The Gorpcore Reaction: Why Real Adventurers Ski in Jeans and Hike in Rompers

FOR YEARS, Navarro Guerro, 25, searched long and hard for his dream cycling gear. You might think finding it would be easy given the rise of the “gorpcore” aesthetic, which has seen black Arc’teryx raincoats and Klattermusen hiking pants become as coveted (and fashionable) as sneaker collaborations. Not for Guerro, a product engineer in Salt Lake City, who says he finds much of this technical clothing garish too often covered in garish logos. He’s bought several pairs of mountain biking pants, he said, but doesn’t like “the racing feel or look of technical fabrics.”

So when Guerro spotted comrades tackling difficult descents in what looked like plain, dark jeans, he was intrigued. Turns out the pants, made from reinforced denim, came from Ripton, an Aspen, Colo., brand founded in 2019. Guerro bought a pair and their durability and aesthetic versatility impressed him.