Outdoor Research Alpine Alibi mini review
December 09, 2009 12:17 AM Comments - 0
Coming home from the swimming baths with the kids the other morning, I spied a suspicious plastic bag propped up against my front door. At first I thought it may have contained a present from my alarmingly large group of male groupies/stalkers (not sure any are gay, as they are generally dobbed in by their girlfriends/wives via email).
But instead of finding an Action Man made up to look like an extreme Jimmy Carr, I found a bag full of Outdoor Research gloves, with a note from my old boss Glyn with the words; “Try these out”.
The bag contained an array of gloves and mitts, some with partners and some without, but one pair stood out; the Alpine Alibi.
The standard Alibi has been around for several years, and is probably as tech as any winter gloves could be, being almost just a sticky ‘skin’ for the palm and fingers, with minimal insulation on the back. They are both notoriously impressive to climb in (being banned at some comps), but also notoriously hard to fit, being too tight for many climbers, even in the bigger sizes. I’ve got a pair of Alibi’s, but although I’ve carried them on many a route, I’ve never worn them, as they’re just too tight, which not only gives you cold hands, but also effects your grip (leashless climbers need the best grip possible, and tight gloves are the worst thing you can use when climbing leashless).
The Alpine Alibi is really a totally different glove (all technical gloves are meant to be climbed in right?), with only a few signature features being carried across to a glove meant for much colder and longer climbs.
The glove is a gauntlet style, which I personally don’t like, as tucking them in to your cuffs is a waste of time, and having them over the cuff just creates more bulk and faff. The plus points are a gauntlet does provide a bit more warmth, and is easier to pull on.
The fit of the glove is good, although I found it bagged out a bit once the leather softened up, and would drop down a size from the ones I have. The design tries to give the maximum warmth without loosing dexterity, having a synthetic layer (EnduraLoft) on the back of the glove, including the fingers, and a thinner, more nibble brushed polyester on the palm and contact areas. This gives the gloves a good feel without sacrificing too much warmth. The gloves also have a heat pack pocket in the back on the hand for very cold climbs.
Robustness is always my biggest concern, as I’ve had fancy gloves disintegrate in a single climb. OR gloves are always well made, and the choice of materials is good, with extra protection being afforded by a bonded plastic skeleton on the backs of the fingers. The leather palm is also heavy duty, and would give the gloves a good lifespan, although it’s vital with all such gloves to keep them well waxed, as they will freeze and go stiff in seconds once taken off.
The Alpine Alibi also features quite an elaborate wrist closure, that looks as if it’s aimed more at leash users, affording extra padding. It features a strap that can be tightened, but being velcro is pretty useless for UK use.
The cuff of the gloves has a nifty system for opening and close/sealing, with one cord opening and one cord clothing the cuff. They also have a simple idiot cord attached, so it’s easy to pull them off without fear of dropping them.
One feature I always like to see is the finger clip point, that allows you hang the gloves from your harness without them filling with snow.
I’ve been using the gloves over the last few weeks, and found they work really well, giving good dexterity, warmth and ease of use. The one thing I worry about is the lack of extra protection at the finger ends, which I’m sure would lead to holes fairly soon when used for mixed climbing (brushing away snow etc). On option would be to protect these with seamgrip, but I guess the Alpine Alibi was intended for ice and snow, more than snowy rock climbing, and would be a great cascade glove, or on technical faces in the alps.
WHAT THE MANUFACTURE SAYS
Our waterproof and breathable Alpine Alibi Gloves™ are made with X-TRAFIT™ technology and stretch soft shell construction to provide excellent dexterity. Nimble hand-to-tool contact is enhanced through this construction allowing the glove to smoothly conform to the shape of your hand. EnduraLoft™ insulation on the back of hand and thumb and heat pack pockets at the wrists and back of hand provide warmth when temps hover at freezing and the day stretches from sunrise to sunset. The leather palm wraps around the thumb and up the index finger sidewall to provide tough abrasion resistance and solid grip when handling ropes for the belay and rappel. With added features like a secure wrist cinch for a no-slip fit and protective padding on finger knuckles, this glove is ideal for long alpine ice ascents.
Features
INTENDED USAGE:
Insulated, waterproof glove for alpine ice; rappel and belay
SHELL:
+ Waterproof/breathable GORE-TEX™ insert with X-TRAFIT™ technology
+ Stretch soft shell construction
INSULATION:
+ EnduraLoft™ insulation: 170 g on back of hand and thumb
PALM:
+ Leather palm wraps around thumb and index finger for abrasion resistance and solid grip on belay and rappel
FEATURES:
+ Secure wrist cinch with thermo-formed neoprene, articulating wrist harness; bite tab for easy opening and closing
+ Direct injection protective padding on finger knuckles
+ Heat pack pockets on gauntlet and back of hand
+ DuoCinch™ gauntlet closure
+ Removable Idiot Cord
Plug Alert - I'm still trying to raise funds for my daughter's cheerleading squad (Cheermania!) with sales of my hand strength ebook, so if you've got £3 spare than please buy one here.
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