Late in spring 2016, at the Austrian resort of Kühtai our team of expert ski testers spent a week riding and rating over 100 pairs of skis. Every major brand was represented, in every category, for all abilities. The 100 were painstakingly whittled down, and winners decided for the all mountain category.
HEAD STRONG INSTINCT | £400 
BEST FOR Intermediate lighter all-terrain skiers wanting piste power.
Despite the non-traditional composite core, first impressions of Head’s Strong Instinct live up to its name. Stable and powerful, you can turn the volume up quickly and feel secure with these. For lighter weight men, the Instinct is an ideal on-piste, high-octane ski that is happy to take on deeper snow if and when it can. There’s a question mark over the response for larger chaps who might like a heavier ski though. Edge hold on hard-packed snow is solid, with a nice rebound making the Instincts playful and responsive in both short and long radius turns.
The Instincts are not afraid to go fast either, so providing you’re capable and conditions allow, then the only limit will be your ability.
VERDICT
A capable all-mountain ski which will happily take on any type of terrain and descent with confidence.
DYNASTAR POWERTRACK 79 CA XPRESS | £350
BEST FOR All-mountain do-it-all recreational and advanced skiers.
The Powertrack is designed to take skiers from piste to powder (and everything in between) with ease and finesse. it doesn’t disappoint, with a huge ‘sweet spot’ right under the feet, making turning on all kinds of terrain accessible for skiers of all levels.
The shape and dimensions allow easy turning but also excellent edge grip on harder packed snow – they are not classic ‘carvers’ and rather prefer a more pivot style of turn, but this extends their versatility across the mountain, from moguls, to chopped up snow and powder. You still need to do the work, but these skis will help you out more than most.
VERDICT
Recreational to advanced skiers after a great value, do it all, easy, all mountain ski need look no further.
VÖLKL FLAIR 78 | £475 
BEST FOR Expert all-mountain ladies who want to blaze the pistes
For ladies who like to ‘launch’ themselves down the mountain, the flair will light their way, whatever speed they fancy ramping things up to.
There’s a powerful feel to the turns that the steel sidewall seems to enhance but despite the aggressive nature of the skis, they are easy to turn at low speeds too, making them suitable for skiers looking to start off with a ski and grow better and more confident with it. As you’d expect from a Völkl, the edge grip on groomed and hard-pack snow is fantastic, and in short turns, the response is super quick. You don’t need to hang around in the long radius turns either, these skis are made to go fast, just hold on tight and let them run.
VERDICT
A powerful, hard-turning, fast ski which can handle slow turns and won’t embarrass you in the powder.
SALOMON X-DRIVE 8.3 | £500
BEST FOR Advanced to expert men set to attack the whole mountain.
We have always liked the X-Drive range and it is still holding up in the all mountain category a couple of years after it first launched.
For an advanced skier who mostly sticks to the groomed runs, likes to carve smooth long radius turns at all speeds but then feels the need to jump into the powder when it’s available, it is ideal. But it is also forgiving enough to allow less experienced skiers who want to progress to higher technical levels the chance to improve.
The X-Drive is a decent all-rounder, fun to use in all conditions and holds an edge extremely well on hard pack snow, as well as being happy to chunk through any choppy stuff .
VERDICT
A versatile all-rounder with performance enough for experts yet forgiving enough for improvers.
K2 MARKSMAN | £450
BEST FOR Experts ripping up the whole hill and intermediate cruisers!
K2 has once again hit the target with the Marksman. It performed at the highest levels when really pushed hard and was forgiving in nature when things mellowed out. These skis are definitely more of a high-powered rifle than a child’s air gun though.
At 106mm under the boot, the all-mountain ready Marksman gives a great ride on piste, even if you never intend to take it anywhere else.
But this rebel really wants to play off -piste. It is super easy to turn, very playful, responsive and so much fun over lumps, bumps and jumps you’ll have a powder smile on your face even when there’s none to be found. Its twin tip shape means you can perfect your switch landings too!
