Merino alternative to R1?

I've seen this discussed before, with consensus being that the Patagonia Merino3 was not as warm as an R1. Are there any good merino alternatives to the R1, that rival it in terms of warmth and versatility?

Ibex shak I think this one would be pretty close to an R1

Icebreaker 200 or 250 Weight. Best clothes I've ever worn.

for skiing I wear a stoic 150 merino baselayer and this ems.com/product/index.jsp?p… but the mens version. Those with a shell jacket have kept me warm skiing in 10 degree weather. I highly recommend the ems powerstretch if it becomes available again in mens sizes. they have a pullover and full zip. doesn't pack super small but is very lightweight.

I was looking at the ibex shak, but have never seen it in person. Backcountry has the Ibex "merino ponte pullover" on sale, but it looks like a lighter weight, though I do like the pullover since I'm looking for a climbing piece.

I agree with the EMS power stretch. Thumb holes, neck gator, helmet compatible hood. Wear it over varying weights of base layers. My go to mid-layer with a shell if its snowing or alone with a light weight base when climbing.

With the shak you can find a hooded sport version that I think has thumb holes, but I'm not sure. I love that the shak has a longer waist and drops down in the back. They are really awesome.

I have something similar to the ems fleece. It's the rei version, basically a smooth faced micro fleece. Mine is polar tech windpro. I love it for cold days, but I'm looking for the next step down in warmth, and a bit more compressibility.

Just bought a r1 to replace a shak that I shredded climbing. I was expecting the r1 to be a bit warmer than the shak but I don't think it is. In my experience granite really tears merino up and it isn't really durable enough to be worn as an outer layer while rock climbing (but other types of wool might work well).

I would agree that Merino wool is not as durable as Fleece. Very little is as durable as fleece. That said I really like my Shaks- if I know I am going to use them up against granite I throw on a really light soft/wind shell to protect the wool from damage. I have had really good luck with this method of keeping my wool in decent shape.

keep an eye out for stoic merino gear on steep and cheap. for what you pay it is well worth it. I have a long sleeve 150 merino shirt and it is awesome and I got it for 37 dollars. I also have some leggings that were like 40 bucks. For merino, that is a good price if you compare it to something like icebreaker or smartwool

That is a good deal, I have smartwool top and bottoms, which are great, but so expensive