The Foehn Brise climbing pant is at home at the crag and the hipster bars of Montreal or Vancouver.

words:: Aaron Gerry

These are fashion-forward with high-tech functionality, designed for the modern, and often urban-based, climber. In a nutshell, that describes me. I was intrigued by their street style and curious to see how they held up under the elements. Over the course of a month, I tested the Foehn Brise Pants on sport climbing schist, sharp granite boulders, and comp-styled gym problems. The pants were also worn around town for post-climb beers—they performed admirably in each environment.

Climbers will appreciate the way the pants move with the body. The four-way stretch fabric (44% Cotton, 37% Nylon, 19% Spandex), gusseted crotch, and articulated knees allow a full range of motion during aggressive high steps or twisty drop knees. They have a tapered cut through the thighs and hug the calf and ankle, giving them a streamlined fit. I never had any hindrance in movement. 

Brise’s fabric provides soft-shell like features making them a smart choice for shoulder season weather. Alpinists will value the wind resistance and DWR finish that helps repel moisture, while the double weave offers enhanced durability. With that said, the stretchiness of the fabric tends to snag on sharp edges and I’ve had some threads pull out, though no rips. The thicker material also traps heat, at least in summer conditions (and admittedly, I run hot), which makes the zippered cuffs a flexible cooling option. I am keen to use them in the spring and fall.

The pants are made by Foehn, a young company from Quebec, co-founded by Ingrid Sirois and Anthony Boronowski, both skiers and climbers. Boronowski skied professionally for eight years before moving to product design, and Sirois has over 15 years as an accomplished brand professional. They couldn’t find a climbing kit that fit their aesthetic and functional needs, so they made it.

For those that like to mix mountains and highrises, the Brise are a high-performance city-to-crag climbing pant to suit your style.