Built for skiers who rack up laps, the Black Diamond Ascension Skins are durable nylon climbing skins with grippy traction and sticky, easy-to-rip glue. Pre-attached tip and tail hardware and a drag-reducing tail make setup simple once you trim them to width. On the skin track, that means confident grip on steep switchbacks and quick transitions at the top.

Why we like it:

The glue balance. Black Diamond's adhesive grabs hard on the ski when you need it and still rips off cleanly at transitions, which matters a lot by the fifth lap of the day.

Features and Functions:

The plush is durable nylon, chosen for benchmark climbing traction and efficient glide with high packability, and it backs onto Black Diamond's Gold Label glue, which is designed to stick when needed but rip quickly when it's time to transition. A reinforced tip loop fits a wide range of ski tip shapes, and the updated STS adjustable tail gives you a generous range of length adjustment to fine-tune fit. The tail is pre-cut in a bikini style to reduce drag, and both tip and tail attachments come pre-fixed. The skins come in fixed lengths matched to your ski, at a 135mm width that you trim to your ski's profile.

Bottom Line:

The Ascension is Black Diamond's workhorse skin for daily backcountry use, from one-lap dawn patrols to big-vert days. If traction and durability top your list, it's a reliable, long-lasting pick.