With over half the gloves covered in leather the Rab Guides are designed for hard usage and should prove very durable. The leather covers the whole of the front of the hand, including the wrist, the sides of the hand and the back of the fingers. The inner sides of the fingers are softshell. The gloves are lined with thick pile on the back of the hand and thinner fleece on the palm, which reduces bulk. This lining makes these warm gloves suitable for very cold conditions. The pile and fleece should also outlast synthetic fills. They feel instantly warm when the gloves are put on. There are no drawcords at the cuff s but as they are quite narrow this doesn’t matter. The cuff s can be worn inside or outside jacket sleeves. For regular usage with trekking poles, ice axes and ropes the Guide Gloves should last well. They are very similar to the Mountain Equipment Couloir gloves but cost £25 less, making them easily the better buy