ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove

The ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove is a men's insulated leather mountaineering glove built for high mountain terrain, with a 100% goatskin leather shell, an O-SHIELD polyurethane membrane and 60 g/m2 recycled wool padding across the back of the hand. What sets this glove apart is the combination of a double-layered goatskin palm with covered seams and extra reinforcements on index finger and thumb, so rope, pole and ice-axe work does not chew through the hand.

Who is the ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove for?

This glove suits mountaineers and ski tourers who handle ropes, ice axes and poles and want an abrasion-resistant leather glove rather than a bulky mitten. It is not the right choice for long static periods in deep cold, such as extended belays, because the padding is one 60 g/m2 wool layer on the back of the hand only. It is also not for anyone who needs animal-free materials: the glove uses goatskin leather and wool.

How warm and weatherproof is this leather glove?

Warmth comes from 60 g/m2 recycled wool padding on the back of the hand plus a lining of 100% virgin merino wool against the skin. The O-SHIELD membrane is a 100% polyurethane layer that blocks wind and water, and the seams on the palm are covered rather than exposed. This is a mid-weight package for moving in the high mountains, not an expedition-grade insulation level.

Which size should you choose?

Measure the circumference of your palm just below the knuckles, excluding the thumb, and compare it with the men's glove size chart on this page. The leather palm is doubled and will feel firm at first, so avoid going down a size for a tighter grip. A pull-on aid helps you get the glove on over a cuff.

How is the ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove constructed?

The ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove is built around a 100% goatskin leather shell with an O-SHIELD membrane made of 100% polyurethane. The membrane sits between the leather and the insulation and gives the glove its wind- and waterproof character. Inside, a 60 g/m2 recycled wool padding covers the back of the hand and a lining of 100% virgin merino wool runs against the skin. On the palm the leather is double-layered and the seams are covered, which keeps stitching out of the firing line when you slide a rope through your hand. Listed weight is 174 grams.

Is the High Alpine Glove suitable for mountaineering and ski touring?

High-alpine mountaineering is the main job of this ORTOVOX glove: glacier travel, ice-axe and rope handling, and alpine climbing approaches. Extra reinforcements on the index finger and the thumb are placed exactly where poles, ropes and ice axes wear leather out first, and a carabiner loop on the ring finger lets you clip the pair to a harness instead of dropping one down a slope. For ski touring it works as a moving glove on the skin track and on the descent. Where it stops is static cold: with insulation limited to a single wool padding zone on the back of the hand, long belays and expedition temperatures ask for a warmer, mitten-style construction. It also has no touchscreen-compatible fingertips, so phone and camera work means taking a glove off.

What materials are used and what does that mean for durability?

The main material of the ORTOVOX High Alpine Glove is goatskin leather, a fibre structure that handles abrasion from rock, rope and metal edges well and shapes itself to the hand with use. The palm is doubled for that reason. The polyurethane membrane does the weather protection, while the merino wool lining and the recycled wool padding handle the inside of the glove. Leather and wool both react to heat, so keep the pair away from radiators, stoves and direct heat sources when drying, and follow the care label sewn into the glove.

What makes this glove a more sustainable choice?

The padding on the back of the hand is made from recycled wool rather than virgin fibre. ORTOVOX is a member of the FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION (FWF), which covers working conditions in the factories where the brand's products are made. Wool across the ORTOVOX range is handled under the ORTOVOX Wool Promise, the brand's own framework for animal welfare and traceability.