THE DETAILS

Size: XS, S, M, L

Weight: 234 grams for medium

Materials: Main fabric 80% HMPE, 20% Polyamide

Sizing

Size Waist Leg

XS 24.8-27.6” 17.7-20.1”

S 27.2-29.9” 19.3-21.7”

M 29.9-33.1” 20.9-23.2”

L 32.7-35.8” 22.4-24.8”

On the crux pitch of Upper Avalanche Gulch in Hyalite Canyon.

Review:

I always have the same criteria when looking to replace my harness for summer or winter use. These criteria are large gear loops and lightweight, two things that don’t tend to go hand in hand. Comfort ranks high on the list, but being a weight weenie, I overlook that feature unless I’m working a route and know I will be racking up the frequent flier points or carrying a lot of gear.

The Eiger Nordwand harness is Mammut’s lightweight and fully functional harness and is designed for hardcore alpine, ice and rock climbing. Does this harness meet my criteria? The answer is YES! The medium harness came in at 233 grams on the scale compared to my Petzl Aquila harness, which I use for gear-intensive days and route development, which weighed in at 408 grams. That’s a significant weight saving in a small package! The two rigid front gear loops are massive and can rack a lot of gear. Fully loaded up, think a double rack and up to twenty quick draws or alpine draws if you pair the gear. That is far more gear than I am used to carrying, but it is easily doable. The rear gear loops are flexible and much smaller, good for items that aren’t required at a moment’s notice. They are large enough to carry your belay/rap device(s), anchor material, extra slings, locking carabiners, rescue kit and stowed insulated layer and gloves. Small, but just enough room for what should be on them. One very nice feature of the harness is that it has six ice-clipper positions on either side of the harness, allowing for the ultimate ice-clipper configurations. I like having my ice screws sitting a little lower and have been using two Grivel Carryabiners. On the days when I need to rack more screws, I will add two ice clippers to the front clipper slots to rack stubby or super stubby screws.

Keeping the weight down means sacrifices need to be made right? Cutting the weight by creating a harness with minimal padding on the waistband and leg loops gave me shivers when I thought back to how uncomfortable it was hanging in a non-padded, lightweight glacier-travel harness for a long period. Something I was trying to avoid experiencing again. Mammut’s claim of being fully functional and comfortable is true to their statement. The well-designed waistband and fixed, elasticized leg loops are comfortable enough for hanging belays and taking whippers on, though I do try to keep the latter to a minimum. High-strength Dyneema is used continuously throughout the waistband and leg loops, reducing the material required and still keeping comfort while hanging, hang-dogging or whipping. Hidden in between the layers of Dyneema around the tie-in points and belay loop are wear indicators so you know when to replace your harness.

Pros & Cons:

Pros:

lightweight and highly compact
surprisingly comfortable for how minimal it is
six ice clipper slots on each side for perfect racking positions
large front gear loops
wear indicators on tie-in points and belay loop

CONS:

purpose-specific harness, so you’ll want to have a daily driver harness for everything else
not the most comfortable harness for carrying a lot of gear
the shock cord holding the leg loops tends to shift/lengthen over the day
durability

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Mammut did a fantastic job in creating a lightweight and functional harness! The Eiger Nordwand harness is very purpose-built, and I would classify it as more of an alpine and ice harness because of the minimal padding. The Eiger Nordwand harness has exceeded my expectations with the features I was looking for and the added comfort it has provided. With the vertical mileage I put on each year, I have been happy with the life span of the harness. I’m currently on my second harness and will replace it with the same harness unless I find another lightweight harness that piques my interest and fits the criteria.

Why only three stars, you ask... Both of my Mammut Eiger Nordwand harnesses have had the same issue of the stitching coming apart on the elasticized leg loops. While not a safety concern, it is an annoyance and something that shouldn’t happen in such a short period of time.

Mammut Eiger Nordwand harness