Tech Tuesday is recurring segment sponsored by Dynafit to get you in the right touring gear and make sure you know how to use it.
Tech bindings take us everywhere we want to be, but how do you choose?
Ok: you know you want to be a ski tourer, or you’re totally hooked and thoughts of touring consume your every waking moment. Either way, bindings are one of the techiest pieces of equipment that let you float up the hill and zoom down, so there are a few helpful things to know when buying your next set.
Since tech bindings first hit the market in the early 90s, the industry has progressed in leaps and bounds. Today there are as many varieties of tech bindings as there ice cream flavors in a Upstate New York roadside stand. They share a similar basic concept, but with variations in ingredients and add-ons to suit the evolving needs of the modern ski tourer.
In the short two years since Lou published his extended list of binding buying tips, plate bindings have cried uncle and nearly every binding manufacturer has gone tech. In North America, touring binding pioneer Dynafit keeps company with G3, Diamir and historically alpine binding gurus Marker, Atomic, and Salomon. They’re joined by more obscure brands like Plum, ATK, Ski Trab and Kreuzpitze. That said, all manufacturers are making great systems, and each have their own valuable contributions to the evolution of the tech binding.
But with so many great options, how is the discerning skier to choose? Our first Tuesday Tech Tips is centered around jargon and features to help you develop a basic understanding of your touring tech bindings.
More ski touring binding choices that can fit in a camera frame or on a boot fitting bench
1) Choose a binding with good, regional customer service
With every conceivable tech binding available under your online fingertips, it’s tempting to go for the latest and greatest binding and be the first one on the block to order them from halfway around the world. Although having a rare binding to match your new skis will look cool, warranty and customer service support is important. If your binding breaks in January your FOMO could go through the roof if you are waiting weeks for a new part from Europe, or vice versa if you live across the ocean from North America.
For the United States market, companies like Dynafit and Fritschi (through Black Diamond distribution) tend to have the fastest and most thorough support. Canadian brand G3 also proves reliable, but can take a little longer to get pieces to your door or local shop in the US. If your HQ is located in Western Canada, you could expect an even faster turn around from them. Newer players on the scenes Atomic and Salomon are currently slow and a bit short on replacement inventory, but once they catch up to the new, huge demand, we anticipate their customer service to catch up as well. Plum and ATK are expanding their presence in the United States and so will their speciality shop network of service centers. Without a distribution company within the United States support from companies in Europe will remain limited here, but if you are located in France or Italy expect the North American companies to be a bit slower.
2) Be careful when buying used bindings
Be careful of the ware and tear on used ski touring bindings
With great low price comes great elevated risk. If you find a binding from a swap or classified listing, look it over very carefully before pulling the trigger. If the binding is an older model (no longer in production; this is easy to check on the manufacturer’s website), you can bet it’s out of warranty. If a binding sustains a hard crash or gets dropped, micro-cracks in the plastic casing can form, which can be nearly impossible to see even on close inspection. Given that it’s a bit magical ultralight bindings hold you to a ski at high speeds in various conditions, it’s best to not push your luck on a potentially compromised system.
3) Understand Release Value
For the purpose of this guide throw out the acronym DIN and replace it with RV for Release Value. The lightest race and fitness bindings will have a fixed or non-adjustable release value. This is suitable if you find a binding that has the correct release value based on your weight, but for the newer ski tourer, we recommend a binding that’s adjustable. Check here to get an idea of what your release value should be set to. In general, lighter skiers or newer skiers that typically take crashes at slower speeds will want a lower release value. If you are at the lowest end of this spectrum, look for a binding with a specialized low RV range like the Dynafit Rotation 7 or the Plug Guide XS. If you weigh 200lbs+ or come from an alpine racing background, check out a binding like the Dynafit Rotation 12 or a Marker Kingpin, which has a RV to 13 to really nail you to the ski.
4) Coordinate your riser heights with your cuff articulation
Cuff articulation–the range of motion in your boot–should be inversely correlated to the number of risers on your binding. Older, more freeride oriented boots like the Scarpa Freedom RS and its 25 degrees of cuff articulation need a little help from binding riser heights to compensate for the position they hold your ankle in. Having a flat mode lets you take a more natural stride on lower angle terrain and a high riser setting keeps your calves from blowing out on the steeps. Newer boots like the Dynafit TLT8 have 60 degrees of range of motion and you could get away with two riser heights or sometimes even one fixed riser before you are uncomfortable. Less risers mean less weight and one less thing to fiddle with on your climbs.
