see pants with elasticated waists or drawstring waistbands with a low profile. Both versions work particularly well under a harness. When it comes to patterning, articulated knees and gusset inserts also give you additional freedom of movement.

Climbing pants should fit to offer maximum freedom of movement. Think high steps, mantles, and wide stemming/ bridging. In addition, it’s handy if there are adjustable leg openings to cinch in the legs at the ankles or lower calfs. This allows you to be more precise with your footwork. It’s also important that your trousers are not too baggy at the waist. If they are, apart from slipping, they might also form uncomfortable wrinkles underneath your harness.

Tight trousers are a no-go. Unless they’re leggings  – see 1980s retro lycra. Or made of elasticated fabric. Anything that restricts freedom of movement whilst climbing is generally a bad idea. Thankfully modern stretch performance textiles are ideal for making functional climbing clothing. These days there are loads of options. You’ll even find jeans that are great to climb in.

Climbing shorts take some beating on warm, sunny summer days. You’ll find that they’re often made of the same functional fabrics and come with the same practical features as their longer equivalents. There is one drawback: your knees are exposed to any rock you might be climbing on. Gritstone, granite and gneiss all make good cheese graters… Three quarter or full-length men’s climbing pants protect your knees from scrapes, especially if they are reinforced at the knees and equipped with abrasion-resistant material.