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Dynafit Binding Saves Skier’s Life

Bookmark and Share            By Lou

Dispatch just in this morning from Andrew McLean:

“Hi Lou, I just got back from a great trip to the Wrangle St. Elias mountains up in Alaska. While we were there, Ben Ditto plunged through a snow bridge covering a deep, pitch black, wide, icy cavern of death crevasse. His heel pieces released and he was suspended by a SINGLE locked out Dynafit toepiece like a fruit bat hanging from the ceiling! There is a lot more to the story, but he hung there for about 20 minutes until we got up and hauled him free. Viva la Dynafit yet again, eh?”

Update, April 24:
Andrew sent this link to a video of the event’s thankfully okay aftermath.

Posted by Lou on April 21, 2007 | Filed Under Trip Reports 

previous post: Brown Snow Report – Central Colorado
next post: San Juan Weekend – Red Mountain Pass and Fourteener Attempt

Comments

7 Responses to “Dynafit Binding Saves Skier’s Life”

  1. steve April 21st, 2007 6:59 am

    Great story…and marketing material.

  2. thomas April 21st, 2007 12:43 pm

    ehhhr…not that exceptional, assuming your headed uphill with toe piece locked, that’s what they do…..even if they failed, skis are leashed for glacier travel to allow unclipping skis without dropping them into crevasse and to be able to use foot prussik.
    It’s a non story guys, give a TR instead:)

  3. thomas April 21st, 2007 12:44 pm

    oops just reread story, “heelpiece released” so headed downhill, was toe piece locked?

  4. grant April 22nd, 2007 6:39 am

    Lock out those toe pieces kids!!

  5. Lou April 22nd, 2007 5:09 pm

    Some guys just ski all the time with the toe locked. I personally don’t think that’s such a hot idea but each to his own…

  6. Mark April 22nd, 2007 8:15 pm

    Not that exceptional?? If he’d been on most any other binding, what might have happened? Thomas, do you eat nails for breakfast?

  7. Mark S. April 23rd, 2007 11:55 am

    On april 2, I got caught in a large avalanche in SW montana on Alex Lowe Peak. I was deep in the debris while it was moving, couldn’t breathe with snow packed down my throat, etc. I should be dead or really hurt, but my dynafit bindings released somewhere along the way and I ended up on top of the debris. I was skiing with the toepiece unlocked. I would have to echo…viva la dynafit!

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty 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 information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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