Gore-Tex or soft shell pants for ice climbing?

My buddy who is helping me get into ice climbing said pretty much everyone climbs in soft shells. I got a little wet one day,  but had a sitting belay for a good bit of time so figured whatever. Yesterday, no sitting, but a long approach through deep snow and semi wet ice, and I was SOAKED. Seems like GTX is the way to go, but definitely from pics I see most people do seem to be in soft shells, from what I can tell. Do people just like soft shells for breathability on long approaches? Love to hear your thoughts!

Pat Marrinan wrote: My buddy who is helping me get into ice climbing said pretty much everyone climbs in soft shells. 

They're correct. 

I climb in softshells (OR Cirque pants and sometimes with Gaiters) and wear a Gore-Tex Shell jacket. I bring full zip Gore-Tex shell pants in case the weather kicks up and gets nasty with snow and wind. Full zip is necessary in order to slip on the pants with your boots and crampons on. The OR Cirque's have a good deal of weather resistance which suffice in "normal" conditions. That being said I'm not hesitant to slip on the Gore-Tex pant and climb with them.

I've been thinking over this andy kirkpatrick article for a while and trying to figure out how it applies to my own systems:

https://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/articles/view/the_truth_about_breathable_waterproofs

it really depends on what you're doing.  I'm mostly not in above freezing snow and it's nice that I'm in clothes that aren't waterproof because I'm not wanting to keep my sweat inside my clothes.  I find myself getting snowmelt on my pants during the day and that will soak the fabric, but it usually dries out pretty quickly.  I've been holding off on buying heavier-duty goretex hardshells and making due with my cheaper summer rain wear on top of some nicer insulating layers.

If you're around a lot of wet, then softshells aren't going to keep that out.  If you're just getting your pants legs wet at the bottoms, mayby the half-way point is a gore-tex gaiter.

On the approach I generally stay away from hardshells. My softshells have a bunch of holes from me being a clumsy idiot and tripping on myself. Hardshell pants tear pretty bad if you catch them with a crampon while shoftshells don’t mind it too much.  I like to keep the hardshells in the pack until I get to the route. 

Many people are in soft shells because they tend to be more versatile in moderate conditions. But when conditions are really windy and with lots of moisture a hardshell is my preference. Especially because my hardshell is roomy enough for multiple layers under it. One of my personal gripes these days about soft shells is their "trim fit" One can hardly wear an extra layer under them lest they size up and then the arms are long enough for our chimpanzee cousins.

I used softshells ice climbing for many years.  Then I switched to Goretex hardshells.  I stay much warmer and drier.  On the approach I wear thin breathable layers. Then, at the bottom of the climb, I pull on the Goretex jacket and pants. Works great.

Levi Blair wrote: I climb in softshells (OR Cirque pants and sometimes with Gaiters) and wear a Gore-Tex Shell jacket. I bring full zip Gore-Tex shell pants in case the weather kicks up and gets nasty with snow and wind. Full zip is necessary in order to slip on the pants with your boots and crampons on. The OR Cirque's have a good deal of weather resistance which suffice in "normal" conditions. That being said I'm not hesitant to slip on the Gore-Tex pant and climb with them.

This is my setup exactly, though I typically swap out the goretex shell jacket for a softshell on long approaches or on warmer days. 

It breaks down like this if you climb ice for a few years....   76.8% softshell use,  23.2% Hardshell use

I was skeptical of softshells too but using OR cirques for the winter is awesome!! Found that even with wet ice conditions they stay pretty weather resistant and far more comfortable than hardshells. However, there are certainly days where hardshells are the move!

I have both and almost always wear the hard shells. It helps that they are bibs, which I vastly prefer. If it's warm on the approach, open the leg vents as far as needed. That said, I seem to get most of my venting by shedding top layers and leaving the legs alone.

Condition dependent, if you find you self getting soaked use Gore-Tex. I use softshells most of the time, but on early,late season or wet climbs Ill gladly ues a GTX shell to keep from getting wet and chilled. I haven't died yet