Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information opinion website and e magazine. Lou's passion for the past 45 years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about
backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the
Fourteeners! Books and free back country news and information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.
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Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information and news on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.
These look like the ones my buddy inherited–they were previously mounted backwards on some waxless fishscale XC skis. Funny, eh? Anyway, I’ve seen some of the release/prelease problems firsthand, but can’t help but be intrigued by all the Ramer mad science. Can’t wait to see some of the newer, better models in the collection and blog.
I was at Mistaya Lodge in March and a retro-guest from Boseman was on a pair of alpine skiis mounted with Ramer’s. I thought about my two ski buddies in Alasks who broke legs using Ramer’s back in the 1970′s. Wait, I had two pair, guess I was just lucky. I thought about taking up a collection to buy this guy a pair of Dynafits, until I saw that he skiied better than everyone else and was quite happy. I did have to show him how to adjust the tension. Go figure.
The people I know who had the most success with the R model Ramer either skied them with the release pretty much locked out, or skied them free-heel parallel without the heel clamp. Outward Bound ski mountaineering courses back in the late 1970s used this model Ramer without the heel clamp. The “Universal” model that came next, with steel spring bars, was much better and had safety release that could actually be tuned to be fairly effective, though it could still bind in a forward twisting fall.
Mark, I have a pair of newer (I believe) Ramer bindings that might appear to be mounted backwards since the fixed bail is to the back and their is a black plastic front bail that clamps down to the front. But if the pivot is mounted backwards?…
I still have a pair of these mounted to Trucker BCPs out in my garage that I bought in Aspen in 1980. I’ll gladly donate them to your museum if you’ll pay the shipping from Alaska. The edges are a little on the rusty side though. I think I also have a tube of red Ramer grease in a box somewhere and one and a half Ramer poles too. I’ve always had a problems with getting rid of old ski equipment, so these moved up here with me 14 years ago.
BTW Lou I was working as Highlands that fateful morning in 1982.
Hi Pat, I’ve got some BCPs in the collection so no need for those. Don’t throw them away, as they are a fairly rare ski in terms of collecting (compared to main stream skis). And thanks for leaving a comment here!
After loving 3-pin tele skiing, I wanted more and got a new pair of Ramer R’s. I caught a lil’ fir with a tip and went into a slow forward twisting fall that snapped the tip of my fibula (read broken ankle). It was a long slow trip out of the wilderness. I called Ramer to complain about lack of safety release and spoke to a Co. rep who was in a waist-high cast
from a similar fall.
Feeling somewhat lucky I went back to teles in soft boots. >Fast Forward 2 decades> marriage> kids>BC skiing on hold >
Now my 16 yr old son thinks he has discovered the
perfect sport: AT skiing and that we should try it sometime.
Nice idea son, life is ironic.
I’d like to obtain a pair of these bindings to mount on a pair of Lapp skis I’ve had since the late 60′s and which had this model mounted on them at one time.