Last winter, due to COVID, we decided to forgo a centralized testing event and instead set up pods in mountain towns throughout the country. The silver lining: each crew had weeks, not just five days, to tour in all the new models, netting even more time in walk mode. That extended window yielded more detailed feedback on uphill performance than we鈥檝e ever had. These are the bindings that made it through the gauntlet.听

Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC 13 ($600)

Four years ago, the Shift became the first tech binding to provide both resort performance and reliable backcountry utility. We still love it. Its baseline two-degree ramp angle in tour mode means you鈥檙e never walking on a flat platform, so testers found it more at home on short missions. 1.9 lbs

Fritschi Xenic 10 ($430)

Competition among tech-binding manufacturers has reduced cost but heightened innovation. The Xenic 10 is proof: it鈥檚 the lightest model Fritschi offers, stands up to all-day touring, and is the least expensive binding we tested. Plastic composite toe bumpers make lining up the boot鈥檚 tech pins easy and allow the toe to release quickly from tour mode. To keep weight down, the Xenic has one easily actuated 11-degree heel riser in tour mode. Brakes (85, 95, and 105 millimeters) are sold separately for $65. 9.9 oz

Plum Summit 12 ($609)

Forged in the shadow of France鈥檚 Mont Blanc, the 7075-aluminum Summit 12 replaces Plum鈥檚 Yak binding and with it the old-school twisting heel that doubled as the climbing ascender. Testers found the Summit 12 provided a damper ride than its predecessor thanks to a synthetic pad that makes contact with the boot just beneath the heel. The Summit does not have brakes, but it does fit skis up to 130 millimeters wide. The heel piece has 30 millimeters of adjustability. 15.7 oz

G3 Zed 9 ($478)

Simply twist the Zed 9鈥檚 heel 90 degrees to engage a walk mode with two heel risers. We appreciate the 30 millimeters of adjustability. Testers also noted how damp it skied on hard snow. Credit the ten millimeters of forward pressure, which allow the ski to flex more freely underfoot as the heelpiece moves slightly back and forth. Brakes (up to 130 millimeters) are available separately for $84. 12.2 oz

Marker Duke PT 12 ($700)

Marker鈥檚 answer to the seminal Salomon Shift is a great option for the skier who rides in-bounds 80 percent of the time but occasionally wants to poke into the backcountry. The Duke relies on a 颅removable toe to switch from 颅downhill to walk mode, an 颅arrangement that鈥檚 a little inconvenient but shaves 10.5 ounces per ski for the climb. Even in downhill mode, the 12 is less weighty than the 16 because it uses the lighter-spring heel of the Squire alpine binding rather than the heel from the beefy Jester and Griffon systems. 2.6 lbs (颅downhill), 1.9 lbs (uphill)

Dynafit Blacklight+ ($500)

The Blacklight+ may look minimalist, but don鈥檛 be fooled. It skis tough, thanks to a forged aluminum toe and stainless-steel heel pins, which offer maximal edging power in ski mode. It鈥檚 also the least expensive brake/binding setup in the test, perfect for day-in, day-out touring on narrow to mid-fat skis. The heel simply rotates 180 degrees from ski to tour mode, locking the brakes out in the process. Testers found the two aluminum ascenders (22 and 41 millimeters) easy to operate. 12 oz

The post The Best Alpine Touring Bindings of 2022 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Just before COVID-19听shut down skiing in March 2020, Marker launched the (from $600), a binding built for skiers who want all the downhill performance of a traditional top-shelf alpine binding听with enough tech binding functionality for efficient ski touring. Ski brands have been trying to develop a burly crossover like this听for decades. They鈥檝e come up with all sorts of solutions over the years, but none were really perfect.听Why the obsession? In certain terrain, at certain times, for certain skiers,听charging hard matters more than touring ease. Think about all those days when you鈥檙e ripping laps inbounds with friends, and then鈥攂ased on a strong working knowledge of the snowpack and current avalanche advisories鈥攜ou decide to head out the gates. The Duke PT may bear a weight penalty, but it鈥檚 the first widely available听binding system that truly听lets you climb uphill and still perform downhill at the peak of your athletic abilities.听

