Ski Touring Bindings & Ski Bindings
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Ski Touring Bindings: The Essential Mechanism for Climbing Peaks
Almost identical to traditional alpine bindings, ski touring bindings allow you to secure your ski boots to your skis and release them in case of a fall. Additionally, ski touring bindings offer a unique walking mode, freeing your heel from the boot to glide your skis naturally uphill with less effort. You may already know this if you’re not new to ski touring bindings, but there are several technologies available, catering to different styles of ski touring. Low Tech ski bindings, plate bindings, hybrids, brake widths, ISO 11088 standards: feeling overwhelmed? Don’t panic, we’ll explain all the elements to consider for choosing the right ski touring bindings simply and in detail.
Ski Touring Bindings: How Do They Work?
To get started, let’s remind ourselves of how ski touring bindings function. During the ascent phase, your ski touring binding releases the heel to allow you to glide the ski forward as if you were walking. Some ski touring bindings offer climbing aids that can be placed under the heel when the gradient is steep, relieving your calves. Some ski touring bindings even offer multiple climbing aid levels to adapt to the type of slope you’ll be climbing. Moreover, when the snow is particularly hard, you can attach what are known as crawlers to your ski touring bindings, which act as true crampons. With each step, the crawler breaks the surface of the icy snow, providing an ideal anti-recoil effect, supporting your skins and ski edges. During the descent, your ski touring bindings transform into traditional bindings, fully securing your ski boots to allow you to descend powdery slopes.
Having covered the basics of how a ski touring binding works, let’s move on to the serious stuff: how to choose the right ski touring bindings.
Choosing the Right Ski Touring Bindings
Before diving into the various models of ski touring bindings, let’s start with some basic criteria for making the right choice.
Ski Touring Bindings: What Brake Width to Choose?
As you may have experienced, a ski binding must release in case of a fall or violent shock to detach your ski boots from your skis and avoid injury. Therefore, it’s important that your ski touring bindings are compatible with your ski boots and, of course, your skis. The ski width at the waist generally varies from 63 to 140 mm. It’s crucial to choose ski touring bindings with a brake width suitable for your skis. To avoid any issues, make sure to check the technical description of your ski touring bindings, which indicates the maximum possible waist width.
Ski Touring Bindings: What About Elasticity?
After width, which is a fundamental criterion for choosing your ski touring bindings, the elasticity of these bindings is also important. To recap, elasticity comes from the setting on your bindings. When the torsion you apply to your binding reaches its programmed release value, elasticity kicks in and your feet detach. It’s essentially the number of millimeters of movement of your ski boots supported by your ski touring bindings before you are released. Important for your safety, elasticity depends on your skiing level. The higher the elasticity, the easier you release, which is particularly recommended for beginners. In addition to elasticity, stiffness plays a significant role in tackling powder.
Ski Touring Bindings: What About Stiffness?
Considering your level, practice, age, and weight, the stiffness level is set in DIN, indicating the tightening level of your ski touring bindings. It’s advisable to choose ski touring bindings that support the optimal tightening level for your practice. Stiffness levels vary in ranges, typically from 6-10, to 4-12, and generally from 6 to 14. Be careful not to aim too low: if your tightening is around 10, opt for bindings with a stiffness range of 6-14, allowing for extra adjustment notches depending on the situation. Also, as a general rule, in soft snow like powder, it’s better to opt for a less tight setting on your ski touring bindings, which will release more easily. Conversely, in hard snow or particularly steep slopes, the tightening should be maximum to adapt to greater shocks.
Ski Touring Bindings: The ISO 11088 Standard as a Reference Point
To avoid any mistakes during your adjustments, it’s important to refer to the ISO 11088 standard, which governs everything related to the mounting, adjustment, and control of skis, bindings, and boots. Therefore, follow the guidelines of the ISO 11088 standard, which is a true international standard, to adjust the stiffness of your ski touring bindings.
Having discussed the essential criteria for choosing your ski touring bindings, it’s now time to understand the different models of bindings and their uses.
Ski Touring Bindings: A Variety of Models to Suit All Tastes!
To adapt to various practices, manufacturers have developed several models of ski touring bindings.
Low Tech Competition Ski Touring Bindings
These are ultra-light bindings (the lightest on the market, weighing less than 300 g for a pair of bindings). These models may or may not have a minimum safety release standard, with a toe piece and a minimalist heel piece. Generally, Low Tech competition ski touring bindings only have one climbing aid, and the descent position is achieved by lowering a lever. There is usually no rear adjustment rail. Additionally, ultra-light ski touring bindings weigh between 70 to 150 grams per binding, making them suitable for competition or for those who prioritize lightness.
