Since the last review (read it here), I’ve had the Dhaulagiris out for about 15 more days of skiing. Pass laps, Glory hikes, a few 25 Short runs, and even a couple of days riding lifts at Grand Targhee. My experiences with the skis have been very positive, they tour well, ski well, and handle a variety of conditions without being too hard to handle in most any of them. Instead of a exhaustive review of each tour, I’ll pick some highlights.
First time out on them since review part 1: a hike up Glory to ski First Turn. They’re light on the pack, narrow enough in the tail to slip into most bottom diagonal ski carry loops. On the way down, we encountered firm, wind-compacted powder. I found the skis to be very poppy and responsive in this firm snow. Coming out of a turn at speed, the skis rebounded and sometimes even lifted me out of the snow. In areas that were more wind-affected, the long rising tip stayed above surface of any difficult patches.
Next up was a tour up 25 Short. This popular, yet bigger moderate run has quite a bit of elevation gain. This being my first time there this season, the light skis were appreciated. I found they went uphill quite well, holding an edge on steeper skin tracks and side-hilling. The tips flex enough to track on uneven tracks as well. The 3,300’ of elevation gain always seems to take a long time, but the skis felt light; much lighter than some of my other setups. The snow was fantastic on the way down, light powder, without any significant density. The skis float well, without the need to consciously lean back. They’re turny, less poppy in lighter snow, and not fatiguing. Hard to beat! In the tighter trees at the bottom, they turned quickly.
Two days of skiing at Grand Targhee were a good way to get some more mileage and learn more about how the skis perform; especially on old snow, which was at times hard, bumpy, or groomed. This was where I was most surprised; part of me was expecting a ski that was light; that handled powder well, but came up short on less than perfect conditions. What I found was a ski that was quick, playful on bumpy runs, was light enough to jump-turn (I can’t jump well), and fun on groomers. I wasn’t carving perfect arcing turns on the steeper runs, but other than that, they performed very well. The days were warm and sunny, so south facing slopes became soft in the afternoons. The skis stayed above the softer snow well, were able to punch through cruddy spots, and nimble in steep off-piste sections.
In north-facing bumpy runs and trees, the DGs were quick to turn without much thought; after I was warmed up and feeling good, I felt I could visualize a line, and the skis would complete it.
One morning I hiked up Glory during a recent high-pressure system. Weather was fine on top, and the sunrise was beautiful. Conditions were stable, and the sun had been affected by inversion temperatures and days of bright sunshine. I decided to ski the Glory Bowl to assess the skis on less than perfect snow. It was less than perfect, indeed. Tracks from previous skiers were hard and chunky, and unskied snow sported a breakable crust. This type of snow is not my forte, and while the Dhaulagiris didn’t make me any better at it, they performed well enough, and didn’t give me any surprises. The long tips stayed above the surface in crust.
I’ve had my Dhaulagiris now for around a month, and am quite happy with them. Their weight make for easy touring and elevation gain, and they sport impressive surface area and float for that weight. In powder, they’re very fun, playful, and easy to ski. In mixed conditions (which we haven’t had much of this year), they’ve worked well so far. In-bounds, they’re surprisingly good, and paired with a lighter boot; a quick, and playful set up. Minus one day, they’re the only ski I’ve used since I got them. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them.
– Andy Edwards
Specifications
Sidecut top – middle – bottom
169 129 – 98 – 113
177 130 – 99 – 114
183 132 – 99 – 116
Turning Radius 19 – 17
Turning Radius 21 – 19
Turning Radius 22 – 21
Exact Weight (177) – 1,400g
Ski Core – Poplar Paulownia Core
By: Andy Edwards
Read more about Andy’s adventures at outgettinglost.com