What Came Before

For decades, most other touring bindings kind of sucked, either on the downhill or the uphill听or both. Lightweight, hyperefficient Dynafit-style 鈥渢ech鈥� bindings are ideal for extended ski tours where energy savings outweigh听downhill performance. But skiing them inbounds or in the backcountry at high speeds on rowdy terrain听is a mistake for most skiers. There鈥檚 no real elastic travel (shock absorption)听in the system, and the boots rock on those pins听at the heel, which robs you of power at the end of the turn. That translates to an overly rigid ride that鈥檚 prone to chatter and reduced听edge hold. In an alpine binding, large听coil springs act like shocks, allowing the boot to subtly move side to side but also return to center.听There are also legitimate safety concerns:听tech bindings release, but not as traditional alpine bindings, which means听in certain types of falls they might not release laterally, and in specific terrain features鈥攁 deep trough or moguls鈥攖hey might prerelease at the heel.听They鈥檙e the ultimate in backcountry transportation, but you should back off the air and knock down your听speed听when you ride them.听听听

Since the late 1990s, manufacturers tried to pawn off old-school听frame bindings鈥攖he ones that elevate you off the ski and force you to lift an underfoot platform with each step鈥攁s the fix. But that added height reduces your snow feel and yields more lateral slop, which means they don鈥檛 ski well inbounds. Some brands attempted to correct that by reinforcing the platform, but the clunky touring motion and loss of sensitivity听remained (think: the or ).听

Recently, hybrid bindings like the 听($650) and 听($600) came close to the platonic ideal of an AT binding capable of sending. But the Kingpin still suffers from that too-rigid feeling at the toe. (Again, it doesn鈥檛 release laterally.)听And while the Shift may be the perfect solution for many skiers due to its blend of alpine-style safety and impressive uphill efficiency, it ultimately falls short of serious shredding听because听it lacks the big springs and metal reinforcement of a top-shelf alpine binding. Don鈥檛 get me wrong: I was an early adopter听and have spent the better part of the past four years as a dedicated fan of that system. It tours exceedingly well and is light enough for big climbing days if you鈥檙e fit. But听while the Shift鈥檚 toe piece compares to the best alpine offerings, its lightweight heel and limited elastic travel mean it doesn鈥檛 feel like one听on the way down. Specifically, it doesn鈥檛 produce as much downward pressure on the heel of your boot, so in a powered-up turn, the G-forces can overcome the binding and result in lateral slop. In my testing, I couldn鈥檛 feel that in powder, but I could feel it on hardpack, where听that loss of power translates to a less-secure feel and edges that don鈥檛 want to bite as hard.听

All of this brings us back to the needs of hard-charging skiers. Historically, that crowd had only one option: the听, an aftermarket solution that lets you remove an alpine-style toe piece in the field and replace it with a tech toe for the climb. Because it听only works with Look Pivot bindings, is complicated to install, and isn鈥檛 available through shops, it鈥檚 been called a 鈥淥ne听Percenter鈥� binding鈥攅ngineered for a few pro athletes. (This year, CAST has sold more than 2,000 units and counting and burned through multiple production runs.) That鈥檚 where the Duke comes in.

The Duke PT

In alpine mode, it鈥檚 tough to distinguish this new hybrid freeride model from Marker鈥檚 elite-level Jester family of听alpine bindings, which are the company鈥檚 benchmark for downhill performance. But press down on the tab at the front and the alpine toe miraculously rolls forward, revealing a hidden tech toe below. At this point,听you have two options. If you鈥檙e touring up听a short pitch, simply press the alpine toe flush with the ski and lock it into place. For longer tours, pull up on a lever and remove the alpine toe segment entirely听so you can stash it in your pack or pockets. (Carrying weight on your torso is easier than carrying weight at your extremities.)听Flip a lever to lift and lock the brake for full tour mode. A climbing aid incorporated into the brake pedal flips up to offer 10 degrees of lift, which is roughly equivalent to the lower riser on a regular touring binding. To ski down, simply reverse the process, reattaching the toe piece, rolling it back into place, and smacking the lift lever to release the brake. Then, step in like an alpine binding. The Duke PT comes in two versions:听The ($700) weighs 1,090 grams in total听or 850 grams without the toe pieces. The ($700), with its burlier spring and beefed-up heel, weighs 1,280 grams or 1,000 grams without the toe pieces. For comparison, the Shift weighs 860 grams, and a ($650)听weighs 605 grams. The binding is compatible with regular alpine boots, GripWalk boots听with tech fittings,听and touring-specific boots with toe lugs.听

