Julbo Explorer Mountaineering Sunglasses

Of the many crucial pieces of equipment you’ll take with you on a glacier hiking or mountaineering trip, eye protection is all too often overlooked. And if you’ve ever stared at a snowbank on a sunny day for an extended period of time, you know this importance firsthand. From a mild headache to full-on snow blindness, the effects of exposing your eyes to bright sunlight reflecting off snow can be severely inhibiting to your experience on the mountain.

Enter Julbo, with its range of mountaineering glasses. At the top of the line is the Explorer series, developed in the field at Chamonix in France. These glacier glasses are almost all rated a Category 4, which means they’re optimal in exceptionally strong sunlight to the point where you shouldn’t wear them while driving.

The lenses are extremely effective at blocking out sunlight on the brightest days while also allowing for great visibility. The grip and curvature on the stem ends ensure the glasses will stay in place as you look down on a long march as you hike.

© Akunamatata | Flickr

Among the most impressive features is the fact that the stems are bendable, so you can twist and turn them to work around whatever else you might be wearing. This feels a little dicey — you may be worried about twisting too far and breaking the plastic part of the stem — but the glasses are also well built and don’t seem inclined to snap. The stems’ rubber mercifully does not stick to one’s hair, either, so they’re not painful to take on and off.

The lenses can be switched out for corrective lenses so you can leave your glasses or contacts at home. An anti-fog ventilation system, in the form of slots at the bottoms of the lenses, effectively prevents fogging. There are also removable wings around the edges of the lenses that provide additional protection; they’re easy to snap on and off to accommodate any situation outdoors.

The Explorer series has several different glasses, each with slightly different features; the Spectron 4 is perhaps the most versatile, though each is excellent for their specific utility. Learn more at julbousa.com.