Why Rock Climbers Roll Up Their Pants

Climbers tend to eschew jeans as they snag and tear easily on the rough surfaces of climbing routes. Instead, they wear pants designed specifically for climbing that have a gusseted crotch and stretchy material. Climbing trousers can be expensive, but they offer needed protection from scrapes and cuts while climbing. They also tend to have adjustable ankle cinches that allow climbers to roll up the pants to their knees when it gets hot.

Protection

There aren’t many outdoor activities where the durability of your clothing is put to such a test as rock climbing. Climbers need pants that can stand up to abrasive contact with the wall without ripping. Long pants also protect the climber’s knees from scrapes and bruises. Most climbing pants have two hip pockets and a thigh pocket with a closure system that stays out of the way of a harness. This creates a useful space to stash items like keys or a cell phone and allows the user to check on their position without removing the climbing pants. Pants made for climbing often have a high percentage of elastane (aka lycra or spandex) to allow freedom of movement and stretch with the skin. They are usually lighter and more breathable than cotton and offer good protection from abrasions. Long climbing pants with adjustable ankle cinches provide a good balance of temperature regulation, flexibility and protection.

Flexibility

Climbers rely on their pants for protection against grazes, scrapes and cuts. Lighter fabrics, like cotton, will rip easily on contact with sharp rocks and abrasive holds. Jeans, on the other hand, have a lot of frictional properties and offer good protection against cuts. Climbing brands have developed a lot of different jeans and pants to meet the needs of climbers. Many are designed with a casual look so they can be worn at work or as part of a weekend hiking or climbing trip. Others have been designed for the sport, including features like snap-closed buttons that let you roll up the legs, gussets and articulated knees. One thing that differentiates these climbing pants from jeans is that they're often made of a slightly stretchy material, which means they're more flexible and will move with you as you move. That flexibility also makes them comfortable to wear and allows them to accommodate a harness.

Style

A big question new climbers have is why all the climbers in the gym wear jeans. The short answer is that they’re comfortable and look cool. But jeans are also a great choice for rock climbing because they help protect the legs from scrapes and cuts while providing flexibility and allowing climbers to see their feet. Jeans with an elastic waist and stretchy material are often preferred to more baggy athletic pants because they don’t get caught up in the harness. While there are plenty of climbing-specific pants on the market, Prana’s Stretch Zion Pant is a fan favorite for its versatility. It’s breathable, has a vented crotch area, snaps to roll up or down the legs, and has a zip thigh pocket that can be reached while wearing a harness. These features make the pants expensive but well worth it for climbers who want a pair that can go from the gym to the crag and back again without sacrificing comfort or durability.

Attitude

Attitude (ADD-ih-tood) is a mental set that determines how one perceives and evaluates an object or situation. It also affects the behavior a person takes toward that object. Attitude is traditionally divided into three components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Climbers often wear jeans because they have good abrasion resistance. They also provide a buffer between the climber’s knees and the rock for moves such as knee bars. In addition, climbing requires a lot of movement, which can cause friction to rub against clothing and equipment. Jeans, especially those made with stretchy fabric, can stand up to this better than lighter fabrics. Finally, jeans can also project a “hard grit” attitude that can be attractive to some people. This may be why the slouchy, jeans-clad James Dean look has never really gone out of style.