Advice AT Bindings

[WildcatBC]

Hey guys, i'm just trying to get a little bit more active in the whole backcountry scene and i need some information on AT gear. I consider myself a very good downhill skier with a serious racing background. So what i'm looking for is an AT binding that i will feel comfortable with when i'm aggressively downhill skiing. I don't need something thats going to be successful in the park and i don't need something that is going to survive a 30 foot huck. I'm talkin about something that will easily survive an aggressive run down dodge's or the grand duchess or something. i was looking at the Fritschi explore binding due to cost issues, but with a din of only 3-10 i don't really know how much i trust it. If anyone has some advice for me in this particular area i would really appreciate it.

Opinions on Alpine Trekkers would be appreciated too.

[bobpratl]

Hi,
You might want to check this out:
http://www.couloirmag.com/mfgs/dynamic_mfgarticlepg.php?articleID=267

I presently have two setups with Naxo 01 and one with Freeride. I gave up silverettas as they broke coming down the GOS.
Bob

[astrotech]

Both the Fritschi and the Naxo bindings are used by BC skiers who ski more aggressively and both seem to have a pretty good track record in the field so far.
Dynafit bindings, while they may look flimsy, are actually pretty durable and can take a lot of abuse. Kit Deslauries skied from the summit of Everest and down the Lhotse Face in a pair of Dynafits. They also save a lot on weight.
Alpine Trekkers seem to fill a niche market for people who want to try BC skiing and don't want to invest heavily in new gear, or for people who straight line 50 degree couloirs in the Chugach. The drawback with these is you take a BIG weight hit.
I started on a pair of Fritschi Freerides and they served me very well, since then I have become a big believer in Dynafits. Also keep in mind that you will most likely be skiing more conservatively in the backcountry than you do in a resort.

Hope that helps some.

[RR]

.....but with a din of only 3-10 i don't really know how much i trust it. If anyone has some advice for me in this particular area i would really appreciate it.

Opinions on Alpine Trekkers would be appreciated too.Fritschi Freeride and Naxo NX21 are the shizzle for stiff boots and baddass lines on big stix. Dynafits seem popular....but I won't go there until I'm 170lbs or less or 65 years old, whichever comes first.

Freerides and the NX21 bindings have respectable DINs and they perform. Pay extra, get more...that is all.

Trekkers put you so much higher above the ski that every time an edge digs in a little bit extra you get either knock-kneed or bow-legged in a hurry...in short, being so high off the ski it's a constant battle to maintain stability. For short hauls that is okay...skinning in to the GOS on trekkers would suck!

[kfarrar]

Next year there will be the Marker Duke.

That will be interesting.

[RR]

Here is a picture of the Marker Duke:
http://www.couloirmag.com/mfgs/marker/07/duke_top_view_450px.jpg

specs may be:
Weight: 400g/pr (heavier than Naxo N21)
Max DIN: 16
MSRP: $429

From a mountaineering perspective, the weight of the Duke is a clear compromise. So to is the mode switch, which requires the user to remove their boot from the binding to change from locked heel to tour mode. But it provides two nice side benefits. The way the binding changes modes is to slide the entire binding to the rear, allowing it to disengage from tracks in the front and back. Those tracks provide a solid connection between the binding and the ski throughout the entire length of the binding, which is a key element in the solid feel it delivers for downhill control.

The other side benefit is that moving the binding to the rear puts the pivot point for touring at the strategic balance point of the ski. This allows the ski tips to easily float when breaking trail, or the tails to be dropped when executing a snap-kick turn.

It even comes with a two-position climbing bar. Unfortunately, it is not easily engaged with your ski pole, but this is a small compromise to make to address the common concerns about downhill performance that prevent so many free ride skiers from trying AT gear. Perhaps the most important feature is one we tend to overlook, boot compatability. The Duke works with standard alpine resort boots, or touring boots.

[ATP]

The problem with the Explore isn't that DIN 10 isn't enough for tough lines, it's that a spring that maxes out at DIN 10 will likely prerelease at DINs 9 and 10. The Fritschi Freeride and NAXO 21 have the reputation as the bomber bindings for such applications, and they both allow you to use your standard alpine boot, which I think this is the biggest consideration for agressive skiing on sketchy lines.

