Ski Trab Gara Titan Binding

I have now taken these bindings on all of my spring skiing objectives and have mostly loved them. Huge shout out to the staff at Skimo for steering me to these and opening up my eyes to the amazingness of the Trab toe.

For the most part, these bindings have just worked and I have had almost no issues. The biggest positive I would point out would be how much better the toe is to get on than the normal tech toes in sketchy transition spots. I have been lifting the ski up and using my hand to put the toe on and have on numerous occasions been able to transition much faster than friends on steep terrain. The heel riser has been more than adequate paired up with the F1 LT boot.

The only negative I'd mention is sometimes in compressions skinning the back of my boot rubs against the binding in flat mode. Not sure if this is a not properly adjusted binding, or the binding itself, but something to look out for nonetheless.

These bindings are amazing. I've used them on all my skis and I absolutely love them. The toes are what everyone is talking about (they are exactly as good as stated above), but the heel piece is also pretty darn good. I think these are honestly a good set of bindings for anyone who doesn't need brakes on their bindings. The only minor complaint is that the toe lever is a little finicky to get right, but after some practice I was able to open and close the toe with only one pole.

Hi, I come out at a release value of 8 on the binding finder, and I usually ski my adjustable AT bindings at around that value. From the comments here it sounds like the 4mm steel spring version of this binding would be closest to that release value. Is that correct?

Hi,

Does anyone know what the 'ramp height' is? (The relative height of the heal pins Vs toe pin)

I prefer this to be flat and wonder if I'll need to shim the toe to achieve this.

Thanks
Rob

The one. I've used this on skis up to 116mm inbounds airing off of bumps and hitting 50 mph. I use it on all my skis actually. I have never prereleased and I have always released in crashed where I have needed to. I typically use the 4.5 steel version. I've been using them for a few years and probably have 6 sets or so and I tour 100+ days a year averaging about 60k of vert per month. These just work perfectly and I forget about my bindings which is what I want. The main difference is the default "closed" position. Others have mentioned this so I won't go further other than to say that it provides some elasticity and excellent retention. A side benefit is that in a steep icy couloir or anywhere "where it counts" is that you can depress the lever with your thumb and put it on your binding precisely rather than trying to step in on a traditional binding and potentially having it clamp and miss the pin receivers and keep faffing with it. This provides additional security in those types of situations. It's light, functional and I have zero problems with it. Highest marks, zero complaints. I will not purchase any other binding at this point. If you are skilled you can easily use your pole and pole strap to step in and even lock the toe without bending over, and the nice indent in the tow lever makes it easy to depress with a pole for exiting as well.

Ski Trab came with really brilliant idea when they made those bindings. It takes a bit of practice to get used to it but after some time they are really easy to operate and trasitions are smooth and fast. Do not pre-release, very reliable and light binding. Definitely one of the best bindings for racing.

Super impressed and happy with the titanium version. Incredibly light and easy to use. Combined with Atomic Backland 107's and Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 skins, it's a killer combo allowing for fast/efficient uphill, fast transitions, and secure downhill fun in the pow. 5 stars all around. Thanks to Skimo team for fast install. Very happy!

What is the difference between the normal and wc version? (besides the steel vs Ti u spring).

What ski crampon do you recommend for this binding mounted on the Atomic race skis?

I don't love the toe pieces. On the plus side, they do not build up ice in the springs and pre-release like other toe pieces. The immediate downside is all of the bending over (or delicate spearing with ski pole) involved in getting into one's skis. My bigger complaint is how often I come out of the toes. Without putting the toe pieces in lock mode I'm unable to kick my skis behind me to remove my skins (without accidentally kicking off the ski entirely, that is). Even when in lock mode, I still regularly pop out of the toe pieces (when falling, mostly). The long plastic lever has a tendency to slip past it's "lock" position into an upside-down floating position, which always takes some anxious finagling to get back into usable position. This seems to be happening more often as the binding gets older. I like the heel pieces, but I will not be keeping the toe pieces when I get my next pair of skis.

between gara titan and titan vario, cant really see the difference other than a few grams in weigth. Could you give some light here! and between these two and the Dynafits?
thanks

Does the Gara Titan toe use the same 30x27mm mounting pattern as the other Trab bindings?? Thanks!

What is the heel spring length (4.0, 4.5, or 5.0 mm)? I don't know which one to select.

How well does the flat mode work, when compared to something like the Hagan? It looks like they're both mounted at a 4mm spacing, and both have very minimal plastic (i.e. almost none) sticking out beyond the horseshoe, so is the flat mode performance identical?

Me: 5'10", 160lbs, type III skier. I have these mounted on my 177cm Movement Response-X, and ski them with green TLT6Ps. These are my first real race bindings, having been on the progression towards truly light gear for some time now. They're awesome. The toe is different from normal Dynafit-style toes in that it defaults to closed, you apply pressure to open it but it closes as soon as you release the pressure - there is no "locked open" mode like with most other tech toes. In practice this means you press down on the toe lever with a ski pole while entering the binding. On any sort of flat ground this is intuitive and straightforward. Like with any brakeless setup, this can be a somewhat riskier proposition on a sharp ridge or standing in a steep couloir. I have found that I am able to use my thumb to open the lever while I hold the ski in my hand in these situations, and I anyway haven't managed to have a ski run away yet!

The heel is simple and feels well constructed. There is a satisfying mechanical click into flat mode, and a single riser. The riser flap has no play in it whatsoever and stays in whichever position you put it in. I was told the RV was somewhere around 10 or 11 with my BSL / weight / skis and that seems right - I have not fallen on them a lot, and have released once when it was appropriate. The heel works with the Hagan ZR adjustment plates to save some weight over the adjustable version (at the time I purchased the setup it was cheaper also due to various sale prices)

I am 100% satisfied with this binding, it has everything I want (flat mode, low riser, the ability to go from uphill > downhill without rotating the heel piece) and nothing I don't feel I need (high risers, adjustable RV, brakes, etc). They also don't have a funky ramp angle or anything, even with the adjustment plate I stand very flat on the skis.

I'm a race binding convert after owning these... I'm curious to try some of the lighter race bindings with "normal" toes but I absolutely would not hesitate to buy these again.

Hey Jason,
Do you know if the steel version has a higher release value than the titanium one? I'm wondering if the steel would be more on par with the Hagan/ATK heel?

Thx,
John

How does this binding stack up to the Hagan ZR in the ~100g category for potential use in a non-racing ultralight touring setup?

I have used this binding for only a week now so I can't speak to the longevity of the product. Having used ultralight race bindings for descent oriented ski touring for the past four years, I can say that these certainly feel the most robust of the lot. The heel cover is sturdy. The heel piece rotates smoothly into the flat touring mode without undue force. I quickly became accustomed to the toe piece's requirement for active pressure when engaging the boot. One can use one's hand or the tip of a ski pole and it has not proven to be a factor with regard to time during transitions. I have yet to utilize the locked position of the toe piece while skinning uphill or skiing downhill which suggests that releasing from the bindings is going to be unlikely when I fall. One must remember that this is a minimalist's binding as it has no heel riser, brake, or reliable release. For people that are primarily focused on weight while ascending and are potentially interested in a binding that allows big turns while descending, this Trab binding has proven to be a great option thus far.