I’ve finished everyday this week with frozen teeth. A byproduct of smiling uncontrollably as I wove my way through aspen glades dodging my similarly delighted partners. It’s not that we had skied lines that were going to make magazine covers. Or even lines with the freshest and lightest snow. We were thoroughly satiated through exploration of our local terrain, and the exhilaration that solid decision making with world class partners can bring.

Every adjective in the thesaurus could not express how moving and completely life-shaping experiences such as these have been to me… Below are some images from the past few weeks. The images likely won’t change your life and may not even alter you perspective. The sport is challenging and the rewards are even harder to explain, but my life’s work is dedicated to helping you understand.

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Just know that there is more to it than skiing. Much more.

The Mustagh Ata SL in the Elk Mountains

In recent years my preference in backcountry skis has varied between featherweight SkiTrab models all the way up to the >10cm underfoot rockered modern-day behemoths. Both have their distinct advantages, but really CB is “quiver of one” terrain. Enter the Dynafit Mustagh Ata Superlight.

With similar dimensions and heft as a former lightweight tool of mine, the K2 Mt. Baker Superlight, the Mustagh Ata SL has achieved what many feel to be impossible in the lightweight category: a smooth ride without that lightweight twitchy carbon feeling. The specs below are directly from the Dynafit website, I find it helpful to read about how Dynafit perceives their own product:

“The Mustagh Ata Superlight represents the next phase of development for the successful Mustagh Ata model. It is the lightest ski in its class. It is equipped with patented Dynafit Insert technology and sports a modern waist curve. Its 88 mm width at mid-ski and its balanced core structure provide maximum skiing pleasure under all snow conditions. The ski adds very little weight when climbing, making it great for long high mountain tours and expeditions”

Summary

I like to think of this ski as the little brother of the extremely popular Dynafit Manaslu only better suited to more vertical and lending themselves to shorter radius turns. Remember that this is a lightweight ski and will certainly have it’s limitations when compared to large wood core skis that seem to be dominating the market these days. In most conditions, I find the ski to be perfectly suited for consistency like many of the lighter weight skis out there. I appreciate that this ski is on the stiffer side, especially in the tail, and find it to be quite lively and maneuverable. When skiing breakable crust, this ski responds well to aggressive edge release: which is easily accomplished with the low swing weight and responsive feel.

Other skis in this category include  K2’s Wayback (basically the Baker SL) or Black Diamond’s upcoming Aspect, which all have distinctly larger shovels.

Testing Notes

In the 25 days that I have skied the Mustagh Ata Superlights I’ve encountered backcountry snow that has ranged from glorious easy skiing powder to variable crust, crud and mank. Ascents with and without ski crampons. Conditions that I have yet to test: boilerplate ice and spring corn.

The Verdict

Pros: Leightweight, appropriate stiffer flex in tail, ski beautifully in soft snow. As with any light ski, will chatter some.

Cons: weaker skiers may find the skis get pushed around easily/don’t handle variable snow. Could be an effect of a somewhat narrow shovel.

The Mustagh Ata Superlight seems to be a perfect option for those looking for a do-all spring ski mountaineering ski. I’d recommend this ski for anyone looking for a lightweight setup for longer tours and/or spring conditions. Just remember, this lightweight mid-fat platform excelles at shorter radius turns and won’t provide the crud busting prowess of a ski with more mass. Remember to pair such a nicely engineered ski with the best touring binding on the market: the Dynafit ST.