85 mm Ski Mountaineering Ski
Atomic Backland 86 UL Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 86 UL is a ski mountaineering ski for people who spend their weekends chasing vertical. At 970 g per ski in the 165 cm it comes in under a kilogram, achieved with a poplar and caruba Ultra Light Woodcore, a carbon fiberglass layup, and a Carbon Backbone stringer running the length of the ski. The profile is the giveaway: 85 percent camber underfoot and a completely flat tail, which is built to hold an edge on firm snow and to set a skin cleanly rather than to slash powder.
Expert Review Specs and setup guidance reviewed by CCBB ski staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Ski mountaineers and long-distance tourers who put carrying weight first, on routes where firm snow and vertical gain define the day.
Consider Another Ski If
You tour for the powder. At 85 mm underfoot with 15 percent tip rocker and 970 g per ski, this ski gives up float and damping to save weight.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Uphill Efficiency
970 g per ski at 165 cm
Downhill Performance
Carbon fiberglass at 970 g per ski
Soft Snow Float
85 mm waist with 15 percent tip rocker
Firm Snow Grip
85 percent camber underfoot with a flat tail
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions118.5-85-106.5 mm (165 cm)
Turn Radius15.2 m (165 cm)
Rocker ProfileAll Mountain Rocker 15/85/0, flat tail
Core and LaminatePoplar and caruba with carbon fiberglass
SidewallDura Cap
Tip DesignHRZN 3D Backland
Skin Fit120 mm skin, all lengths
Recommended UseSki mountaineering
Why We Like It
- 970 g per ski at 165 cm puts this in genuine ski mountaineering territory, where the ski stops being the limiting factor on a big day.
- A completely flat tail holds an edge through a firm traverse and gives a tail clip something to grip, which matters more on a route than tail rocker ever does.
- 85 percent of the ski is cambered, an unusually high proportion, which is what lets a light ski still bite into a wind-scoured slope.
- The Carbon Backbone stringer stiffens the ski lengthwise so a sub-kilogram build still holds a shape through a turn rather than folding.
Best Uses
- Ski mountaineering objectives and long routes
- Spring corn and firm snow descents
- High-vertical days where weight compounds
- Steep couloirs where edge hold beats float
- Skiers pairing a light setup with a wider powder ski
Ski Selection Advice
The flat tail changes how this ski gets used. It sets a skin tail clip properly and holds an edge on a firm traverse, which is exactly what a route ski needs, but it also means the tail does not release the way a rockered tail does, so the ski wants to be steered rather than slashed. Radius runs 14.2 m at 157 cm to 17.2 m at 179 cm, and the waist moves from 84.5 mm to 86 mm across the run.
This is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, though at 970 g per ski most skiers pair it with a light pin-tech binding to preserve the weight advantage. The boot's sole norm rather than the ski decides what will mount. If the binding carries brakes they must clear 85 mm underfoot, so 90 mm is the practical minimum, but bindings at this weight are commonly brakeless and run a leash. A 120 mm skin covers every length, since the widest tail is 109.5 mm.
Length and mount guidance from CCBB ski staff. Confirm brake width against the length you order.
📏 Technical Specifications Manufacturer specs · Click to expand
Shape and Sizing
Dimensions117-84.5-105 mm (157 cm), 118.5-85-106.5 mm (165 cm), 120-85.5-108 mm (172 cm), 121.5-86-109.5 mm (179 cm)
Turn Radius14.2 m (157 cm), 15.2 m (165 cm), 16.2 m (172 cm), 17.2 m (179 cm)
Lengths157, 165, 172, 179 cm
Weight970 g per ski (165 cm)
Rocker ProfileAll Mountain Rocker 15/85/0, flat tail
Skin Width120 mm at every length, sized off the tail
Construction
CoreUltra Light Woodcore, a poplar and caruba wood core
ReinforcementCarbon Backbone, a lengthwise carbon stringer
LaminateCarbon fiberglass, no metal
ProfileAll-Terrain Profile
SidewallDura Cap sidewall, base to topsheet
Edges and Base87 degree side edge, 1.0 degree base edge, standard edge
Compare the Atomic Backland 86 UL
Backland 86 UL vs. Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
The clearest weight comparison in the line. The Atomic Backland 102 is 1,430 g per ski in the 179 cm against 970 g here in the 165 cm, and 16 mm wider. The 102 is the better ski for soft snow and general touring. The Backland 86 UL is the ski for days where the climb is the objective.
