Ryan says: ‘A fully seam-welded lightweight mountain jacket made from three-layer Conduit fabric, which remains waterproof even in the most intense deluge. The light weight is important when you’re moving fast because any sweat quickly evaporates away through the laminate. The one-pull, single draw cord on the hood is a godsend when you’re holding a safety rope and the wind picks up because you’re limited to using one hand.’

THE GOOD: The combination of two large alpine pockets and a Napoleon chest pocket.
THE BAD: The lighter fabric may be less durable.

*BEST IN TEST*

Ryan says: ‘This is a full-stretch waterproof alpine jacket without any compromises. Despite the soft and super-flexible feel of the fabric, this keeps you dry in any mountain weather. It’s virtually stitch-free and made from stretch-woven nylon using Patagonia’s waterproof/breathable H2No barrier and Deluge water-repellent finish. It has the best fit and cut of the jackets on test, which means it moves with you and has a great feelgood factor – the importance of which is often overlooked in extreme situations.’

THE GOOD: Top-class performance and style.
THE BAD: The only thing we can find wrong with it is that the sizes come up a little small. If you normally take a medium, you will need to buy a large.

Ryan says: ‘The North Face’s Summit Series range has been developed in consultation with its world-class winter athlete team. This Gore-Tex Pro Shell jacket is cut well and it ticks all the boxes when it comes to technical features without being too weighty. Rather than fiddling about with flapping cord ends, you just grab the hidden cord locks on the hood and pocket cord adjusters for the hem and give them a pull to batten things down when the weather closes in. This helps to make it a serious jacket for serious adventures.’

THE GOOD: High performance, clever features and decent style.
THE BAD: The collar needs more micro fleece to prevent chafing.

Ryan says: ‘This is an update of the classic Trango design from the 1980s worn by climber Sir Chris Bonington and Joe Simpson, author of Touching the Void. It has been upgraded with the latest Gore-Tex Performance Shell, which is well suited to any mountain activity. The pockets have storm flaps instead of waterproof zips, which has old-school appeal but does mean it’s a bit heavier.’

THE GOOD: The old-school colour scheme and roomy pockets for sandwiches, map and compass.
THE BAD: A roomy cut makes this less technical than others on test.