ProView – Mountain Hardwear Women’s High Exposure Gore-Tex Glove
I am a full-time mountain guide in Colorado and I spend my days either backcountry skiing or ice climbing just about every day during the winter. All I can say is that this glove is pretty rad! It is super comfortable and warm without being bulky.
Mountain Hardwear Women's High Exposure Gore-Tex Glove
Product Description: Built for backcountry missions, from touring to ski mountaineering, the High Exposure™ Glove offers full protection, high dexterity, and excellent grip. Featuring waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX and PrimaLoft™ Gold insulation, ensuring your hands stay warm and dry.
Offer price: $130 MSRP
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Quality
(5)
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Features
(5)
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Fit
(3)
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Durability
(5)
Summary
This glove is Goretex and thus completely waterproof but they do not get too sweaty inside. The palms and fingers are leather, which is nice as they are really durable when carrying skis, doing rope work, or placing ice screws. The glove is fleece lined and is super soft and comfortable. The liner is not removable, which is actually a feature I prefer over the removable kind, as the latter is too bulky.
Overall
4.5Pros
- Fleece-lined
- Goretex
- Durable
Cons
- A little small, slim-fitting
Features
This glove is Goretex and thus completely waterproof but they do not get too sweaty inside. The palms and fingers are leather, which is nice as they are really durable when carrying skis, doing rope work, or placing ice screws. The glove is fleece lined and is super soft and comfortable. The liner is not removable, which is actually a feature I prefer over the removable kind, as the latter is too bulky. The touch screen feature on the index fingers work excellently, however, I cannot attest yet if the feature will last after lots of abuse. The gloves have removable lanyards, which is nice as I don’t like those when climbing but I sometimes use them in the backcountry. The thumbs have a soft pad for wiping the nose.
Fit
The fit is true to size but it is a trim fit. According to the size chart, I am a size medium and the gloves literally fit “like a glove”. If you rather have a bit of wiggle room or if you want to wear an additional thin liner inside for extra warmth then size up. The dexterity is incredible which is very important when holding ice tools, ski poles or ripping skins.
I first tested these gloves during some early-season ice climbing. They were perfect for belaying as the reinforced leather in the palm is placed in a perfect position when dealing with frosty ropes. The dexterity was surprisingly good and placing and removing ice screws was easy.
Second I spent a weekend teaching avalanche education. This meant digging in the snow and touching the snowpack for long periods of time. The gloves did not get wet and my hands stayed warm. The plush inside provides comfort while not getting sweaty. I just wish the plush part reached into the fingers as well. After a few hours of rigorous snow work my fingers got a bit cold.
The Final Word
Finally, I used the gloves during an alpine climbing adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was a true high-altitude winter adventure. Temperatures were very cold and it was super windy. The long gauntlet reaches well above the wrists and thus protected my hands from blowing snow. A pull cord helps cinch them down further. I was pleased with the dexterity during the climb and the waterproof Goretex insert proved its worth. After several hours I did get cold hands and would have appreciated one size up for more wiggle room and perhaps even to be able to wear a thin liner glove.
Overall this is a great winter glove that lives up to all the features. I give it a 5/5 but recommend sizing up.
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About the Gear Tester
Mia Tucholke
Mia is an AMGA certified rock and ski guide. She works full-time with Colorado Mountain School. She has taught and guided in the mountain environment for over 30 years. She guides in all mountain disciplines including rock and ice climbing, alpine climbing, and ski mountaineering. When not working she may be found climbing offwidths at Vedauvoo and Indian Creek or skiing some deep powder somewhere. You can follow her on Instagram at @mtnmia.