Shop the Atomic Backland 102 Alpine Ski
Backland 86 UL vs. Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
The Atomic Backland 101 is 101 mm underfoot at 1,260 g per ski in the 164 cm, 290 g heavier and considerably floatier, with a rockered tail that releases more easily. The Backland 86 UL trades that for a flat tail and a sub-kilogram weight. Terrain and objective decide it rather than skier ability.
Shop the Atomic Backland 101 Alpine Touring Ski
Backland 86 UL vs. Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
The two extremes of Atomic's touring line. The Atomic Backland 109 is 109 mm underfoot at 1,540 g per ski in the 184 cm, built entirely around float. This one is 24 mm narrower and 570 g per ski lighter, built entirely around efficiency. Very few skiers should be cross-shopping them.
Shop the Atomic Backland 109 Alpine Touring Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Atomic Backland 86 UL?
The Atomic Backland 86 UL suits ski mountaineers and tourers chasing vertical, on routes where the snow is more often firm than deep. At 970 g per ski in the 165 cm with 85 percent camber underfoot and a flat tail, it climbs efficiently and holds an edge, and it asks the skier to accept limited float.
What bindings work with the Atomic Backland 86 UL?
The Backland 86 UL is a flat ski and accepts alpine, hybrid, or pin-tech touring bindings, though a heavy binding defeats the point of a 970 g ski. What you can actually mount is set by the sole norm printed on your boot, not by the ski. Brakes, where fitted, must clear 85 mm underfoot, so 90 mm is the minimum; light pin-tech bindings are often brakeless with a leash.
Why does the Atomic Backland 86 UL have a flat tail?
Because it is a route ski rather than a powder ski. Zero tail rocker keeps the full edge in contact on a firm traverse, gives a skin tail clip a square surface to grip, and stops the tail washing out on a steep sidehill. The cost is that the tail does not release readily, so the ski wants steering rather than slashing.
What width skins does the Atomic Backland 86 UL need?
A 120 mm skin covers every length. The widest tail in the run is 109.5 mm at 179 cm, so a 120 mm skin trims down comfortably. Skins get sized off the tail rather than the waist, since the tail is the widest point a trimmed skin still has to cover.
Is 970 g per ski too light to ski properly?
It is light enough that the ski gets deflected in cut-up or refrozen snow, and that is a real limit rather than something to talk around. The Carbon Backbone stringer and 85 percent camber keep it from feeling vague on firm snow, which is where it is designed to be used. On chopped-up soft snow a heavier ski is simply better.
What length Atomic Backland 86 UL should I choose?
Four lengths from 157 cm to 179 cm run a 14.2 m to 17.2 m radius. Ski mountaineers frequently size down for weight and for kick turns on steep skin tracks, and this ski tolerates that better than a rockered ski would because the flat tail keeps effective edge length high even in a shorter size.
Our Verdict
The Atomic Backland 86 UL is a purpose-built tool and reads as one from the spec sheet. 970 g per ski at 165 cm, 85 percent camber underfoot, and a flat tail describe a ski meant for firm snow, long climbs, and objectives where every gram is carried a long way. A Carbon Backbone stringer keeps it from feeling flimsy, and the 120 mm skin fits the whole run. It floats poorly and it gets pushed around in cut-up snow, neither of which is a flaw in a ski mountaineering ski. Bought for the right day, it does its job better than any wider ski could.
Skip to content
