I spent last week skiing like a loon in Val Thorens, and the fab folk at Mountain Warehouse kitted me out before I left for my Three Valleys adventure with this gorgeous purple Heavenly Extreme Ski Jacket, £69.99. Seven days of relentless bombing down pistes, falling over in powder and attempting to look cool in the park seemed like the ideal way to put it through its paces.
The product description:
“The Heavenly Extreme women’s ski jacket is fully waterproof with taped seams and a detachable snow skirt. The jacket features an adjustable and detachable hood, elasticated and adjustable cuffs with an internal stretch snow cuff, and multiple pockets for convenience. Isodry fabric has a waterproof membrane to prevent water seeping through the fabric. Taped seams stop water getting through any stitched areas making the women’s ski jacket fully waterproof.”
Test 1: Skiing
The Heavenly has no issues with snow – fall in it, jump in it, slide down hills, bail in powder – it’ll keep you warm and dry. The detachable inner snow skirt stops the tiniest snowflake from getting in, and the jacket’s breathable fabric keeps you warm on chilly chairlifts but doesn’t make you sweat when you’re smashing up the pistes at top speed. The jacket also has all the useful extras you’d expect from a quality ski coat, including a lift pass pocket, an MP3 pouch and an inbuilt Recco reflector.
Test 2: Apres Skiing
My jacket came along happily for a little dance at Val T’s infamous La Folie Douce, where its wipe-clean material proved useful after a liberal dousing of champagne and Desperados. Classy. The gorgeous bright purple colour and contrasting turquoise detailing make the jacket stand out from the crowd – it looks great on the pistes and off. The only sartorial qualm I had is the hood – it is HUGE. Put it up and you look like someone in a Barney the Dinosaur costume – wear a nice bobble hat instead.
Test 3: Commuting
Once you’re home from the pistes and back in real life, the Heavenly will still live up to its name – it’ll keep you dry in the pouring rain as you miserably try to bike to work, and the light fabric is cosy but breathable, so you won’t overheat. It’s ideal for camping trips and hiking expeditions too, as it’s lightweight enough to stuff into small spaces and carry on your back.
Mountain Warehouse Heavenly Ski Jacket Review – Verdict
A brilliant all-rounder, the Heavenly Extreme looks fantastic and is the perfect combination of lightweight, warm and breathable. Ideal if you’re after a jacket that’ll take you from pistes to mountains and then around the urban jungle fuss-free.
