Ski Trab Gara Titan Binding

How advisable (or reckless) would it be to piece together a franken-binding consisting of a Gara Titan toepiece and an ATK Haute Route heelpiece?

Skitrab seems to have the best toepiece in the game with the sans-springs design but the heelpiece is rather lacking due to the U-spring and rather large delta. On the other hand, the haute route heelpiece solves both of those issues (cam-style heel pins, no u-spring, adjustable vertical and horizontal release and a nice low pin height).

Would I be risking my cruciate ligaments if I gave this combo a shot on a light spring ski?

Is it possible to swap the springs in these between the 4, 4.5, 5mm options trab offers? If so, do you sell the springs?

Hi,

I have the gara's and the toe piece seems to be popping out of walk mode and back into ski mode while i am skinning, has anyone experienced that before. i haven't had any issue with it (yet) with the toe piece dropping into ski mode, but it is a concern i have. i've noticed too that when i ski (if the toe piece is in walk mode) it will still drop down to ski mode - which poses an entire new set of concerns.

Best race binding = best touring binding. The Trab toe is extremely durable and easy to use, and offers better retention than most toe pieces. You can skin with them unlocked as long as the snow isn't super firm and you aren't kicking too hard, which does spark joy when traveling through avalanche terrain. The heel is fine - light, simple, and fast to transition. Can even be used in flat mode in a pinch! Mount it on an adjustment plate for a more typical ~+6mm delta, or fixed for a race-worthy -1mm delta. In terms of release, I have released from these every time I needed to and have never pre-released, so I trust them. These are a great choice if you're happy with a release of around 9-10.

The toe piece design is the main draw. There are a couple things that to the list for me. No chance of icing up is huge. They just work every time. Being able to skin most winter conditions with the toes unlocked is nice for avy safety. Firm sidehilling is where I still have to lock them. The heel is adequate for high ROM boots. Before boots require a more chill skin track with only one riser.
I use these on race (64mm*162cm), spring (105*171), and pow skis (115*180). The pow skis I paired the toes with ATK Haute heels for easier step in and mentally more consistent release.

Why is the flat mode an "emergency flat mode"?

Don't you just rotate the heel piece sideways like most other flat modes out there?

I use flat mode a ton so that is important to me.

Hei! I have a pair of these lying around and was wondering if it would be sensible to put them on a pair of elan ripstics 106? I know they are really made for charging skis, but I have used this binding on many other skis and just loved them, but realize that this combination might be a bit to much to go charging with, or what do you think?
Regards, Erlend

I started with the Gara Titan Brake on race skis, and then put these on lightweight backcountry skis. These are everything I could want in a binding. The weight and durability are great. I love being able to open the binding with my hand when putting on skis in sketchy positions. The retention has also been flawless so far even with the lightest heel spring.

Hi, I'd like to build a very light yet wide skimo set based on Mistico.2 skis. I have Gara Titan bindings lying around with ATK R.01 adjustment plates. All new. Initially I wanted to get Titan Vario 2 bindings with a ski stopper but the weight does not seem to be acceptable. So here is the idea of mounting Gara Titans to the skis with or without adjustment plates. Could you advise?

Hi - I wound up re-mounting these on a pair of locator 104's bc i swapped boots this year, the heel gap is closer to 4.5mm, on a scale of 'no issue' to 'constant release' where does this land? should i be thinking about remounting these with a tighter heel gap?

Hello Skimo Co,

Has any one used the Gara bindings on Vario.2 adjustment plates to reach some kind of compromise between features and weight? With that combo, one'd have the fore-aft elasticity with a smidgeon (1-2mm?) of lateral elasticity. You could even throw on the clunky brakes, if you fancy.

If so, what was the feedback? Thanks!

This is the only binding in my quiver at the moment. I own 4 pairs on skis from 112 underfoot to my race skis. I have never had any issue with them as far as pre-releasing. I have come to replay appreciate the manual nature of these binders. The manual opening is reassuring when on steep slopes as when the ski is on your boot, you know it is. There is no faffing with the springs on the toe, since... well... there aren't any.

There's not really anymore to say; the Titan is simple, strong and lightweight. What else could you want from a binding?

I came to know about this binding mainly from the reviews on this page and it suited my requirements for gear for my project go fast and light on skis, where I could, from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide last winter.

I am a big fan of this binding. I have about 100 days on it, on snow ranging from perfect powder or full depth hoar to various crusts, hard steeps, corn, and deep slush.

I am 6', 166lbs, usually carried a 15-30lb pack. I bought this binding new with the 4.0mm spring, directly from SkiTrab, with a discount.

The performance of this tiny binding impresses me. For reference, I spent a season, about 30 days on an ATK Freeraider 14, dialed down to setting of 8, on some DPS C2s in 184cm length. It was a lot of fun, but there were a few times when I was bouncing over some wind chop and zastrugis, and a binding would prerelease. I thought that binding was one of the better freeride touring bindings. Since switching to the SkiTrab bindings, I have bounced over plenty of rough and rougher spots, and have yet to have a binding erroneously release. In my limited experience the SkiTrab bindings have the best retention of all the pin bindings. The weight to performance ratio of this binding seams unmatched.

I rarely would lock the toe when skinning. I never felt the need to lock the toe for the descent and thus never have.

I have never had icing issues with this binding, on ski traverses up to 10 days in length.

On the simple rear piece, I never had the heel flap come up by itself. I used the unofficial flat setting alot and wore down the aluminum where it rubbed on the boot.

This and the Vario.2 are the only bindings I take into the backcountry, and the only pin bindings I trust. This may not be the most aesthetic binding, but it's performance at this weight seems to be years ahead of other manufacturers.

The simplicity of these bindings leaves a strong impression, and makes everything else on the market seem bulky and overly complicated. I got the 4.5mm bar, and so far have not had any accidental releases, and thankfully haven't had any spills of significance where I wanted to release, but thus cannot review the release (I'm 5'11" and about 150lb).
Sometimes a little snow/ice has built up and made it hard to transition, but less so than most other bindings I've used. Overall, transitions have been smooth and fast. I'm usually racing up with heel risers engaged, and so simply having to flick back the heel riser and stomp down to get into descent mode without ever having to rotate the tower is pretty sweet.

Hi, what are the release values for the three spring thicknesses (5.0, 4.5 and 4.0)?

I have these bindings and I'm confused. I will pull up on the toe levers so they click twice, but this doesn't lock the binding. I've had them locked before and fallen while skinning in powder and my skies have popped off. How do you lock these bindings?

Hi. I have several sets of the older gara titan release in R12. Love that binding.
Is this pretty much the same binding? Does the heel snap back to senter in the same way as the gara titan? Does the release have the same predictibility?
Looking for some light weight bindings for a skitrab maestro and bd helio 88. Can not live without the trab toe, but does not think that I ned all the bulk on the heavyer versions..

Any word on 4.0mm springs being restocked this season? It looks like they are what test out to around an 8 ish RV

Are there any plans to offer these toes individually like you do with the heel pieces? Daydreaming about a tele weight weenie setup, so no need for the heelpiece.

I have Titan Vario.2 bindings in RV 7-9 and that release value feels about right for me (I understand it tests out around a 9). I see that they are specced with a 4.5mm steel spring. Is the 4.5mm spring on the Gara Titans the same as the spring on the Vario.2 I have? I read on this page that the 4.5 is around a 10RV and that seems a big high for me. I also have an older pair of Gara Titans and the spring just says R10 on it but it looks exactly like the 4.5mm spring on my Vario.2, and I understand race style bindings often overstate their release values somewhat so I take the "R10" marking with a grain of salt.