Showing results for "heel piece"

Ski Mountaineering often takes an individual to isolated peaks far from any established trailheads. To ensure the best chance of success, alpine starts (e.g., getting up waaaay too early) and lightweight gear can be the difference between getting there on time versus fifteen minutes too late and finding the route impassible (which as the kids say, “is a real bummer”). To address th..

A pika is a cute mountain rat. The Plum Pika is a cute alpine touring binding. Both are known to thrive at altitude so let’s start by avoiding confusion. Adding this item to your shopping cart will net you beautifully machined ski touring bindings and not a “whistling hare” (pikas often sound a high-pitched alarm when burrowing). Made in France, the Pika is a lightweight AT bind..

As race bindings got lighter and lighter over the years, your options for release values started shrinking. In other words, you got a fixed release system and it either worked for your or it didn’t. The engineering maniacs at ATK were the first to reverse that trend, offering multiple spring strengths in the Trofeo, for example. Similarly, in the uber-light titanium realm, ATK birt..

In touring bindings, features and weight seem to have an inverse relationship. This is not the case with the Dynafit Blacklight binding. Packed with sensible features without tipping the scales, the Blacklight is a workhouse that will giddy up on just about any setup. Looking for adjustable lateral release? The Blacklight has you covered. Need a reasonable number of risers? Check. ..

Salomon's MTN Summit Leash bindings have everything you need and nothing you don’t. Compared to its proven MTN Pure sibling, the Summit features a glass-infused polyamide (PA) construction, rearward travel, and adjustable lateral release. While glass-infused PA is lightweight, don't be lulled into thinking it won't perform. Glass-infused PA is a widely used material known for its d..

The excitement was palpable when we saw the first samples of the ST Touring binding from the high-end Slovenian CNC manufacturer, Slatnar. Wanting to create a high-performing and extremely durable touring binding, Slatnar drew upon their knowledge of producing World Cup and Olympic-winning ski jumping skis and bindings to do just that. Largely composed of aerograde 7075‐T651, the S..

Fritschi's Vipec Evo binding will not fold your skins for you or reach down and put your boots into walk mode, but it will allow you to free your heel without exiting your toe piece. Whether you need to traverse in a sticky situation, or are using scaled skis and it's time to climb, this slick system pulls the pins back away from your rear tech fitting with the push of a lever, fre..

Blending the performance of the popular Alpinist and Kingpin M-Werks bindings, Marker's Cruise 12 finds the middle ground between the two. The gapless design with 4mm of length compensation allows the heel piece to move backward in response to ski compression, helping to smooth over variable snow and keep release values consistent. The two riser heights are easily accessible, provi..

Holy stoppers: the Atomic Backland Tour binding with an innovative brake! Weighing in at a svelte 325g per side, this binding flaunts one of the highest feature-per-gram ratios we’ve seen. It includes all the creature comforts necessary to coax you into doing just one more lap. In addition to all the bullet points from the brakeless version, the Backland Tour + Brake offers five wi..

Update 2021/22: Salomon is now including leashes with the braked version of this binding. That means this binding is no different than purchasing the brakeless version and adding brakes. In fact, you now have to do just that to buy these: please go to our listing for the MTN Pure and add brakes as an accessory option to receive the same price as this combo. You will see a package d..

Like the Ugly Duckling that grows to be a beautiful swan, the Fritschi Tecton has always stood out from other tech bindings. And like The Little Engine That Could, it exceeds all expectations of what traditional pin bindings are capable of. Thanks to the ingenious design of the toepiece, the lateral release occurs at the toe instead of the heel, which is designed to protect your an..

You flock to the backcountry because you don’t want to follow rules or be told what to do. Ski touring allows you to set a skintrack and go where you want. In the backcountry, there aren’t ski patrollers telling you to slow down or restricting where you can go. So, if you’re the type of skier who goes to remote places and enjoys popping off features while getting down the mountain ..

We could all use a multi-functional ski binding that is lightweight and simple. Dynafit has the hook-up with the Superlite 150 binding. If you're looking for the simplicity of a race binding, but maybe with just a little more panache, this elegant piece of engineering will end up in your shopping cart. The Superlite 150 is a thoughtfully designed ski touring binding with an adjusta..

If you can’t see the point of skiing unless you leave the ground or go at least a measly 50mph, the Dynafit ST Rotation 14 is your binding. Dynafit has taken their super consistent, bomb-proof, TÜV-certified Rotation 10 binding and cranked it up to 11 14. This binding is ideal for the skier who is getting super rowdy in the backcountry and cannot risk pre-releasing, but also might ..

Nothing goes better with those smile-inducing DPS skis than a pair of DPS bindings! From the factories of legendary binding manufacturer ATK, comes the DPS R10 binding. Much like the acclaimed Pagoda skis, the R10 is also fully featured without being a burden. Lightweight construction with three walk modes means you'll get to the top without a hitch. And the downhill? Well, let's j..

Dynafit's Low Tech Race binding...now with brakes! While that may not sound exciting to racers used to skiing without brakes, you better get excited if you want to race in ISMF sanctioned races going forward. With rules phasing in starting in the 2021/22 season, you may need to tick the brake box on a gear check. It's also not the worst idea to have brakes if you're doing hot laps ..

The Hagan Core 12 Pro has been a crowd favorite for those wanting a highly functional binding at a minimal weight. Not ones to sit idle, the folks at Hagan have been devising ways to better this already proven design. Their answer comes in the form of the Hagan Core 12 Evo, which we think could be characterized as evolutionary rather than revolutionary. To start, Hagan kept the sam..

