SCHOFFEL SIERRA NEVADA 2 JACKET REVIEW

Schoffel Sierra Nevada 2 £590 www.snowandrock.com

This top of the range offering from Schoffel comes with all the whistles and bells and has excellent build quality and insulation, albeit at a price. With its thick polyester insulation it’ll keep you warm on cold chairlifts, whilst the addition of elastane to the waterproof and windproof outer fabric provides plenty of mobility although less than you’d get with a shell – that said you won’t need to layer up as much under the Sierra Nevada 2 as you would with a shell.
You get a stack of features, amongst which are an insulated, detachable and adjustable hood beneath which is a snug chin guard, pit zips, snow skirt, four outer pocket (two chest, two handwarmer) with water repellent zips plus a lift pass pocket on the left sleeve; add to this two inner security pockets and an elasticated mesh stash pocket and you can probably carry all you need for the day in the jacket rather than a pack unless you’re going off-piste.
As well as the powder skirt there are wrist gaiters and adjustable cuffs and hem to keep the snow out, although the trade-off for all these features and insulation is weight and bulk, as the Sierra Nevada 2 comes in at a pretty hefty 1197g; that said, since it’s aimed more at piste riders than the backcountry brigade, this isn’t as much of an issue as the price might be.