ProView – HIMALI Women’s Equilibrium Stretch Pant

As I write this, it’s New Year’s Day, and I find myself reflecting on goals for the coming year. I have my eye set on some ambitious climbing objectives and I know I’ll need a pair of climbing pants that’s up for the demands of training and long days on rock. Will the HIMALI Stretch Equilibrium pants be my dream come true?

I’m no stranger to climbing training, having competed in Paraclimbing Nationals and World Championships in the past. This year, I’m focused on outdoor sport goals. As I outlined my training plan for the winter season, I knew I needed to find a project to keep the fire burning. A project, for the uninitiated, is a challenging climb, something to work towards, challenge you, and motivate you. I convinced my husband to come shopping with me – that is, project shopping. This being December in Colorado, we had a variety of weather conditions from sunny and warm to windy and overcast. I tested these pants on both single-pitch and multi-pitch sport routes outside and during endurance training in the gym. 

Material 

Overall, I was impressed with the HIMALI pants. They are flexible and didn’t hold me back even when I went for a heel hook above my shoulder on an overhanging route. The fabric is also super lightweight and breathable. Even on endurance laps in the gym, I never felt sweaty; they dried right away. They do seem better suited for warm weather climbing as the wind cut through them easily outdoors. With such thin, lightweight fabric, I thought durability would be compromised, but even jamming my knee into the rock and scooting around on my butt at the base didn’t leave any trace of abrasion. I have yet to notice any wear at the seams or pulls or marks at high wear spots. The fabric also seemed to shed pet hair and dirt easily. I’m not sure what wizardry they’ve discovered at HIMALI, but clearly this fabric is magical! 

Features

The HIMALI pants have some thoughtful features. I especially appreciated the harness-compatible, zippered pockets. There are three large pockets, all big enough to be actually useful (a rarity in women’s pants). The thigh pocket fits a phone, but lays flat and hidden when not in use. The wide waistband has both elastic and a drawstring, so it didn’t move around or dig even while hiking with a pack or swinging around on a steep roof. The one downside of the high-waisted cut is the fit; I found the cut unflattering on my body at the midsection.

I did like the length of these pants. Like many climbing pants, they are cut a little shorter in the legs so they don’t get in the way, which on me (at 5’2”) means they hit right at the ankle. On taller folks, they’d have more of a jogger-type length hitting high on the ankle or low on the shin. 

These pants are my new go-to for warm crag days. They handled whatever I threw at them and so far, they promise to be more durable than other climbing pants I’ve worn through in the past. I could also see these being great hiking pants or even running pants. 

Sustainability 

HIMALI also makes these in a fair trade certified factory and has an impressive array of sustainability initiatives for their products, including using bluesign approved materials, responsibly sourced down, and recycled materials where possible. They guarantee their products with lifetime warranty and repair.

The Final Word 

The HIMALI Stretch Equilibrium pants are made of a magical fabric that manages to be both stretchy and durable. I loved the harness-compatible pockets and the length is just right. I would love to see future designs cut a little differently in the waist, and I’m curious to check out the weather resistance of their stretchy Guide Flex pant for a more cool-weather option. I’m not sure yet which project I’ll choose, but I know it won’t be my pants that get in my way. 

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