The Black Diamond Helio 105 is a one-quiver kind of ski. Now, lately I’ve not been a fan of the “one-ski-quiver” idea. For me, if it’s a powder day, then I want fat boards with rocker. If it hasn’t snowed in a while, I’ll grab my all-mountain sticks that can carve groomers and bust crud. But that’s at the resort. For the backcountry, it’s pretty much a one-ski-quiver kind of situation. You can run into all kinds of snow types when ski touring, so I like skis that can float in pow, keep an edge on morning ice, carve corn like race boards, and still be light-weight enough for long approaches. So I took a loaner pair of the new-for-2016/17 BD Helio 105 skis on a yurt trip to the La Sal Mountains of Moab to see what they can do.
First, the details. The Black Diamond Helio 105 feature:
- Early-rise tip and tail with camber underfoot
- Sandwich construction
- ABS sidewalls
- Pre-preg carbon fiber layup
- Engineered balsa and flax core
- Titanal mounting plate
- ABS tail protector with skin clip tab
- Dimensions: [165 cm] 135 / 105 / 118 mm, [175 cm] 132 / 105 / 119 mm, [185 cm] 134 / 105 / 119 mm
Tester Specs: Weight – 160lbs. Height – 5′ 10″. Ski size tested – 175cm
Snow Test Conditions:
Conditions the three days we were in the La Sals were very warm, though I wouldn’t really say we were experiencing a corn cycle. A dusting of snow and graupel kept the snowpack underneath insulated, which means we had a very shallow refreeze. The days alternated between clouds and sun, which kept some aspects from corning up very quickly. Overall, we skied corn, ice, shallow recrystalized powder, graupel, frozen sastrugi, and over-saturated mush.
Set Up:
The skis were mounted with the new Fritschi Vipec Black bindings, and I wore Scarpa Freedom SL boots during the test.
The Test:
The first time I clicked into the skis was on the 3.7-mile approach to the Geyser Pass Yurt. The route follows a road that has been packed down all season by snowmobiles and a grooming machine. This made the going fast, but what really stood out to me is how light the skis are when skinning. The effect was even more pronounced wearing a 65-pound pack on my back (that’s what happens when you pack too much beer on a yurt trip.) At a meager 6 pounds, 5 ounces, I can truthfully say that I could hardly tell the skis were on my feet. In fact, my Scarpa Freedom SL boots felt like overkill and thought I might have been better off wearing my Atomic Backland Carbon boots instead for an even more light-weight setup.
After arriving at the yurt, the heavy pack came off and the touring pack went on. We skinned up Haystack Mountain on soft snow and again, the weight of the skis were hardly noticeable. I had no trouble keeping up with my faster (and more in shape) friends, and my leg muscles didn’t get fatigued at all. Climbing the final pitch to Haystack’s summit requires a boot pack, so I strapped the skis to my pack. Again, I marveled at the feather weight of the skis.
On the descent, we encountered good corn snow that was perhaps a bit saturated. The skis started out like champs, carving small turns at first as I felt them out for the first time. As I gained confidence, I made larger arcs at faster speed. I immediately noticed how the flatter, still tails quickly flick the skis from turn to turn, a much different effect than a ski like, say, the Black Diamond Amperage. As I lost elevation and the snow got softer, my confidence in the front of the skis went too far and I sunk a tip into the snow. This, of course, sent me into a ballet-style leg spin followed by an epic face-plant. Bonus points went to the fact that I also landed on my chest pack carrying an SLR camera – that felt great on my sternum. So, first impression is that the Helio 105 is not a “fun-shape” like the Amperage. Rather, it is more of a precision backcountry ski that gets the job done without fuss. That, and I had to change my skiing style a bit. Without a massive, rockered tip, I needed to ease off the throttle and stay more centered on the skis to keep the tips above snow level to avoid another breath-losing crash.
Second day was a big touring day. 12 miles total with an elevation gain nearing 6,000 feet or so. We first climbed and skied Manns Peak. The corn was perfect, and my second descent on the Helio 105 went much better. I accepted the ski’s personality and railed down the peak’s east face. After two laps there, we returned to the yurt at 4 p.m. and I wasn’t even tired. Could it be the weight of the skis staving off fatigue? Whatever the case, we went for a tour to Mount Mellenthin and made it 1/3 of the way up before turning around due to the late hour.
But this descent was the biggest test for the skis. The snow was a mix of rock-hard sastrugi alternating with graupel pools. I figured these carbon sticks would get tossed around worse than feather pillows at a sorority sleepover. Boy was I wrong. In the hard, uneven stuff the skis stayed locked to the ground and tracked where I pointed them. Sure, any ski will deflect in such challenging stuff, but the Helio 105 did extremely well, edging where, by rights, they should not have. The graupel pools gave me a break, and it was there that I also got a sense of their powder capabilities. Unfortunately, I never got to test these skis in true powder conditions, but the 2 inches of graupel gave hints of what it would be like. And I likey. They felt smooth, and I could press into the front of the skis just enough to stay afloat while not overpowering the tips like I did the day before. Overall, I came away very impressed at how these skis performed in all manner of snow, both crappy and delightful.
Our final day at the yurt, we went back for more Haystack goodness. The east face was the best spot for morning sun, and the aspect delivered again. Fully committed to the Helio 105, I went all out for our last run of the trip. The snow was a bit hard as we skied the face a little early for the best corn timing. But the skis stayed glued to the snow, edging comfortably and only chattering occasionally when I failed to transition my turns quick enough.
The Good: Light weight, solid construction, stiff and burly with surprisingly good stability for a carbon ski, proficient in all conditions.
The Bad: Not the most fun ski out there, but one-ski-quivers rarely are. They ski all conditions well, but never excel at just one thing. These skis are a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
Final Word: The Black Diamond Helio 105 skis are a true one-ski-quiver for backcountry skiers looking for planks that can do it all. These skis will take you miles into the mountains, and ski down whatever you tell them to with nary a backwards glance. Bottom line is, I’ve not experienced a pair of carbon skis that are as stable as these. The lack of deflection is very impressive. They are stiff, damp, playful, maneuverable, and light enough to allow you to ski and skin all day. It’s very possible that the Helio 105 is Black Diamond’s best ski yet.
While the new Helio series is slated for release in time for the 2016/17 season, a limited number of Helio 105 skis are now available at select retailers like backcountry.com. Get a pair now and be ready when the snow flies this fall.
Looks like an awesome trip.
How did you like the sizing? I’m about your size 5’11” and 170lbs. I usually ski a 180 to 185 cm ski, so going down to 175 seems short. On the other hand, 185 is a long touring ski.
Yea, for touring the 175 worked for me. I’m the same way… I usually go with skis in the 180-185 range for resort skiing, but run shorter for touring… mostly to make it easier to kick turn on sketchy switchbacks. I never felt like I wasn’t getting enough power from these skis in the 175 size.
Thanks for the review. It is really helpful!