5) Why boot sole length adjustment is important
Some very lightweight bindings like the Dynafit Speed Superlight (or nearly every race binding) have no room for adjustability to accommodate different boot sole lengths. If you only have one pair of boots, or only one boot to use with a specific ski setup, this might not matter to you. However, you also have to intend to never change boots for the future of the ski.
Although it is not impossible to add an adjustment plate or remount the ski later on, it is definitely easier to take this into account for the first mount. The Dynafit Speed binding is almost as light as the Superlight, but has 10mm of adjustment. This gives a good shot at switching boots down the road if the boot sole lengths are close. Bindings like the Salomon MTN/Atomic Backland have 30mm of adjustability and will easily accommodate even the biggest discrepancy between two models of touring boots in the same size.
6) How to decide: ski brakes vs. safety leashes
Going with leashes as opposed to brakes has some appeal. Leashes are lighter and cheaper and make it way easier to pull skins with your boots still in the bindings (especially if your skis have a tip notch like most lighter-weight skis). You also have a much better chance of finding your ski if it is attached to your leg than if it is buried deep in the powder with the brakes deployed. However, leashes only have a chance to stop your ski if you clip them and they don’t work at all if you don’t. Their effectiveness is 100% user determined. Make sure you have the personal discipline to always clip your leashes before you go chasing after your ski as it careens down a mountain (believe me, we’ve been there and it can ruin a ski day quick).
It’s also way easier to step into your ski with ski brakes. This luxury you may have taken for granted when switching over from a braked binding will quickly become apparent on top of an icy, wind-hammered peak.
7) When to gram count and when not to
A binding like the Salomon Shift has received a lot of praise, but at 865 grams it is quadruple the weight of a binding that will meet the needs of the majority of ski tourers. If you are less than 200lbs and don’t come from a downhill race background save the weight and look to lighter options. However, when you start splitting hairs over 50 grams of weight saving, it’s better to buy a binding based on the tips above than on weight savings alone.
8) What you should expect to pay for a good touring binding
Brand new touring rigs can cost as little as $350 for fully modern and proven bindings like the Dynafit Speed Turn, or as much as $729 for a new Marker M-werks Kingpin. If even the low-end price seems expensive, we have seen these bindings last for a decade or more of hard use, so amortize that out over those ski seasons and know it’s money well spent.
The Dynafit Speed Turn still closely resembles the first Dynafit bindings and probably still has one of the lowest fail rates of any model in modern production
9) Saving weight means cutting features, but not always
In general you pay a weight penalty for the added bells on a binding. Stripped down superlight bindings will lack the aforementioned boot sole accommodations, brake choice, riser height options and release value settings, but there are a few outliers. At 280 grams (without screws or brakes) the Dynafit Speed binding has it all, even if the size adjustment mentioned above is limited to 10mm. At 296 grams, the Salomon MTN binding is another favorite, but with its increased range it loses the ability to micro adjust release values and you have to settle for a low, medium and high U bar. At a confirmed 374 gram weight with mounting screws and without brakes the G3 Zed will be one of the lightest bindings that does not compromise on any of the big features.
10) Understand the limitations of a tech binding
While many skiers (this author included) routinely double dip their tech bindings on piste, it places an enormous amount of wear and tear on a binding not designed specifically for repeated thrashing day in and day out. Like rallying your new sports car with an 8-inch clearance to every trailhead, you may make it there, but not without some compromising bumps and scrapes on the way. You will also need to spend some added time communing with your tech bindings to know the ins and outs of why they may ice up and what to do with it, but all that’s to come in a future Tech Tuesday.
To choose your tech binding, begin with its intended use. Then consider the specific functions of each binding to narrow it down within that range. If you decide that you don’t need every binding feature or want to use a binding slightly different than its intended purpose, go for it! Just remember that you are making small sacrifices one way or the other.
Looking for ways to troubleshoot your binding or want more info and gear banter? Check back every Tuesday. Have some of your own tips? Share them in the comments below and we might just bump them above the fold.
45 comments
For a user non concerned about the weight and more inclined to a freeride use, would you recommend the use of bindings with brakes or leashes? I’ve been told that leashes can be harmful when attached because they can hit you or even cut you in an event of a fall. Fortunately I haven’t experienced that myself, but I’ve been strongly recommended to go for a binding with brakes if I can afford it. Do you think it is a thing worth taking into consideration? Thanks in advanced for the response
If you are not concerned about weight I would definitely recommend brakes. These are especially good if you are ever using them in a resort setting. I had a close call with a helicopter wind in Europe last year that started pushing my ski down the hill away from me and only a diving save kept the ski on my side of the mountain. I used to be a strong proponent for leashes but the ease of use for the brakes makes it hard not to add them to any ski package. If you lock your heel in and then pull skins you can get around any functional reason to not have them.
