Patagonia

Patagonia's lightest technical shell; for fast-paced alpine adventures

In the mountains, the lighter you pack, the faster you have to travel to avoid being caught out where you don’t want to be. How fast you travel is related to how light you can safely pack. It comes down to balance—exactly what we kept front of mind when building the Ascensionist Jacket. Combining the feature set critical to alpinists and ski tourers with the light weight required by those booking through the backcountry, the Ascensionist hits the sweet spot as the lightest technical shell we make. It’s built with GORE-TEX Active fabric with C-KNIT™ Backer Technology—a lightweight, waterproof, breathable 3-layer fabric construction for high-output, high-velocity activities. C-KNIT consists of extremely fine yarns that stretch, breathe and offer a smoother feel on the innermost layer of the shell. The Optimal Visibility Hood features a laminated visor, fits over a helmet and adjusts at two points so you can fine-tune your vision. The full-mobility sleeves let you swing a tool or coil a rope without the hem of the jacket hiking up, and watertight pit zips offload excess heat. Low-profile cuffs secure with a hook-and-loop closure; an intuitive Cohaesive® cord-lock system shuts out the elements at the hem. Seams throughout are minimal and narrowly taped to cut bulk. One chest pocket with a watertight zipper holds valuables; two zippered handwarmer pockets sit high and away from a harness or waistbelt; inside, a stretch catch-all pocket handles gloves, a headlamp or other essentials. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.