Bright and Bold – Mont Gele Gear® and a Commitment to Sustainability

The Denali jacket was tested by the Ski Club's Henry John in Tignes, France, in December 2021

There is always something interesting about a box turning up at your door. Partly the excitement as to what might be inside, despite knowing full well having ordered it only a couple of days prior. In the case of Mont Gele Gear®, however, the box sitting at your doorstep – as opposed to a shiny plastic parcel - is the first indicator that every step has been taken to make what you have ordered as green and environmentally sustainable as possible.

Mont Gele Gear® has been around for nearly three years by this point having been founded in January 2019. Setting out to create gear for your skiing and riding that combines carbon neutrality with a commitment to radical transparency all across their product line, MGG’s aim has become more focused than ever as we emerge from the pandemic, new approaches to sustainability demarking our view of the world.

The Denali Insulated Pro Jacket 2.0 is one part of MGG’s entire range that shares this commitment. Tested in its Aqua Blue with fire red trim, it is as bold a statement on the hill as it is to the brands sustainable commitment. Manufactured from recycled material, including the nylon liner and insulation, with the outer face fabric manufactured responsibly in Japan, care is taken that, at every stage in the manufacturing and construction process, the buyer knows exactly where and how the piece has been put together.

On the snow, however, is where the Denali really stands out. In a range that as traditionally been marked by heavy, overly warm jackets, MGG have managed to create something that bucks both of these trends. At around 1kg in weight, it matches many industry competitors, but the face fabric combines high level waterproofing with a flexibility and movement that is unmatched.

The 100% recycled insulation continues to pack a punch but will not leave you overheating if the sun breaks through the clouds. The result is a lightweight, insulated jacket, that will fend off heavy snow with ease, all whilst providing endless freedom of movement. As a final word, the Denali perhaps acts more like a shell than an insulated jacket, leaving you forgetting that you are in fact wearing a jacket at all!

Overall, the Denali represents a fantastic performance based insulated jacket. What flaws there are, such as the unsubtle black zips and the overly large hood, are overcome by the excellent performance of the materials and design of the jacket.