The Test

I tested the system on the new over six days in the backcountry and another few days at听my local ski area, the Montana Snowbowl. To match the burly ski and binding setup, I rode in the 听($800), a hybrid AT boot听with tech fittings.听

Though it looks like it would be cumbersome, the Duke PT is actually quite slick. After a few practice runs, I was able to go from ski to tour mode with both toe pieces听stashed in my hipbelt pockets in under 15 seconds. Leaving the toe pieces connected saves even more time. A little ice accumulation slowed this process; as with the Shift, it鈥檚 a good idea to carry a cycling alongside听your and听.听Going back to ski mode is nearly as quick, but it takes some practice to get a feel for reattaching the toe pieces. Still, I did it in under 20 seconds for both skis, even when flubbing it. Marker has also tweaked the location of the heel pivot in many of its high-performance bindings, including the Duke PT, which means stepping back in is easy.听

Moving uphill, the Duke PT 16 bindings I tested听were, of course, noticeably heavier than my Dynafit Superlites听and somewhat heavier than my Shifts, though it can be tough to feel the extra 115 grams per pair听when you鈥檙e in heavy boots anyway. I would not want to be the only one on them chasing people on tech bindings. But overall, they functioned flawlessly, and I never accidentally kicked down the brake, which happens once a day on my Shifts.听

As for the downhill performance, the Duke PT 16听skis exactly like the Jester Pros that I鈥檝e hammered for years. Objectively, the PT offers two to three times more elastic travel at the heel than any other freeride hybrid out there, and the downward pressure on the heel feels significantly听more stout. At the toe, the Duke features the same contact points and return to center as the Jester. All of which is to say that it skis like the burliest alpine bindings on the market. I had no qualms about pushing to my limits inbounds.

The Verdict

I try not to get too prescriptive with gear. Plenty of elite skiers charge downhill on tech bindings. And for big tours with fit people or extra-long approaches, I will always reach for lightweight gear first. Meanwhile, the Salomon Shift is great for bringing alpine binding safety and remarkable skiability to the backcountry. So, where does the Duke PT fit in? If the Shift is a freeride hybrid that sacrifices some small amount of downhill performance for climbing efficiency, then the Duke PT is one that sacrifices touring efficiencies for expert-level charging. Think of it as the winter equivalent of a full-suspension bike with 150 millimeters of travel. In that analogy, the Shift would be a do-it-all 130-millimeter trail bike, and a lightweight tech binding would be a cross-country race bike.听Since the Duke PT is heavy, it doesn鈥檛 climb quite as well as a Shift or a tech binding, but when you get up to speed on the descent, you鈥檒l forget all about that.听

Ultimately, it lives up to my 20-year vision of a binding that can confidently shred inbounds but still hang if I head out the gates midday. It鈥檚 perfect for the kind of high-consequence听skin-access terrain you鈥檇 find in Alaska, patrollers who want uphill functionality and downhill performance, or dedicated resort skiers who want to do some guided ski touring out the gates in places like Jackson Hole.

