Angela Hawse, a Marmot Athlete for over ten years, is one of just a handful of women mountain guides in the U.S. to receive full Alpine Guide Certification from the American Mountain Guides Association. It is her latest accomplishment in a career full of highlights in the mountains and outdoors. Learn more about her on marmotpro.com. The ritual of packing for a multi-day alpine climb is a balancing act of weight vs. consequences. You stack the odds in your favor to keep it light, and hope you’ve kept enough margin to endure a possible rogue wave of weather. With as good as Softshell products have become, I often risk leaving a Gortex layer out of my pack if the weather forecast looks good. This season, however, the Exum Jacket made it into my pack for every ascent and became my secret weapon, foul weather insurance policy. This new Gortex PROShell fabric is the bomb. It combines 3-layers of durable, weather-proof barrier that breaths well, and is super durable. With as light as the jacket was, I doubted it would withstand the punishment of bushwacks, sharp granite and getting shoved in and out of the pack repetitively. It did. I pulled it out for added warmth, high wind, mist and full on deluges and it never disappointed me. Features on this jacket that make it a favorite product are: - Stretchy fabric that moves and bends with me - Lack of bells and whistles - Full protection, attached hood that fits well over a helmet - Pack pockets that are in the right place and accessible with a pack on - Reinforced shoulders and elbows - Pit Zips for when I need them - Super stylish color and technical fit When a product takes on a proud name, such as Exum, it’s gotta live up to it’s reputation. This one will.