Mountaineering

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mom23mangos
mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone here with a Mountaineering background? My son is moving to Banff for an Outdoor Guide program and I need to get him a hard shell jacket good for skiing, mountaineering, climbing in alpine regions. They recommend the Arc’teryx Alpha AR. It’s a $600 jacket. Now I don’t mind paying for quality that will last….but are there cheaper quality alternatives? Or do I just bite the bullet?

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Beta AR might be a better choice, and it's $100 less. The pockets on the Alpha are better while you're climbing on a rope in a harness, but for all other times the Beta pockets are much less annoying. Mountaineering means hiking 5+ miles before the climb starts.

    I had a Beta AR for at least 13 years, I'm not sure exactly but that's the oldest photo I could find of me in it. One day the hem came apart in the wash. Otherwise it looked brand new. Arc'teryx sent me a brand new one, free of charge, and paid shipping. They said I could have any jacket they made to replace it, mine has been so good to me I went with the same. Anyway, the price is extreme but there's value over time.

    Arc'teryx has an outlet on their website with last year's colors, look there first for discounts.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Just checked for you. There's a Beta SL at the outlet for $320. It should give as much protection from the elements as any other shell but won't be as durable because it's made to be light. You could call the school or the dead bird and ask if the durability will be enough for this kind of use.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Just checked for you. There's a Beta SL at the outlet for $320. It should give as much protection from the elements as any other shell but won't be as durable because it's made to be light. You could call the school or the dead bird and ask if the durability will be enough for this kind of use.

    Hey, just seeing this response. A little late since he just got there yesterday. 😆 I ended up buying a used Alpha AR from their resale site since all the Smalls of ANYTHING on the outlet was completely sold out. He’s a teeny dude. Like 5’6” and 125lbs. Hopefully it works out well.

    Thank you so much for checking!

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