Deep powder snow and dicey launches into couloirs are ski leash mandatory IMHO.
I wholeheartedly agree with Scott Allen’s above comment. Ski brakes (even on alpine bindings) don’t always work well in deep snow, or on very a steep slope.
A touring partner once lost a ski near the top of a steep couloir after a 4ish hour approach. From the bottom, two of us watched it sail down the chute and into some trees, brakes completely ineffective in the deep pow. While spending some nervous time searching for the ski, I couldn’t help thinking how long our egress would take with one of our partners on a single ski, and about the last time I’d replaced my headlamp batteries.
Fortunately, the ski was found in a relatively short amount of time and we made it out by twilight.
That ski/binding combo was retired, never to see snow again.
The point is very well taken about ski brakes having limitations and added that into the post. I have had about every equipment disaster happen to me while touring, but somehow I have never had a ski lost in the snow. In all honesty I almost never use brakes or leashes when skiing powder in the backcountry and I am sure this will come back to bite me probably this season. I have had plenty of partners tell me horror stories about these days, but luckily I was not out there. I would still stand by the statement that brakes work better for a system you will sometimes be using at the resort. Luckily there are many great bindings out there with easy on/off brake options.
Turner thanks for the added help on the edits. I would prefer them being brought to my attention as long long as you don’t mind me editing them back out of your comment when they are dealt with… Like so.
If you ski in avalanche terrain, leashes are not safe… better for the ski to separate from you to avoid added risk of injury from the ski. If you never ski in avalanche terrain, I’d like to know how you determine that 🙂 Seriously, low angle terrain can be a lot of fun. I’ve used leashes for years, but brakes are more convenient.
Many leashes have a breakable link to release the ski in an avalanche. For example, the B&D leash.
I am surprise to don’t see any mention about Marker Alpinist.
If you checks the specs, techs, weight and price, that is a game changer!
Skitour did nice review for french speaker, and point out a reality : 300€ for Alpinist, 450 for same specs for Dynafit or Salomon..
http://www.skitour.fr/upload/180110.1.HQK3h4lx.jpg
http://m.skitour.fr/forums/read.php?id=310852
No words also about after sales service from Marker… don’t know in US, but in France they are among the fastest with great service… when Dynafit charges for everything in France
Hi Ben, that one indeed snuck through cracks for this post. I was incredibly excited about when I first saw it come up and it definitely deserves a mention. I personally have been in a holding pattern on Marker as the Kingpin situation of 2017 was one of the worst experiences I have had in the industry, from both a wide recall perspective as well as a customer service experience for thousands of Marker customers. It’s good to hear that in Europe they are putting it together and certainly this design is much improved on the Kingpin. I will add it into the post and definitely include it on a full touring bindings of the 19/20 season that should be coming out in a couple weeks. Glad to hear that people are enjoying it as I only know a few people personally skiing it.
Add a breakable link to your leash that’s strong enough to keep you from losing a ski but can be ripped off by an avalanche or a very hard tug if you get caught up by a tree. Bndskigear makes a great one.
What is the consensus opinion on the best binding that falls in the lightweight category but still has great downhill ski-ability? had been leaning towards the Vipec (mounted on Blizzard zero g 95s) because I want something stable that I can push pretty hard but concerned this will hold back the weight of the setup. Anyone have any thoughts on that or a recommendation for a different binding that would still provide good downhill stability but stay light?
Thank you!
ICS, I have seen very few binding breaks in the Vipec for the hundred or so pairs I have mounted or spoke to people about selling. I would say even though its a bit lighter than the other “burly” bindings, its success ratio is way better. The Dynafit Rotation 12 and the Ion12 will be lighter still and have also held up great in testing. In the latter choices you give up the “alpine style” heel that you get out of the Kingpin, Tecton and Shift, but I wouldn’t count them out just for lacking that feature.
Thank you!
help.
A great introduction, thank you. Although I have been a Dynafit user since 1990, there is still much to learn. This is a great help.
Any thoughts on the dynafit TLT speed turn vs something like the G3 Zed? Looking for something around that mid 300 gram weight class
Dustin, the Zed and Speed Turn are very different bindings in terms of features. The Speed Turn is about as stripped down as a binding can be. It has no brake option and the older style to rotate the heel to access the riser heights. You just can’t beat the price or the proven design.
The Zed is new and has a spring loaded heel that is eliminates a binding gap and will flex with your ski. It does have a brake option that you can add later and take on and off without unmounting your binding heel and new flip style riser heights. The difference is $350 for the Speed Turn vs $500 for the zed + $85 for the brakes. Both are great bindings though!
