Pants for ice and mountaineering.

I’ve been using my snowboard pants but I found out quickly they are way to baggy. I won’t spend $400+ dollars on pants just because the brand says they are awesome.

What are some features you really like in pants? My primary desire is water proof, even after several seasons. Maybe hard shell??

Feel free to get specific. 

I like a pant that can fit fleece pants underneath, I don't think there's a one pant quiver for anything from wet and cold to dry and cold but I I were to have one pair, I'd go with any kind of hardshell bib that has room enough for fleece pants underneath.

If you can afford two, I like having some softshell pants too that don't catch snow but breath better than hardshell. Truth be told, if it's not super wet, Carhartt dungerees (the insulated kind) climb ice pretty well.

Hope that helps

soft shell is fine for most ice and does better on the approach.  I usually get something from EMS when they have a massive sale. 

Soft shell is my go to. Right now I'm using the Arc'teryx Gamma AR pant, which is nice because it comes in multiple inseam lengths.

Softshells are by far the best active layer, usually with a base layer underneath.  If you plan to ski in/out, get a soft shell that can expand to fit over your ski boots.  

Hard shell or puffy pants with full side zips are nice to have for belaying and/or otherwise not moving.  

The Patagonia Galvanize is my favorite mountaineering bib. They're super light, waterproof, highly stretchable, warmer because they're bibs, zip down the side to dump excess heat on the move or drop a deuce (wag bag tested), they layer well, have loops on the cuffs to thread some shock cord on if you want to forego wearing gaiters and they're backed by Patagonia's warranty. I have been patching the same pair up for 4 consecutive seasons. They don't have reinforced crampon guards though so you either have to wear gaiters or not be clumsy. My only complaint is the dick zipper doesn't come down very far so you have to pull the bibs down by the elastic of the straps and sometimes that feels like a risky maneuver with numb fingers.

soft shell usually is preferred to hard shell for cragging, the exceptions being unusually cold, windy, or wet, in which case hard shells are worth their weight in gold. But for cragging, that decision can be made while having the first cup of coffee and looking at the day's weather report

either way it's ideal to have a trim cut, mainly so you don't front point into the fabric, secondarily because a trim cut typically is a cut well-articulated to the specific movements of ice and mixed climbing.

Last, if you're leading with a full rack of screws and so on, a harness can push your pants lower than you'd like (visualize plumber butt here). Pants with integrated suspenders mitigate this.

Arcteryx Gamma MX.  OR Cirque II for a less expensive version.

Grundens Gage pants are an inexpensive choice

I've been stoked on my OR cirques. Reasonably cheap and good quality

Corey McD wrote:

I’ve been using my snowboard pants but I found out quickly they are way to baggy. I won’t spend $400+ dollars on pants just because the brand says they are awesome.

What are some features you really like in pants? My primary desire is water proof, even after several seasons. Maybe hard shell??

Feel free to get specific. 

Oakley snowboard trousers are all I use for mixed and Drytool...

Outdoor research "Iceline"

My advice, get a pair of softshell pants and a pair of hardshell pants.  Brand doesn't matter much as long as the material and fit are good.  OR has some good stuff these days at a reasonable price.  Or up here in Canada, MEC brand is good, especially when it's on clearance.

Edited to add; for hardshell pants it is really nice to have full length zips so you can get them on and off while wearing crampons.

Softshell pants are nice for ice cragging days, approaches to long ice routes, and most mountaineering days.  On multi-pitch ice routes I much prefer to be in hardshell pants so my legs stay dry for the whole day.  My system here is to do the approach in softshell pants (with long underwear underneath if it's cold) and then put a pair of hardshell pants over top for the climbing. 

I second the OR Cirque for price point. 

Just go to a used gear store, or check discount sites for whatever is cheapest. Softshells are fine and cheaper than hard shells. You'll probably only sit in wet snow if you're cragging as supposed to on a multi or alpine mission. Just bring a bit of foam pad to sit on in that case, or use your pack as a seat. 

Arcteryx Alpha Comp, and Patagonia Galvanized pant—both already mentioned, and both absolutely worth a look. Condition dependent for sure, but ice climbing can be a really wet affair—definitely would go hard shell. Having vents on the sides help for allowing airflow while keeping ass and thighs dry. Soft shell is good for good weather, not when attached to a dripping ice wall

DeLa Cruce wrote:

Arcteryx Alpha Comp, and Patagonia Galvanized pant—both already mentioned, and both absolutely worth a look. Condition dependent for sure, but ice climbing can be a really wet affair—definitely would go hard shell. Having vents on the sides help for allowing airflow while keeping ass and thighs dry. Soft shell is good for good weather, not when attached to a dripping ice wall

Man, I just wish the Alpha Comp's came with hand pockets. When it's super cold, immediate warmth can be found in hand pockets. This is the only reason I never purchased them.

AlpineIce wrote:

Man, I just wish the Alpha Comp's came with hand pockets. When it's super cold, immediate warmth can be found in hand pockets. This is the only reason I never purchased them.

good point. I have missed that on occasion. 

I don’t have much use for front pockets.  I am generally carrying at least 3 pairs of gloves / mittens and a belay jacket with better hand pockets.  Harness leg loops generally interfere with using those pockets.  On several occasions, my harness has pushed items out of these pockets.

I would prefer to just have a cell phone drop pocket, which is accessible below the harness leg loops.  Kuhl pants generally have this feature.  

So many good suggestions. This discussion has helped me a bunch. Thank you all.

I used snowboard pants last year and have a different pair I’m going to use this year. Last year I sewed on two snaps on each leg. This year I sewed on a strip of Velcro and a snap on each leg. ~$15 bucks from a fabric shop and a few hours sewing by hand watching Netflix. Baggy in the legs. Able to be tightened around the calves.