I don't think Dynafit bindings would hold you back at all. They've lengthened the pins in recent years, which allows it to be skied pretty damn agressively, and they're almost entirely steel, so they are in many ways more durable than any other AT binding (30-foot cliff hucking aside). However, pretty much the only dynafit compatable 4-buckle boots are the Megaride and the Dynafit Freeride Aero. The Megaride is a good compromise between touring and turning, in my opinion. I've been using the non-dynafit GRide as my regular boot, but I've just about broken down to get some real alpine boots for better performace when riding a lift. The 4-buckle Dynafit Freeride Aero boot got excellent reviews in Backcountry this year, but it's new, so I don't have a strong sense for how it compares to your alpine boots. Try it on, and if you think it works, there's no reason in my mind not to go with Dynafits.

[WildcatBC]

The problem with the Explore isn't that DIN 10 isn't enough for tough lines, it's that a spring that maxes out at DIN 10 will likely prerelease at DINs 9 and 10. The Fritschi Freeride and NAXO 21 have the reputation as the bomber bindings for such applications, and they both allow you to use your standard alpine boot, which I think this is the biggest consideration for agressive skiing on sketchy lines.

Okay i hear what your saying but i only ski around a 7 din setting on my normal apline skis. I'm pretty small, like around 115 or 120 pounds. So with that little bit of information are you still saying that the explore would not be a good choice?
The only reason i am looking at the explore is the price issue. i'm kinda short on money but would still like to get all this gear before spring time so that i can enjoy it when the good conditions come around. Also does anyone know if ragged mountain and IME are carrying anything good?

[Justin]

The problem with the Explore isn't that DIN 10 isn't enough for tough lines, it's that a spring that maxes out at DIN 10 will likely prerelease at DINs 9 and 10.

It's absurd that they max out a 10. I mean jeebus, one can just about walk out of their bindings at 7-8.

[ATP]

Okay i hear what your saying but i only ski around a 7 din setting on my normal apline skis. I'm pretty small, like around 115 or 120 pounds. So with that little bit of information are you still saying that the explore would not be a good choice?
The only reason i am looking at the explore is the price issue. i'm kinda short on money but would still like to get all this gear before spring time so that i can enjoy it when the good conditions come around. Also does anyone know if ragged mountain and IME are carrying anything good?


If you ski at DIN 7 and weight 120 pounds, I'd say those bindings are probably a good fit for you. Know, however, that the list price does not include brakes, which will run around $40, if you want them. You'll also have to install them.

[Justin]

Also does anyone know if ragged mountain and IME are carrying anything good?


The consignment is kinda hit or miss. I think RR has posted in the past about a silvretta score at IME for DIRT cheap.

Call 'em up.

[Randosteve]

Please understand that you can ski as aggressively as you want in the backcountry with all Dynafit binding models.

They are proven!!! :skifemcool:

[PWDR8S]

I use dynafits now for all my BC. I'm 155lb and carry 35lbs extra misc gear and they've done me very well. RR is right about having to INVEST in dynafit ready boots though. I use Mega Rides for both off and and on piste adventures. I love them... They could be stiffer but there are ways to do that outside the norm.

I don't recommend the Alpine trekkers(in this situation). I have a set and I made the mistake of using them while my foot was in repair and it just made my injury worse thus screewing up my season. Tricky going they are. Short distances... OK but not for serious 45min+ BC touring to get to the goods.

I've done my homework on the others... Fristchi Freerides and Naxo21 and would've jumped on those but my focus was lightitude... I tour/mountaineer BC more thus my choice and go many more places than most would ever see. If I were to stick to proven slides,etc I might have gone for the Naxo21 instead mainly because of it's stronger nature. You might get by with the ones you were looking at but don't forget to add all the extra winter gear weight you'll have as well.

Good luck. :cool:

[skiyak777]

I've used Fritschi's and Dynafits, and they will both handle aggressive skiing if you click in properly. I weigh 195 and typically have them set at DIN 8. The Dynafits will handle things like 4 foot drops while you're glade skiing Jay.

While Dynafits are very light, there is a lot to be said for the step in ease of use of the Fritschis. There is a learning curve with Dynafits, and you need to religiously clean the ice out of the toepieces of your boot before clicking in or they may release unexpectedly. Its also worth noting that they are not easy to get into when you're perched on a rock hard 45 degree slope and there are no brakes on your skis (Dynafits can be used with brakes, but they suck and no weight weenie would be seen with them anyway.) There are tricks to make donning them on sketchy terrain easier, but you have to practice and be a little gymnastic.

Don't pay $425 for Fritschi's- get them for 229 euros ($300) from telemark pyrenees.