VERDICT
Advanced and expert skiers looking for freestyle riding ‘style’ will love the Marksman; intermediate cruisers too!
BLIZZARD QUATTRO 8.0 W TI | £520
BEST FOR Ambitious women piste skiers looking to dominate the pistes.
As in the men’s version, you’ll find a sandwich wood core with a metal plate that provides stability and strength, so they perform well in both short and long radius turns – snappy in the former and smooth and silky in the latter. They do feel most at home on groomed runs though, but in line with the All-Mountain tag they handle well in moguls and variable terrain up to a certain point – deep powder is not their preferred choice.
Because they are fairly versatile, we think they will be well suited to women who are confident on most ski runs but want to improve their carving and try some varied terrain around the mountain – without heading into the steep and deep off piste.
VERDICT
A high-performing carving ski for mainly groomed pistes that can take up mixed terrain but not powder.
ROSSIGNOL TEMPTATION 80 W | £475
BEST FOR All-mountain adventures for intermediate women.
Three models in the Temptation range cover the all-mountain base for Rossignol Skis’ women specific offering – the 80 being the one in the middle and the most versatile. The Temptation feels lightweight on piste, making it easy to turn and highly responsive, the combination of a light wood core and ‘Auto Turn Rocker’ making it feel like it is turning for you.
Having 80mm under the ski boot means that it can handle a bit of exploration too, and providing you’re
not looking to nail some epic freeride lines, the Temptation will happily take you off -piste in most conditions, including the deep stuff.
VERDICT
A solid, all-mountain, go-anywhere women’s ski for intermediates that’s excellent value for money as well.
BLIZZARD QUATTRO 8.0 TI | £500
BEST FOR Advanced to expert men looking for a fast, dependable ski
Blizzard Skis’ new Quattro is one of our favourite all-mountain skis of the year despite looking like KITT from the ‘80s TV show Knight Rider in ski form.
But instead of talking back at you, it gets on with gliding over every surface you might face.
Serious grip during short and long radius turns on hard pack snow make them appealing to advanced skiers, while they purr at low speed and roar through the choppy stuff.
Inside you’ll find a sandwich wood core with a metal plate that provides stability and strength to the skis. This 8.0 model drops the carbon, which reduces the price and perhaps tones down the responsiveness a little – but certainly not the overall performance.
VERDICT
A great choice for aggressive or mellow skiers who want to push themselves over the whole hill.
FISCHER PRO MTN 77 | £360
BEST FOR Piste riding recreational skiers hankering for powder.
There are four models in the range with the 77 version being geared towards a recreational skier, possibly looking to buy their first set of skis. Naturally, it is relatively easy to steer in the turn initiation phase, but there’s a surprisingly tasty grip in the tail that provides oodles of confidence on harder packed snow.
Despite falling into our all-mountain category, essentially the 77 waist makes them more suited to groomed pistes than deep powder – but they are more than capable of handling variable terrain should you feel the need to leave the comfort zone. We found the Pro Mtn 77 particularly forgiving in loose, chopped up snow and smaller sized moguls.
VERDICT
An excellent value package if you are buying your first skis and curious to dip off the edge of the piste.
NORDICA SENTRA S4 EVO | £380
BEST FOR Intermediate piste ladies looking to carve the mountain.
The Sentra series from Nordica is a new women’s range of skis targeted at on-piste skiers and there are models for all abilities. The S4 is aimed at those who can ski parallel turns on red runs, but want to improve technique and carve the mountain.
With a 72mm waist, they are not designed for deep snow, so the all-mountain label applies more to the groomed slopes and moguls.
What they do have is genuine versatility in these areas, with the ability to hold and edge on hard-pack snow and suck up bumpy terrain. Although easy to steer, more advanced skiers won’t dismiss the performance and this is what makes them ideal for a skier who wants to really improve.
VERDICT
An excellent first ski package for light intermediate skiers looking to attack the whole front side of the mountain.