The post Marker鈥檚 New Touring Binding Does (Almost) Everything appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Dynafit Superlite 150 ($550)

At 10.6 ounces per pair, the Superlite is just that. But you can still kit it out with optional brakes ($80) and crampons ($70 and up). It also features an adjustable lateral release from four to thirteen and a vertical release of six. It鈥檚 one of the most capable ski-mountaineering clamps on the market, but also surprisingly adept for daily driving. 5.3 oz听

Hagan Core 12 Pro ($649)

The new Core 12 is even more functional and elegant than its beloved predecessor. The brake has moved from toe to heel, which looks cleaner, and the adjustable front piece is compatible with different boots鈥� tech-toe tolerances. Magnets make the five heel-riser settings easy to engage. On the downhill, eight millimeters of heel elasticity provide excellent shock absorption while optional heel spacers ($79) enhance power transmission and snow feel. 11.7 oz

G3 Zed 12 ($499)

Like its forebearers, the new Zed is one of the best tech bindings available. Its rotating heel locks the brakes ($85) for walking and houses two risers that flick up and down fluidly. Thirty millimeters of rearward adjustability accommodates a wide range of boot sizes, and ice-up-reducing spring clearance at the toe offers unrivaled reliability. It also earned praise for its security going downhill. 12.6 oz

Salomon S/lab Shift MNC 10 ($675)

Three years ago, Salomon changed the game with the Shift, a 16-DIN platform designed to go big while still supplying a modicum of backcountry utility. The MNC 10 continues that tradition. It鈥檚 a lighter binding for lighter skiers, but the tech remains the same: an alpine heel and combination tech-alpine toe that grant step-in, resort-style reliability in downhill mode. An underfoot lever flips back for climbing and brings the heel to a baseline of two degrees, plus one ten-degree riser for steeps. 1.9 lbs

Fritschi Tecton 12 ($650)

With its resort-style heel and adjustable toe release, the new Tecton retains its unique, 颅quiver-killing middle ground between ski-mountaineering lightweights and 颅16-DIN power bindings. It weighs 2.4 pounds per pair without brakes and provides both excellent retention and release (DIN five to twelve). It鈥檚 鈥渘ot the lightest, not the heaviest,鈥� one tester said, 鈥渂ut it could be the safest.鈥� Testers found it pairs well with boots up to 110 flex. 1.2 lbs

Marker Duke PT 16 ($825)

Marker set out to transform the Duke into a competitor to the crossover Salomon Shift. Mission accomplished. The binding鈥檚 front consists of a traditional tech-pin mechanism under a removable resort-inspired toe piece. Lift a lever to take off that 10.6-ounce top clamp for the climb. Slide it back on to rip down. DINs from six to sixteen and an alpine-style heel meant even hard-charging testers felt confident dropping big hits. 3 lbs

The post The Best Alpine Touring Bindings of 2021 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In a for the听ski industry,听Dynafit is extending its tech-binding听warranty from two to ten years. (Warranties from other听manufacturers range from one to three years.)听The brand is calling the new policy a lifetime warranty,听referring to the expected decade-long lifetime of the product. It will apply to bindings purchased during or after the 2019鈥�20 season.听

For more than 30听years, Dynafit has tracked听how its听bindings perform, how often they are warrantied,听and how long they are typically used. (The brand was the first to debut听pin-style tech bindings,听.)听It听used that data to determine听how long to extend the听guarantee.听Ross Herr, the brand鈥檚 sales and marketing manager, says听the timing of this decision is a response to improvements in manufacturing that have resulted in increased durability.听鈥淲e have seen this huge reduction in breakage and warranty over the past several years,鈥� says Herr. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 see problems within the ten-year expected lifespan of the binding.鈥�

The shift comes at a time when other major brands, including L.L.Bean and REI, are reeling over听replacement policies.听

鈥淚t says a lot to have them go from a two- to a ten-year [warranty], because they鈥檙e like, We鈥檙e still the best,听we鈥檙e still what everybody wants to be,鈥� says Nate Protsman, manager and ski tech at the Estes Park Mountain Shop in Colorado. 鈥淚t says a lot about the confidence they have in their product.鈥�听

Herr explains that it听reflects informal practices Dynafit has had in place for a while: the company has serviced听its听products long after the original two-year window expired, in an effort to keep customers in the backcountry and using their gear.听

