Black Diamond´s new model for the 2017-18 season. The Route 105 are lightweight all mountain skis that are 105mm wide and use the same mould as the Helio, but weigh in just a little heavier. We can place them in any category including Freeride, All Mountain and Touring, due to their width, weight and versatility and we discover they feel at home in all of them.
The rocketed tip and tail, 105mm width and traditional camber under foot gives the Route 105 unsurpassed float in deeper snow conditions. Combine this with a natural flex from tip to tail and you get the kind of poppy, fun experience you'd expect from high-end piste skis. We found them stable at higher speeds in deep snow - incredibly easy to slow down and pivot at slower speeds, handy for getting through those tighter spaces in the trees.
In variable conditions - bumps, powder, cut up crud, they eat the snow up as if it is not even there, just making the job so easy. They're a real treat to ski on.
We didn't get the opportunity to experience the Route 105 in touring mode, but we're convinced they would do the job well. Not pure touring skis considering the large waist size, but with the right set up, they'd provide a steady balance between going up and coming back down again during short tours in search of great terrain.
On groomed slopes, they perform surprisingly well for skis of this shape and size - stable enough at higher speeds, although occasionally produce that glassy sound we know lighter weight skis can when on the harder packed piste.
If you're looking for touring skis and can't quite reach the price of the Helio, then the new Range is a good alternative without too much compromising on the kind of high-end construction that you'd expect from Black Diamond.
