Another very competent mountaineering ski from Dynastar, the comapny is based at the foot of Mount Blanc so their heart is set upon Alpinism and this is a very popular past time in that part of the European Alps. The ski itself is designed to be a specific touring ski but still have some of the qualities of a downhill alpine ski, so you will find that, although it is the size of a GS turn, the Vertical will carve a turn and will be stable enough to give you some thrills on the way down. As with all touring skis, to my knowledge and I have yet to try one any different, they are a compromise between lightness getting up the hill and trying to offer you a good ride down. In the last few years skis such as these have improved dramatically the balance on the down hill side whilst still managing to provide the lightness heading up, but still they are not quite as good as having a dedicated pair of Alpine skis but if you are a regualr ski tourer then they are definitely worth a pop.