Norrøna is one of those brands I had come across a few times on social media (usually by people singing the praises of a specific bit of kit) but until recently had never tried first hand.
A family owned business based out of Norway, they’ve been in business since Jørgen Jørgensen (what a name!) set about creating equipment that would be durable in the rugged, cold terrains of the country in 1929.
More recently, Norrøna were the creators of the original mountain tunnel tent in 1972, devised the standard monitoring system for backpacks in 1979 and were the first company in Europe to use Gore-Tex in 1977.
They create clothes for climbing, ski touring, skiing, snowboarding and even mountain biking.
I bought a pair of the Norrøna Falketind Flex1 Pants after seeing yet another raving review of them, and I have to say I was not disappointed…
The Norrøna Falketind Flex1 Pants were designed as a soft shell pant for all kinds of mountaineering and outdoor activities. They are breathable and have a good amount of stretch in them as well.
I’d read a lot of reviews claiming that people were wondering why they hadn’t brought shorts when wearing them in warmer temperatures, but I have to say I didn’t find this at all. I wore them on the walk to the Albert 1er Refuge and it must have been high 20s temperature wise, with no cloud cover, and I didn’t once feel like I was regretting my choice of trousers!
I wore them for walking, climbing, scrambling and even playing on the glaciers.
They’re wind resistant too, so when I wore them paragliding I wasn’t suffering!
The fit is a bit tighter compared to some of the other Norrøna pants and they say this is for optimal mountaineering use, but I found they fit perfectly, they don’t ride up or fall down and the 4 way stretch means they were suited to every activity I threw at them.
That being said, by the end of my 2 weeks away I’d lost a few cms and so the custom-fit waist system (with velcro adjusters) came in very handy!
I wore them for walking, climbing, scrambling and even playing on the glaciers. They took a decent amount of abuse on the sharp rocks without any tearing.
I slid on my bum at one point on the glacier and they didn’t tear, they got a bit damp and dried within about 5 minutes, but then they are not marketed as waterproof, just water resistant.
They repelled the rain on a walk in the English countryside very well too
Due to the fact they are so lightweight, obviously there is no crampon reinforcement, but thanks to the inside gaiter hook and snap tightening around the ankles I didn’t manage to catch them on my crampons at all.
They are just a fantastic bit of kit.
I own some other Norrøna products and I don’t think I’ll be looking back…
They’re a little more expensive than some other brands, but I would rather pay more and have kit that fits, does what I want it to and performs well than something that I don’t absolutely adore and trust.