Gear of the Week | Black Diamond Cirque 45

Admittedly, when I held the backpack in my hand for the first time, I didn't know what to do with it. Yes, it's a backpack with a 45-liter capacity (it's also available in 30 and 35 liters) that compresses well, has some details and a nice color. I can imagine using it for extended climbing and mountain tours, but for freeriding and ski mountaineering? I was highly skeptical, if only because of the closure system, which is not completely closed depending on the "load condition". And that in combination with snow...?

But first things first, the good piece has to be purchased. The RRP is EUR 180, which is not unusual for a backpack of this quality.

Although the backpack is designed to be lightweight (approx. 1 kg for size L), the material makes a robust and stable impression so far (Dynex 210d + PE 200d material). In the past, I have had bad experiences with so-called "lightweights". Details such as a hip belt pocket and a material loop are also available and have not been rationalized away for weight reasons.

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The carrying system is well thought out and I find the backpack comfortable to carry, both fully loaded and on freeride days. The back section has no structure to prevent the powder from getting stuck. You can like it or not. Critics might say that it is not as breathable when it "sticks" to the back. However, I have not found this to be the case so far. The straps, or rather their system, are called "Swing Arm" and offer the greatest possible freedom of movement, supported by the elastic inserts at the base of the straps.

The safety equipment can be easily stowed away and has its own compartment (integrated into the front of the main compartment). There is an extra "pocket" in this compartment for the shovel handle and probe so that they don't fly around. My probe measures 52 cm when stowed away and has enough space in the backpack.

As described above, the backpack compresses well so that nothing stands in the way of a freeride day. Even though I see its strength and main area of use in multi-day tours. There is a small pocket in the "lid" on the outside, which can hold all kinds of small items such as sunglasses, tissues, sun cream, knives, etc. I wouldn't put my ski goggles in there. I wouldn't necessarily put my ski goggles in there as they are a little too big and inflexible, which means the backpack can't be closed properly.

While we're on the subject of closing and opening: Black Diamond has come up with something special here with the unique CINCH closure, which opens and closes with a single pull. I found the system took a bit of getting used to at first, but it has since become practical. I always tried to stow the drawstring well, as otherwise it could cause an unpleasant and unintentional emergency stop during treeruns.

There is also a zipper on the side for quick access. The lid is placed over it after closing and held in place by the large, gray flap. This is of course also practical for attaching a rope. Where the rope is used in winter, the ice tool is usually not far away. Two of these can also be stowed safely and easily accessible. If the ice tools are used, the skis are often attached to the backpack. This is thanks to the stowable attachment options for skis (diagonal and A-frame), and there is also a stowable helmet attachment.