Turning that unspoken practice into official听policy is a way for the brand to differentiate itself in an听increasingly crowded听product category.听Dynafit is one of only two brands听to have had tech bindings on the market for ten years. Until 2005, it held a key patent, preventing competitors from adapting its听own pin-style systems. G3 capitalized on the patent鈥檚 expiration and , , in early 2009. Since then, most major binding听brands have come out with their own versions of the tech binding. With the launch of the听innovative听Shift听in 2018,听Salomon has pioneered a new kind of touring binding that achieves better downhill performance with minimal weight penalty, further increasing competition in the category.听

The new warranty states that Dynafit will repair or replace any registered bindings听that fail due to manufacturer defects during the time frame. With good care and normal use, the company says that skiers听can expect their bindings to last through the end of the new warranty. What if听your bindings are installed correctly and aren鈥檛 misused听but听break after an off-piste yard sale five years in? 鈥淲e鈥檝e got you covered,鈥� Herr says. If they fall off your ski rack and get run over by a car? 鈥淏ummer, no,鈥� he says.听鈥淏ut we will likely sell you a spare part for a really great price to hopefully ease the pain.鈥�

The post Dynafit Just Majorly Extended Its Bindings Warranty appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Salomon S/Lab Shift MNC 13 ($725)

The Shift wowed testers last year by morphing from an uphill tech touring binding into a full-bore alpine stalwart on descent. This year鈥檚 iteration is unchanged (except for a $75 price jump). It鈥檚 still the only model that blends the confidence to stomp huge lines with the kind of weight savings that lets you skin up and do it again (and again). 1.9 lbs

G3 Zed 12 ($499)

G3 put its 2018 tester-favorite Ion on a diet. The resulting Zed is lighter and retains the category-leading spring-loaded tech jaws for unrivaled hold. At the heel, the stock Zed sheds weight by forgoing brakes (add them for $84; they鈥檙e rattly but functional) and allows for 30 millimeters of adjustment to accommodate a range of boot sizes. 1 lb

Black Diamond Helio 145 ($500)

Made in Italy, the Helio 145 is Black Diamond鈥檚 second-lightest no-frills aluminum-alloy binding. BD avoided any features that raised the weight, and there鈥檚 just a basic climbing mode鈥攖he ascender bar flips over the heel posts. And don鈥檛 expect brakes. 5 oz

Marker Kingpin M-Werks 12 ($729)

The wizards at Marker brought the toughness of the dependable Kingpin and the low weight of the Alpinist into a clamp for the touring masses. A nice middle ground (save for the price), the M-Werks is 鈥渟olid in chop, crud, and firm snow,鈥� said one tester. 1.4 lbs

Fritschi Swiss Tecton 12 ($650)

鈥淭ech at its most tech,鈥� a veteran tester quipped of the Tecton. It鈥檚 got the industry鈥檚 only adjustable toe release. And the step-in, alpine-oriented heel switches from alpine to AT with a simple push or pull of your pole, allowing you to transition from up to down without doffing the ski. 1.4 lbs

Dynafit TLT Speedfit ($450)

Dynafit invented the tech category, and it continues to set the standard for reliability, weight, simplicity, and price. The Speedfit is its least-expensive ultralight binding. With both vertical and lateral release, it鈥檚 among the safest, too. 10 oz

The post The Best Alpine Touring Bindings of 2020 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Dynafit ST Rotation 10 ($600)

Several years ago, the brand that launched the tech revolution in the eighties introduced a turntable heel to prevent pre-release. The new Rotation improves upon that model, with a centering function at the toe that makes lining up the back of your boot with the heelpiece more precise. 2.2 lbs

Salomon Shift MNC ($650)

The Shift, developed in collaboration with Atomic, is like no other binding ever made. It has an alpine-inspired step-in heel and a tech toe for climbing that, with the flip of a lever, morphs into a traditional alpine toe for the ride down. Testers deemed it the most confidence-inspiring tech binding available. 3.8 lbs

Marker Alpinist 12 ($449)

