This ski was graced with some updated graphics since our testing period, but nothing in the construction of the ski itself has changed. See the new top sheets in the image above.
October 2019These are definitely an outlier product in our overall review. As narrow, short, light ski mountaineering skis, these could be seen as one of the most specialized product we have assessed. We hope, though, that we can paint a positive picture that broadens the appeal of these skis and others like them. On the spectrum of backcountry skis, these are actually as useful and important as much heavier skis.
Weight is king. It is the primary determinant of uphill skiing performance. The majority of your backcountry skiing day is spent going uphill. We feel that we wouldn't be wrong to prioritize this scoring metric at greater than 50%. However, that would be aggressive and a bit controversial, so we weight our metrics the way we have; downhill attributes make up 75% of the score, with uphill attributes making up 25%. If we flipped that script (more in line with how you spend your time backcountry skiing), the Backland UL 78 would come out on top of the whole chart, easily. Light skis are easier to move up the mountain. If its easier to move them up the mountain, you have more energy and more time to go downhill. If you can go downhill more, isn't that a win? Of course, we realize the flaws in this logic, but we also know the advantages of truly super light backcountry skis.
You don't choose these skis to go downhill fast; these are for going uphill fast. These might enable an ascent rate of 1.5x your typical ski touring set up. However, that typical ski touring setup will go downhill at 2x the speed of these Atomic award winners. If downhill speed is important to you, these are not for you. The lightweight, short length, and narrow platform needs to stay on edge and under angulation. These are not particularly fast skis.
As long as you keep the speeds reasonable, these are great ice skis. Hard snow rewards patience and narrow skis; you provide the patience and technique, and these little rockets will edge all you need. The steepest ski lines ever ridden, at least those done in firmer conditions, have been done on skis of these dimensions. We took advantage of a January 2019 high-pressure spell to ski 50 deg couloirs on the Atomic Backland 78. We noticed literally no disadvantage with these skis when the snow was hard.
We draw a distinct line between the performance of the UL 78 on hard snow. If it is slow and technical, these are right in the mix with the others. If it is faster carving, the big guns will do better. Hop turns on ice in steep terrain are exactly where the UL 78 excels.
Powder skiing isn't why you choose these skis. However, we are absolutely certain that you would be surprised at the performance of the Backland UL 78 (in truly perfect powder with technique that is sound… both of these things are rarer than you might first think). Of course, if it is deep and heavy enough or flat enough, bigger skis will float and cruise better than the Backland UL 78. Those conditions and that terrain, though, isn't the perfect powder slope we look for. On 25-40 degree, light, graduated powder slopes (the sweet spot, for sure) and with good, centered powder skiing technique, you might not be able to distinguish the short radius turns of a skier on these vs. on bigger skis.
This is the real Achilles of these little wonders. Light and narrow is the exact opposite of what makes for high-end bad snow performance. Atomic adds rocker and side cut, but they're just going to get pushed around no matter what. It is your patience and technique that will get you down and through breakable crust and bottomless slop. You'll revert to snowplow and christie turns between long traverses, and you'll like it. Or else.
On slopping spring ski tours, exiting through the shaded forests of lower altitude Teton Pass, Wyoming, the Atomic Backland dives and bogs down where the longer and wider options float higher.
These aren't super expensive, but they are specialized tools. Dedicated, high-tempo ski tourers will justify these as a quiver tool for those massive vertical days.
