Glide and Grip
First, the plush: the Mohair in the Climb Pro doesn’t glide quite as effortlessly as Black Diamond’s now extinct Mohair Pure skins, but it does better than the G3 Mohair LT.
However, it grips better than either the G3 or Black Diamond mohair options. I’d call the traction of the Climb Pro the same as a Black Diamond Momix, which is plenty for all but the newest of newbies who are still thrashing their way through kick turns.
I’d categorize the Climb Pro Mohair as an excellent everyday skin for people who don’t need the crampon-esque traction of nylon, and who prefer a bit of glide for the flats. The Climb Pro is easily the most versatile blend of glide and grip that I’ve seen in an everyday skin.
Pomoca has found a way to quantify grip (in grams per cm squared) and glide (in kcalories per hour) that makes understanding differences across their relatively full skin line much easier. This is reminiscent of stated waterproofing / breathability ratings in the outerwear world, and it would be really nice if other manufacturers would follow Pomoca’s lead here to enable easier comparisons.
Packability
Perhaps more than weight, skin packability makes a huge impact in my overall backcountry gear system, and the Pomoca Climb Pro Mohair is very packable. Both the G3 Mohair LT (white) and Climb Pro Mohair (green) in the photo are folded the same way and cut for the same ski.
When rando racing, I stuffed the skins in my chest pockets at the top of each lap, and the Climb Pros stow away efficiently into jacket pockets, pants, or speed suits.
Durability
Fifteen days isn’t enough to comment effectively on long-term durability, so I’ll report back after doubling my days with these. However, the Climb Pro Mohair skins show no signs of wear other than a string or two that peeled from where I cut them, and the odd pine needle in the glue. They’re doing way, way better than my G3 Mohair LTs were at this point.
But mohair never does as well as full nylon in the durability department. So if you like to beat the living shit out of your skins by climbing over rocks or skinning across dirt (as I often do) expect mohair to suffer. I haven’t yet put this pair of Climb Pros through such rough environs yet, but I’m sure I will this spring.
Price
With skins costing as much as many other pieces of gear, you often get what you pay for. Most nylon options sit around $160 USD; most mohair/nylon blends in the $175-185 USD range, and the Climb Pro Mohair is yet another step up at $210. However, the Climb Pro is similar in price to Contour, which is another higher-end Euro skin brand, and not far out of line from the more expensive Black Diamond and G3 mohair options.
My take is that the Climb Pro skins are pretty spendy, but given the lack of issues I’ve experienced, and the big difference that Safer Skin makes in spring and wet conditions, I consider them to be worth the extra coin.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a good mix of flatlands glide and uphill grip, and you don’t mind spending a little bit more, the Pomoca Climb Pro Mohair offers numerous improvements over some familiar, everyday skin options that make them better suited for sustained use in wet environments.
Great review. I am looking to buy a new pr of skins for my dps alchemist wailer 106 in the 185 length. I climb 2 or 3 times a week, generally no more tha 1-2 hours at a time (I am no uphill racer). I am in New England so I am thru woods and almost all relatively rough terrain. I take a trip to the alps each year where the climbs tend to be longer and steeper. I have always been on BD mixed skins and want o upgrade. After seeing Pomoca in action in France I am 100% sold on the brand. My question do I go all the way to the Climb Pro Mohair or do you think the Climb Pro S-Glide??
Nice review, thanks for taking time to write it. I have the mohair/nylon 70/30 Pomoca Climb Pro S-Glide Climbing skins. affixed to my skis. I somewhat begrudgingly returned some Fischer Profoil “snakeskin” like plasticky skins that were meant for my 2018 Fisher Ranger 98s w/Marker Kingpins (which I thus far adore and love ) I was bummed that the Profoils (latest “improved” version) Didnt work well. I wanted something simple and bomber on my 1st side stash setup. Yep newbylicious first set of AT skis, bindings, skins. and hella avo gear. I had demoed several skis “in the park” but no skins. The skis deserve their own review, but as a resort skier skier, these were great compared to some of the lighter weight setups I tried, but found no fun in crud. any hoo. pomocos are sitting in front of me stuck on my skis. Things are pretty cooked here in the Tahoe area. Next year I’ll post a follow up. If one of y’all will fly me to the southern hemisphere and provide food and lodging I will do that follow up sooner.. My few days on the Profoils were unimpressive Newby Nimby or No. Climbed fine. good for a bit of trouncing off off piste crossings gingerly (snow free zones…dirt debris) if too lazy to unpin, walk and repin. Glue just didn’t cut it esp. at edges. They fold in an odd manner, make a funny sound, and though only skinned a few sessions, let’s just say the glide was not golden despite the Profoils color. Yes this is an armchair review I fully expect the safer skin with astroglide and reservoir tip to improve my performance. Freaking gorgeous summertime weather is stifling ski-ability. plus my knees are shot.