A certain confidence comes with clicking into a binding from a brand known for reliability in the alpine world. Enter the Alpinist, Marker鈥檚 foray into high-speed ascending. Unlike many clamps in its weight class, the Alpinist features step-in ease and two ascending positions鈥攆ive and nine degrees鈥攚here other bindings have only one. 1.1 lbs

Black Diamond Helio 145 ($500)

Built for Black Diamond by venerable Italian binding manufacturer ATK, the Helio 145 fits the 眉ber-light, skimo-oriented Helio line of planks to a T. Made from machined aluminum and stainless steel, it鈥檚 the second lightest of BD鈥檚 four Helio bindings and just about as stripped-down as you can get. (Read: no brake option here.) 10.2 oz

Fritschi Tecton 12 ($650)

The Swiss-made Tecton remains one of the few tech bindings with adjustable toe and heel release. While testers deducted points for plastic, the Tecton鈥檚 overall retention and ski-pole-actuated simplicity scored well for ease of use and quick transitions. Testers also raved about the dynamic feel of the binding in downhill mode, afforded by built-in dampening at the toe and heel. 2.4 lbs

Atomic Backland Tour ($625)

You can get it brakeless, but testers preferred the extra security in the event of a runner. Both come with an easy ski-to-tour-mode changeover that doesn鈥檛 require spinning the heelpiece. Instead, use your pole to flip a lever under your boot that locks the brakes up for climbing. Flip the lever back down, stomp into the pins, and you鈥檙e ready to ski. 1.8 lbs

The post The Best Alpine Touring Bindings of 2019 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Test: This past February, in conjunction with Mountain Sports + Living magazine, we held our annual ski test at Utah's Snowbird resort. For four days, 12 testers of varying abilities and styles, from laid-back advanced skiers to former World Cup racers, worked their way through an initial field of 80-plus skis.

Alpine Skiing

Ski tester Kevin Brower

听

The Venue: All of our testing was done off the Gadzoom chairlift. Covering 1,800 vertical feet in just six minutes, it gets you access to steep glades, wide-open groomers, short sections of bumps, and chopped-up faces鈥攁ll in the same run. Each tester averaged 18鈥�20 laps a day.

The Categories: Manufacturers were allowed to submit one ski in each of the following categories. Frontside skis were ranked on a scale of one to five in these four areas: responsiveness, stability, edge hold, and carving pleasure. All Mountain and Women's were judged on responsiveness, stability, float, and carving. Big Mountain and Powder were scored on responsiveness, stability, float, and hard-snow pleasure.

Go Deeper: Watch quick one-minute Web videos about some of our favorite skis this year at outsideonline/video. Or tune in to 国产吃瓜黑料 Television's 国产吃瓜黑料 Today to learn even more, meet the testers, and see the actual test in action. Visit for showtimes. Special thanks to our test sponsors: Dakine, Flylow, Hestra, SmartWool, Smith, Snowbird and Sole.

The post Behind the Scenes of the Alpine Ski Test appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Yes! Of course it still is summer, but it’s never too soon to think about snow. Just give me a few more warm days first.

Picture of the Side Stash

Picture of the Side Stash

For Jackson and some backcountry stuff, I’m probably go with a wide all-mountain ski. It’ll handle powder, groomed snow, and be fine for backcountry. A good example of this the ‘s SideStash ski ($750). It has a sidecut designed for easy turn initiation in a wide range of snow conditions. And its width and powder tip lets it float in soft new stuff. It’ll even take skins. ‘s Panic ($400) offers similar design features and multi-terrain ski-ability at a more affordable price point.

For boots, ‘s Synergy Sensor 80s ($310) offer good all-terrain capability in a traditional downhill boot. ‘s Quest boots ($500) add some rigidity and are best for expert skiers. They’re also classic downhill boots.

If you plan on a lot of backcountry stuff, then maybe a pair of randonee boots would be in order. ‘s Skookums ($720) offer great control downhill, with the ability to hike back up to the top. Add to them a pair of Eagle randonee bindings ($400鈥攕old in the United States by , and you’re all set.

The post What’s the best ski setup for Jackson Hole? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.