From wicking t-shirts to stretchy trousers, Charlie Low and Dale Comley sample key pieces from Rab's new Rock Range, which combine casual styling with techy fabrics and an athletic fit for summer rock.

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After reviewing Rab's Alpha Direct Jackets a couple of months ago and completely falling in love with them, we were excited to test out several products from their new Rock Range, including the Top Out Hoody, Rampage Jacket, Crank Shorts, Valkyrie Pants, Crimp SS Tee, Radius Pants and Maze Tank.

To make sure they were put through their paces in a variety of environments, we opted for a trip to the sunny sport climbing mecca of Siurana, and followed it by visiting the somewhat contrasting climate of Cheddar Gorge…

Whether it's for trad, bouldering or sport, and wherever you're heading to do them in, there ought to be something in this big range for every climber

Women's Crimp Long Sleeve Tee £35

I was immediately impressed with the Women's Crimp Tee. It is incredibly comfortable, fits well, and the moisture wicking drirelease fabric means it doesn't get too damp when you're working hard, or end up too smelly after a day of sport climbing in the sun! Importantly it is also not too tight on the forearms when questing up 30m+ endurance fests, its active cut aided by the slight stretch of the fabric. The thinner material means it's a great layer for climbing in sunnier conditions when it's a bit too warm for a fleece, and the nice cut has meant it's doubled up really well as a casual non-climbing top. I actually bought one of the other colours too after the review as I loved it so much!

Women's Maze Tank £30

Unfortunately I'm slightly less taken with the Women's Maze Tank. Although it fits quite well around the waist, the neckline is quite baggy and doesn't sit well - it feels like it should have been a little lower. Because of this it doesn't really fit me properly, and overall this makes it feel a bit frumpy and unflattering. I really love the cut-out detailing on the straps and the crossed back, though, and there are a good choice of colours.

Men's Crimp SS Tee £30

Also made from the sweat-wicking drirelease fabric that's much needed for sunny sport climbing, Dale has got on well with the Men's Crimp SS (short sleeved) Tee. The good close fit around the waist has meant it doesn't end up sandbagging him on routes by covering his chalk bag, and there is enough movement to make it a good t-shirt to climb in. The choice of colours for the Crimp Tee is strong - Dale was pretty psyched about the purple, and the chance to break the standard gender stereotypes! The stitching also contrasts nicely with the colour of the shirt. However he's not much of a fan of the pocket that doesn't really seem to serve any particular purpose.

Men's Radius Pants £70

Dale has worn a number of rather offensively coloured trousers over the years, so navy blue was a welcome change. With their articulated knee and crotch gusset, he has found the Radius Pants comfortable to climb in: they are stretchy enough to accomodate head height heel hooks, and the mid-weight cotton canvas is durable enough to deal with a number of tenuous knee bars. The sizing may not be quite right on him though, as they are quite baggy on the waist and bum. They are bound to fit some other people better though - as usual with trousers, it's best to try before you buy. The general appearance is pretty smart though, so they double well as casual trousers. The front pockets are deep and so work well to stash keys or a phone, but Dale thinks a zipped side pocket would be a great additional feature as it's a climbing specific range.

Men's Crank Shorts £50

£50 may be a lot for a simple pair of shorts, but Rab must be doing something right here because Dale loves them; in fact he reckons they're the best pair of climbing shorts he's ever worn. In an improvement on the jeans-style waist that you often get with climbing shorts, the Crank's elasticated waist band is comfortable to climb in, fits snugly under a harness and holds up really well. In terms of fabric, the cotton/spandex mix combines comfort with stretch, for freedom of movement. They are also a good length - short enough to avoid catching on your knees, but long enough to avoid being too risque and letting it all hang out. There is a strong range of colours for the Crank Shorts: as well as the shade of blue Dale has been sporting, they come in a very safe black and an extremely garish orange.

Women's Valkyrie Pants £65

I would usually pick a much more controversial colour for my trousers, so initially I wasn't sure about a pair of black climbing trousers! However the Valkyrie Pants have a nicely contrasting blue waistband, and because of this they work well as an outfit with both the Crimp Tee and the Maze Tank. Appearance probably shouldn't matter, but of course we all know it does! As a somewhat vertically challenged person, I have the same issue with these as with every pair of trousers I've ever owned - they are simply too long for me relative to the waist size. Rolling them up a couple of times solves this problem, although they are quite wide on the leg and so look a bit baggy and unflattering - it would be great if there was a 'short' leg option on sizing!

With their part-elasticated waist the fit around the middle is good and snug though, making these possibly the first pair of outdoor trousers I haven't needed to wear a belt with! The Valkyrie Pants are made of a lightweight cotton, with a bit of added spandex for free-moving stretch. Climbing is unhindered, however I have not really found this weight of fabric hard-wearing enough for outdoor climbing, as after a couple of climbs I had already managed to snag them. The pockets are deep enough that you can keep your phone in them with a harness on and it won't fall out, however just like Dale I would have also liked a lower zipped pocket.

Men's Top Out Hoody £70

Dale was initially sceptical about the Men's Top Out Hoody as it is not super technical, and he would usually prefer to just wear a long sleeve base layer or a synthetic jacket on colder crag days. However he was pleasantly surprised, and used it consistently in Siurana for warming up in and for under a down jacket on belays. It is a very good athletic fit on him all round, and crucially not tight on the forearms, so it doesn't feel restrictive when climbing mega pumpy routes. In keeping with the other Rock Range items it has a nice, contrasting zip and logo. It might be better without the adjustable hood, though, as this fits well whilst pulled up, but does tend to flop around a bit when it's down. This can be slightly annoying while climbing.

Women's Rampage Jacket £140

As a two-layer softshell with a weather-proof outer and a wicking inner, this is at the more technical end of the range and could go from valley crags to fair weather mountain use with ease - something that's perhaps reflected in the price. I was hoping I wouldn't like the Rampage Jacket too much, as I definitely don't need another jacket. However the strong turquoise and purple combo immediately had me sold.

On a more functional note, the inner grey drirelease fabric is super comfortable and makes the jacket incredibly breathable. There's a lot of stretch in this fabric too, which means it doesn't feel restrictive when climbing, and it's fairly tight fitting at the waist, which makes it sit well under a harness. However it wouldn't work so well as a jacket to throw on when belaying as it lacks double zipper for easier harness access. On the upside, the Pertex outer fabric makes it a great UK jacket for all-round use, something which deals with a rain shower well!

Overall

Rab's Rock Range mixes just enough of its technical fabrics and active cuts with strong colour combos to create items that are comfortable to wear and look great in photos! We've found that the different layers and weights of the items mean that there is a combination that works in any crag environment, from sunny Siurana limestone walls to the charming - if chilly - esoterica of Cheddar sport. Whether it's for trad, bouldering or sport, and wherever you're heading to do them in, there ought to be something for every climber here. Nice one Rab.