Low Tech Ski Touring Bindings
Considered classic ski touring bindings, the Low Tech are simple and based on a toe piece and a heel piece with three climbing aid heights (flat, normal, high). The transition from ascent to descent is done either by lowering a lever or by rotation, as is the transition from one climbing aid to another. Also very light, ski touring bindings Low Tech are ideal for light ski touring. Some models offer a ski brake or leashes. These bindings are the most versatile as they have a standardized release value adjustable at the back, a sufficient width to be mounted on skis starting from about 95 mm at the waist, and a reasonable weight for the ascent: expect between 250 to 400 grams per binding.
Hybrid Low Tech Ski Touring Bindings
Designed for skiers prioritizing safety, hybrid ski touring bindings are significantly heavier than classic bindings: around 1,000 to 1,700 grams per pair. There are three main families of hybrid ski touring bindings: with a rotating toe piece, with DIN adjustment on the toe piece, and with a “classic” heel piece.
- The hybrid ski touring bindings with a rotating toe piece offer a DIN adjustment at the heel piece, and a toe piece mounted on a spring system allowing for some play in rotation. This system improves lateral release in case of a fall.
- The second type of hybrid ski touring bindings is the one with DIN adjustment on the toe piece. This model allows you to adjust the DIN release value on the front toe piece in addition to the base adjustment on the heel piece, enabling controlled release from the front.
- Finally, hybrid ski touring bindings with a so-called classic heel piece use the classic toe piece system with an insert to facilitate walking, and the heel piece of a model of alpine ski binding (with climbing aids). This type of binding improves the reliability of release and the retention of the ski boot during descent. However, this type of ski touring binding is only compatible with certain ski touring boots due to its heel piece without an insert.
Plate Ski Touring Bindings
The last type of ski touring bindings, the plate bindings are the closest to the model found on alpine skis. They feature an adjustable heel piece and a toe piece, both mounted on an articulated plate that can be locked on demand, allowing for easy transition from ascent to descent mode. Compatible with all ISO 5355 ski boots, plate ski touring bindings are also compatible with a wide range of ski touring boots. This model also offers several levels of climbing aids and size adjustment. Rather heavy, this type of ski touring bindings weighs at least 1,600 g per pair.
Thus, each model of ski touring bindings caters to a distinct practice. For those who enjoy dry ascents and competition, ultra-light ski touring bindings (Low Tech competition) are ideal. For hikers tackling multiple passes in a day, classic ski touring bindings (Low Tech) are preferable. For athletes who climb multiple passes but also seek a good level of safety regarding release, hybrid ski touring bindings are a good compromise. Finally, for hikers seeking optimal safety, hybrid or plate ski touring bindings are the most favored.
Now that all the models of bindings have been reviewed, let’s move on to a topic that sparks debate: the ski brake and the leash.
Ski Touring Bindings: The Ski Brake and Leash, Good or Bad Ideas?
For those wondering which system to choose between the ski brake and the leash, the answer is simple: neither! In fact, there are three schools of thought: the strap, the brake, or absolutely nothing. The strap is the most constraining system, and in the event of an avalanche, it connects the skier to their skis and can thus be dangerous by pulling them down. Given all these constraints, the strap is rarely used. But why not use a brake? While it’s a good compromise in terms of safety, the brake adds about 100 to 150 g to the pair of ski touring bindings. However, in deep powder, it can disappear in the snow if you release, and on steep slopes, it is of no use.
You’ve chosen your ski touring bindings, and you’re ready to descend the slopes. One big question remains: how to adjust your ski touring bindings?
Ski Touring Bindings: How to Adjust Them?
Some basic principles should be followed to adjust your ski touring bindings. It’s advisable to adjust your ski touring bindings on flat terrain, starting by adapting their length to the size of your ski boots. If possible, perform a few fall simulations to ensure that the release occurs without pain. Additionally, the adjustment of your ski touring bindings should be based on your height and weight, your skiing level, and also the type of snow. Refer to the ISO 11088 standard, and inform yourself in advance about the snow conditions to know whether it’s more powdery (in which case an easy release is recommended) or hard snow or steep slopes (maximum tightening and crawlers are then necessary).
Find Your Ski Touring Bindings on Hardloop.fr
You now know everything about ski touring bindings. Whether you’re looking for lightness or safety, you’ll find a model of ski touring bindings made for you. Do you have a question or doubt about choosing your ski touring bindings? Don’t hesitate to contact our team of experts at 01 48 58 30 28 (free call) or by email at hello@hardloop.fr. We will be delighted to help you find the perfect gear for your winter adventures!