Sleek, La Sportiva Orizion togs, 462 grams, 2.6 liters in your Alps luggage.
Can someone tell me why the Italians, in particular La Sportiva, are always coming up with such sprightly, attractive ski clothing? While their color ways are sometimes a little crazy for a throwback like me, nearly every day of the winter, I find myself wearing at least one sleek swatch of Italian toggery.
Orizion
Is this Italian dominance the heritage of Michelangelo? Da Vinci? Benvenuto Cellini? I’ll pick Benve’, he needed functional clothing for successful swordplay, though anyone who can carve the stone like Michelangelo must also have appreciated the liberation of well designed clothing.
I discovered Orizion last winter when I was surveying available ski touring pants. To round out my collection, I needed something suitable for warm, low-tech days: simple resort uphilling, spring touring, half-day pow laps. And most of all, something for that ever elusive hut traverse in the springtime high Alps! Yeah, I’m a dreamer… New this winter from La Sportiva, Orizion togs fit the bill.
This review is simple, because these pants are. A gear tidbit if you will. Check ’em out:
The waist configuration is important with trousers such as this. While you’re find suspender mounts inside the waistband, most people wear lightweight pants with just a belt, and many prefer a wider belt. Wider loops accommodate. The single zipper snap might be a concern for anyone who’s waist dimension varies geographically (Italian food and all that), to compensate, the waist elastic is supple, “self adjusting.”
Pocket configuration is simple. Perhaps too sophomoric for some of you — no thigh pouch here — but simple non-flapped zippers and a deep dimension make them functional.
Did I say the hip pockets are deep? At about twenty centimetres, you can loose your mother in here, and an avy beacon may drop to far down to be comfortable. This is truly my only gripe, and may require a quick hit with the Dawson family sewing machine. Remember? “Everything shall be modified!”
The ever elusive butt pocket, bane of pant designers worldwide. Orizion has it, and it’s even rightly sized rather than the common faux pas of making it so deep the males of our species may find their bundle of credit cards hanging uncomfortable close to another important bundle. Another thing, important: You can’t see it in this photo, but instead of water resistant non-membrain fabric, the butt and rear lower-leg area of the Orizion is tailored with a panel of waterproof-breathable membrain fabric. That’s an appreciated technical touch that eliminates the heinous, ski tour destroying occurrence of posteriore bagnato.
Important, this is what I’d call a “hybrid” pant, suitable for alpine hiking as well as ski touring. Consequently, the Orizion does not have an internal gaiter. I like that, as I usually cut the gaiters out of my ski pants. But the occasional blast of powder to your shins is not everyone’s delight. Also, note the circumference of the cuff is on the smaller side at 24×2 centimeters. They fit fine over my trimmer ski touring boots, but they’re a bit tight on my freeride shoes.
Performance in the field
In my testing, Orizion delivered exactly what I wanted and expected. The ultra-breathable softshell fabric comprising most surfaces never damped out from sweat, and never felt clammy. The membrane fabric at the rear was adequately breathable as well, and did its job the time I “intentionally” wallowed in sun softening springtime powder. One ancillary thing I noticed: as with pretty much all the highly breathable clothing I’ve used over the years, it doesn’t hurt to launder the Orizion with care, and eventually treat with Nikwax products. As for fit, I’m as slim as ever and appreciated the closer cut. As I alluded to above, the only thing I found really wanting was how my beacon situated itself in the cavernous pockets.
That’s it. Like I said, simple review for a delightfully simple product. Puro amoro! Anything I leave out? If so, how much does it weigh, and will it look good in Milan?
Specs
Fabric: Mostly non-membrane softshell polyamid, membrane-breathable in the rear. Slight inside fuzz is comfortable against bare skin.
Durability: No problems after about ten days of use, nearly invisible fabric pilling over my thighs.
Weight: 462 grams, size medium
Travel packing size: 2.6 liters
Pockets: 3
Interior gaiters: None
Fit: Trim
Colors: I like the blue shown in photos above, but am delighted they’re available in black. Much better for multi-day hut trips and such.
Telemark compatible? Scuff guard might need some work.
Availability: Apparently the Orizion is not widely retailed, but I’m told you can purchase through the La Sportiva website.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
19 comments
They may say you’re a dreamer, but you’re not the only one… 🙂
I would expect to get eternally banned from here, but so be it… let me poke at my post-truth.
Am I the only one that thinks it was the lively and eloquent, sometimes non-PC prose & banter of Mr Dawson that made Wildsnow so alluring? The comments sections was flourishing (sometimes with controversy) and the users were drawn into the discussion. What we have now is another sanitized outlet. Sorry. EOT. No calls for making anything great again.
How thick is the regular fabric? Any brushed fleecyness on the inside (thick), plain side, but a heavy weave (medium), or thin weave (thin)?
Can you compare it to any other pants in that regard?
To bad. Like many brands, they only make one inseam version. Yet, there are three colors.
Can apparel brands finally realize that humans come in different shapes, and if you need to first offer multiple inseam/waist combo’s before you start thinking of adding extra colors or alternate versions?
I love that Mammut offers so many sizes. There one of the best brands in that department. I believe Arcteryx does a decent job as well.
XAV I must say I concur. There’s a more “corporate” style to WS now, some of the soul is missing. I used to pore over new WS content, these days I rarely visit.