Like the renaissance in Europe, we too, as the backcountry skiing community, are experiencing a renaissance in technology after enduring the dark, dark years that saw the usage of such torture devices known as “frame bindings.” Front and center in this rebirth is ATK, who with their introduction of the Raider series, delivered a durable and lightweight binding that could satisfy th..

The Revolution World Cup binding by ATK is their ultimate race binding - pushing double digits of grams per ski. But while other ultralight race bindings go as simple as possible to reach that coveted 100g mark, ATK rose to the challenge and produced a race binding that is competitively lightweight AND packed full of ATK's patented technology. With that in mind, which features shou..

Built on ATK's Haute Route Plus platform, the DPS L10 is for those wanting to venture far from the trailhead, but with the creature comforts of a more featured binding. With two heel risers, you can find just the right climbing height, making short work out of ridiculously steep skin tracks. The Cam Release System provides an easy step-in and also allows for an adjustable vertical ..

Salomon’s first tech binding, the MTN. If you think it looks an awful lot like the Atomic Backland, that’s because it is. The companies are related, meaning you can ensure proper color coordination on your setup with identical functionality. If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, your skiing will likely be just as good. The MTN binding is light, fully featured, and fool..

Long lines, crowded parking lots, boring terrain, tracked-out snow, and expensive lift tickets are common reasons to avoid ski resorts. Despite these drawbacks, the ease of chairlift skiing often entices skiers to partake of the lift-serviced goods from time to time. When the inevitable boredom sets in, locals and determined adventurers set out to find the small pockets of wild sid..

Dynafit has done it again and designed a top-end race binding from the ground up. The Dynafit DNA binding is made with super strong aluminum and is even lighter than previous Dynafit race models, which is music to our ears. The toe piece uses a new mounting pattern with wide rear holes for extra retention while squeezing the front holes together to reduce the amount of material. Th..

The Raider 13 Evo is ATK’s new flagship binding, and it’s ready to take you to the top of the mountain and get you down in just about any manner you desire. A couple of key features make it stand out from past models and the competition: automatic ski brake retraction and a toe release adjustment, respectively. After testing for a season in Europe, ATK is releasing into the US t..

The Raider Evo series sits atop the ATK throne as their flagship binding, with the Raider 11 Evo positioned to serve lighter-weight skiers. Setting itself apart from other, non-Evo Raider bindings, the Raider 11 Evo has automatic brakes and release adjustment in the toe. With non-Evo Raider bindings, the brake is deployed and locked with a manually pressed button, positioned und..

Having created the design for pin bindings as we know them today, Dynafit has rightfully been associated with durable and long-lasting tech binding designs that perform at the highest level. With the Ridge binding, Dynafit continues this proud tradition but with an increased emphasis on user-friendliness. Generally, most braked bindings require the heel piece to be rotated 90-180° ..

While the Caribou in the great herds of the Arctic tundra are gentle, migratory herbivores, the Plum Karibou 12 binding is a predator on the mountain, wanting to attack every descent. The burliest binding that Plum manufactures, the Karibou is made for charging and freeriding with no holds barred. What sets it apart from the rest of Plum's lineup is the 8mm elastic response system ..

Built for the hardest chargers amongst us, the Freeraider 15 Evo is designed to provide the confidence needed to send it in the backcountry, while still being friendly to haul far away from the trailhead. Setting itself apart from other Raider bindings is the adjustable toe piece and Evo Brake system. With the adjustable toe piece, we should note it shouldn't be thought of as a ..

An enhanced version of the Revolution WC binding, the Revolution Brake WC is designed for those seeking the podium, albeit with an insurance policy in case their high-speed straight line doesn’t go quite according to plan: ski brakes. This also makes the binding compliant with ISMF races that require brakes. To help save valuable seconds while the clock is ticking, ATK uses their s..

The best of both! La Sportiva combined the lightness and stiffness of the Hi-Cube cuff with the easy-fitting, comfortable Sytron lower. This makes the Raceborg an excellent race boot that walks and skis like a dream. Since the lower shell is Grilamid, it can be punched and stretched to help with problem areas on the foot, unlike the Stratos. Unlike the Sytron, it doesn’t have a ful..

Dynafit is turning skimo race bindings inside out. Literally. Instead of a binding clamping onto your boot, with the P49 system your boot expands to click into a solid block of metal. It’s a revolutionary new tech-system designed to be the fastest race binding possible. P49 is short hand for “Project 49”, and at a wee smidge over 49g per side the binding weighs less than half that ..

If Dynafit made a Venn diagram of its (non-race) ski boot lineup, one circle would feature the beloved TLT8 Expedition boot, known for being lightweight, efficient, and capable of big days in the mountains. The other circle would be the Hoji Free 130 boot. These aggressive, huck-your-meat, stiff-as-a-2x4 boots have proven to be a delight for the freeriders who earn their turns (and..

If you appreciate innovation and free speed, then pay close attention; the future is here. Dynafit’s partnership with Pierre Gignoux, a highly decorated French skimo racer and mad boot-scientist, has been fruitful. The DNA Pintec boot is a wonder to behold. Pintec is a tech-system that enables crazy weights, super-fast transitions, and better responsiveness. Take the traditional..

While you should never compare yourself to others, you can definitely compare the Raceborg II against its predecessor. Losing the cable-actuated ski/walk mechanism and instead using a more traditional design, the Raceborg II is quick to transition and gains reliability relative to its forebear. The 75° range of motion and light carbon fiber cuff make for an excellent climbing platf..

Dedicated ski-mountaineering racers need a boot as serious as their ambitions, allowing them to perform at the absolute highest levels without restriction. With its masterful construction, exceptional performance, and meticulous attention to detail, the Stratos VI is such a boot. Improving and building upon prior generations of Stratos boots, the Stratos VI uses a traditional si..