DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 Review

Other than the relatively poor firm snow performance, there is little remarkable about the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 – this may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it's actually a good thing. These are the skis you want for the type of backcountry skiing you fantasize about, big days on soft snow in wild terrain. They're even reliable when the snow gets sloppy or crusty; however, they are not what you want on your feet for corn skiing or otherwise firm-snow conditions.

Performance Comparison

Weight

For years now, the skis we generally recommend to any backcountry skier weighs right around 1500 grams. This seems to be the sweet spot for optimizing downhill performance, especially in soft snow. For folks seeking wider-ranging adventures – especially at a faster pace – we steer toward skis that weigh something between 1200-1300 grams. We tested the Pagoda Tour CFL 105 in 179 cm, and on our calibrated scale, each ski weighed an even 1536 grams – that's equivalent to 3068 grams, or 6.8 pounds for the pair. Although we can't call these Pagoda skis lightweight in light of smaller-waisted skis, they strike the optimal balance for the downhill-motivated, human-powered skier.

Firm Snow

The Pagoda Tour CFL 105 is simply not the ski you choose for firm snow. In regions where midwinter skiing often means wind-pressed surfaces – like the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park – you'll want to choose a different ski. You should even choose something else for skiing springtime corn. The CFL 105 will do fine on firm, tracked-out runs below treeline, and it will skitter along groomed or packed-out cat roads to get you home. But these are not the skis to use on a steep, runnelled, springtime ski mountaineering descent.

Powder

Most people get backcountry skis, in the first place, to hunt down powder snow. The CFL 105 are excellent powder touring skis, but not necessarily for their performance in a deeply trenched turn. We recommend these because they take care of you when you have to really work for those powder turns. We appreciate this relatively lightweight ski when the powder hunt requires long uphill slogs or necessitates navigating tougher snow conditions before or after getting the goods. And when you are blessed with what you seek, the CFL 105 will put a smile on your face.

Crud and Poor Snow

For the weight and dimensions, all of our testers agree that the CFL 105 does well in less-than-ideal snow conditions. Whether you're navigating sloppy “mashed potatoes” or breakable crusts, this ski still easily makes standard ski turns, even if you have to temper your technique to the difficult conditions. Eventually, of course, you'll come across survival skiing situations in the backcountry. Even in these cases, the CFL 105 keeps up. Tips didn't grab breakable crusts, nor did they dive unreasonably below heavy snow, and we were even able to keep the edges tracking (at least as much as conditions allowed).

Stability at Speed

The Pagoda Tour CFL 105 aren't super high-octane skis – they are designed more for short-radius turns typical of classical backcountry skiing. This is especially true when the snow is firmer. In these conditions, you won't do well if you let them run because they won't be able to shut down your speed very quickly. Even in good, soft snow, where the CFL 105 excels, our testers agreed that there was a speed limit for these skis.

Should you Buy the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105?

For the human-powered skiing most of us dream of – long descents in comfortably deep powder snow – the Pagoda Tour CFL 1055 is fantastic. If your travel patterns put you in soft snow for a meaningful amount of time, these are great all-around touring skis. But if your normal rhythms of ski touring involve skiing firm snow with regularity, you'll have to justify buying a second pair of backcountry skis. Considering the price point of the CFL 105, this could be a difficult proposition.

What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?