Thanks Xav, I try to enjoy writing these otherwise dry gear-takes. Stick around, I know that behind the scenes here at WildSnow, much effort is still being exerted to bringing you quality, enjoyable content. True, the overall cultural writing environment has never been harder to navigate, and makes lively prose a challenge. I admire anyone who tries, including my fellow Wildsnowers. Slim, I hear you about that pant size issue, seems like that never stops. As for the Orizion fabric, I ghost edited a bit more info. It’s slightly fuzzy on the inside, comfortable against bare skin. Lou
Etto, I’m sorry to hear you’re seeing WildSnow that way. Granted, it’s not “Lou’s blog” any more, and it doesn’t include the Dawson family content that I know a lot of you liked. But from what I’ve seen we’re still posting an incredible variety of material, and still about seven days a week! That means at any given time there’s dozens of people — under the expert guidance of Manasseh — working hard to keep this thing going for all of you. My defense aside, your impressions are valid and valuable for us to hear. If you have any suggestions about how we could do better, especially ideas for subject matter, feel free to contact us using the “Contact” link at bottom of page, or just keep leaving comments. Thanks, Lou
One other thing folks, in our defense, covid has most certainly made this hard. For example, over the past year I’m certain I’d have made at least one Europe trip and subsequent reports, as well as at least one fun press junket. Instead, other than our backpacking trip in Wyoming last summer, I’ve been home for the entire duration! Luckily I live in a place where I can still do all the outdoorsy stuff that makes for writing fodder, and I have my amazing studio/workshop, but wow I’m looking forward to again visiting those old country ski factories, huts, and most of all my friends in the industry. Such makes such good content — I miss it so much! So stay tuned! Lou
Sure, it’s helpful to hear your comments Etto and Xav, though I’d hardly call wildsnow corporate considering that it’s one woman running the show from an attic in Redstone CO (cool town, look it up if you’ve never heard of it) with the help of many long standing WildSnow contributors and some welcome new voices too. Ski touring is becoming more mainstream and in that, we try to appeal to a broader audience. We’re still not Powder, nor Freeskier, nor Backcountry, nor Blister, and never will be. We try to keep to the roots that Lou planted while also keeping with the times. (and maybe we can clone Lou. Anyone know anything about that?!)
I have been amazed, and grateful for the frequent articles submitted.
I too notice different “voices” with different authors. I wouldn’t expect any different. Everyone should write in the style that suits them. I also find different styles make for a fun and varied read.
In short, Manasseh and the rest of the team, keep up the good work!
Appreciate the words, Slim! And the continued readership!
Slim I agree, ya’ll doing great job. Thanks.
Thanks Carbonj!
Ditto Manasseh’s comments. You guys are doing fine, and I enjoy reading your reviews. But now about pants…
I’ve winnowed down my quiver of skis, but ski pants? I’m always looking for perfection. Last year for the World Masters games, our American team acquired some excellent, but pricy products from SkinFit, a USSMA supporter. Pricier than what I would normally buy, but I don’t regret it. The Vento Fanes “over pant” we used is quite similar to the La Sportiva product in your review, but with some improvements: full side zips with double pulls for venting, a second, back of the pant small zip to accommodate different boots volumes, and the best grippy rubber bottom hem I have ever seen on outdoor apparel. The pants are intended to go over a skimo skin suit or skimo pants, but work great alone or over long underware. Light, waterproof enough for Idaho, though maybe not enough for Mt Baker. Skinfit’s other products are also top notch, but styling trends towards the super fit, skimo look. I’ve decided to not let that bother me and just enjoy the comfort. https://skinfitusa.com/products/vento-fanes-pants
Regarding wildsnow’s content today vs. “the old days”: It does seem like a certain amount of grit, personality, penache, however you want to describe it is diminished. Probably thats a tribute to Lou, in a way. My suggestion: background, I remember reading a rock climbing magazine that had a running comic strip whose protagonist “Cheeseburger Man” was always fighting gravity with a less than stellar physique. I am volunteering to occupy that pole in the Wild Snow universe, as a gravity-challenged, “hearts in the right place”, skier who is extremely unlikely to set even modest uphill goals. Now we just need to find a comic sketch artist…..
Jack: no doubt, Lou’s is a rare breed. We can always use more humor on the site, and penache. Perhaps the biggest difference now is the site is less of one man’s personality and more of a collective. So there’s room for the ski touring version of “cheeseburger man”…
Thanks for the support folks, that includes ALL feedback above. We want to keep the comments aspect of WildSnow, a healthy, civilized place. A comments thread such as this models what we’re attempting to accomplish here. Feedback, humor, opinion or just pure information, our comments section goal is to be a refreshing place on the web, sort of like when you’ve had a bad week at work, drive to your favorite trailhead Saturday morning, climb out of your car door, stand tall, and feel that fine wilderness air on your cheeks…
Jim, good call on Skinfit, super popular in the old country. I’ll put them on my radar! I always appreciate a heads up on gear. Keep ’em coming. Lou
For whatever reason having followed/ used/ referenced to others the archive of gear tips & reviews they seem to have been shuffled off & are harder to find even for someone who KNOWS they are there
so I wonder if they are any use to people who don’t know they are there ?
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