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Dragon's MountaineerX are more stylish versions of your classic glacier glasses, designed to cut down on eye damage from hours of snow glare in the backcountry. Jesse Levine photo.
The first time I laid eyes on the MountaineerX glacier glasses by the Dragon Alliance was at SIA in Denver last spring. What separated these shades from the pack were their sleek profile, adaptability features, durable feel and the Red Ion lens. Sure, I love the retro appeal of the old Julbo glacier glasses but these shades looked boss and felt bomber. Style points for this ski bum are always a welcomed bonus!
Dragon stayed true to the mountaineering roots by keeping the sun shields leather to protect those precious eyeballs from snow glare. This gives the shades the old “bad-ass mountain goat” feel; which is a nice way to disconnect oneself from the hyper aggressive “bro-bra” ski scene. You know what I’m talking about... stay humble!
Ian "Oceanman" Tarbox hiking in the Colorado backcountry in the MountaineerX. Jesse Levine photo.
I usually ascend with the Rope Lanyard system, which is a no brainer when your huffin’ and puffin’ mid-tour and need to lose the shades for a quick minute or two. Just drop 'em to your chest, and they'll actually stay there. On descents (or when touring on exposed ridges/peaks with high winds), I throw on the C-Temples – detachable ends of the sunglass frame that wrap all the way around the ears – to keep these glasses fixed to my dome. A quick tip? when driving post tour, I highly recommend removing the Leather Sun Shields while on the road if you want to see out of your side view mirrors.
After a dozen sunny spring tours and some mid-winter escapades with these puppies, I have seen no scratches on the lenses or breaches in craftsmanship. These shades truly provide full value eye protection with a warranty that is second to none, covering manufacturer defects up to two years after purchase.
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The MountaineerX glacier glasses come in a hard case which takes up minimal space in your backcountry pack yet offers the kind of protection you want when your dropping $200+ on shades. On sunny to partly cloudy days – basically any day with no precipitation – I leave the goggles at home and reach for these suckers! The only downside I’ve found for the MoutnaineerX is face shots on descent: spray some powder in your face and your vision is blurred for some time there after.
The MountaineerX features removable leather sun shields, swappable temples, a lanyard system, and a hard case to keep 'em safe in your backcountry pack. Jesse Levin photo.
The MountaineerX were designed for car-to-car optimization, and I thoroughly enjoyed putting these glacier glasses through the Teton Test. Dragon Alliance has and always will represent snowboarding at its core. After a personal ten-year hiatus, I am stoked to be reconnecting with this company and their optic brilliance.
While evo does not currently carry the MountaineerX, you can consider
a fine selection of other Dragon shades for purchase from our friends there.