Nice article, Doug! To compliment your point about US based product support, I add, Black Diamond now sells four ATK bindings under the re-branded “Helio” model name. I’m a fan of the ATK binding, very similar to Dynafit yet with all-metal construction like Dynafit once was without an appreciable weight gain.
I also like the comment another made about using a break-link in a leash system to counter the avalanche concern, and note that it appears the ISMF is about to require brakes, aka “stoppers”, on skimo race bindings. So we should see more variety in brakes soon to comply.
Thanks for the comment Kerry. It is true that Black Diamond is importing ATK under their 4 Helio models, but have you ever looked at ATKs full offering? They have so many bindings it will make your head spin. Hagan also brings in ATK as well as Kaesltle this year will bring it under the Kaestle Free Tour. Also Fischer and Look rebrand Dynafits. Tough to keep up with all the options and who is handling customer service. Black Diamond has been great to work with and hopefully they will be with ATK as well, even though we don’t see many breakage issues with ATK for how light they are.
I have heard this ISMF rumor for years, lets see if it happens. I now race bindings have been working on a “one side” brake option so you can still rip skins. Can’t wait to read the comments about how well that will work compared to Alpine Brakes.
I’ll second the B&D leashes – the only system I use in the backcountry now. They have a long elastic leash to help keep your skis from hitting your legs in a fall, and you can put them on once at the beginning of the day and never take them off. They come with a special link designed to break in a crazy fall or avalanche (as mentioned above).
I’ve never used Dynafit brakes (or other tech brakes), but consensus seems to be that while they make putting skis on a but easier, they have very little ability to stop a ski going downhill – much less effective than average alpine binding brakes.
Last years i tend to use both, leash and brakes. How? Why?
First of all I use Salomon MTNs on every ski i own and I put the leashes on the boots, not on bindings so I have leashes always with me even when I swap to other skis without leashes.
I tend to use leashes on every skining but not in every descent. On ascent, brakes are retracted so if you loose a ski it will fall meters and meters down ruining your day.
For deep or steep I also use leashes on descent as I don’t want to lose my beloved skis AND brakes as in steep terrain is easy to step in again with them deployed .
But on more “normal” terrains, medium slopes i only use brakes.
I know it’s against weight reduction but for me use both systems adds a layer of safety.
Leashes are the way to go, for me. People can and have had bindings release on both the downhill AND the uphill, and on the uphill, it can really ruin your day as the brakes are usually pinned when in uphill mode and they will not function.
Leashes are lighter. Leashes don’t bend, break or otherwise go pear-shaped as I have seen many brake systems do. Leashes don’t poke holes in the cuffs of your 300 Euro ski pants. Leashes keep your skis near you if you wipe out.
Yes – its possible to have an eggbeater fall (this is what we call it) where your attached ski beats you about the head and shoulders during a fall. I’ve never seen it go all that badly though.
Its also possible that a leash could keep your skis attached to your leg in an avalanche. Most systems have a clip these days that will break in the event of really heavy force.
I know many people will use brakes forever and have no bad experiences. But anyone who has lost a ski 4 hours into a climb through deep snow will never ever use them again….I can assure you. The probability of trouble is LOW, the consequences of trouble are HIGH. Its because of that that I use leashes.
One last note: If you take your skis off to skin up, or to take your skins off – then a lot of my arguments go bad. You are likely, at some point, to drop one of those skis while doing so….and it will have nothing to stop it. So either be really careful, or learn to take care of skin stuff with them attached. (It’s way better to do it that way anyway. Looks cool, goes fast, and you don’t get cold feet from standing knee deep in snow! 🙂 )
Hi Wookie, Love the advice especially the last bit. It is very true I have become complacent with my lack of leashes. Sometimes I mean to clip them before dropping in and then I get to the bottom and see them there still clipped to my bindings. This could be one of those situations that you can warn people about, but it takes one really sad 4 hour search for it to sink in.
I’ve been using the B&D (not BD) leashes for 4 or 5 years and am 100% sold. I attach them with a breakable link (thin cord between leash and binding). The cord I use breaks under a load of about 60 lb and I can break it with a violent leg kick but it has easily broken in a violent tumbling crash. I installed a link to make them easily transferable between skis. I suspect that the fact that the leash extends quite a ways ( 4 or 5 feet?) would make being connected to skis a lot more forgiving in an avalanche tumble even if it didn’t break but I haven’t been motivated enough to try that yet. The system is not perfect – the ski stays with me in a moderate crash but a high speed tumbling crash will break the link. Added benefits are that dropping a ski on a steep exposed ridge or icy slope doesn’t result in a ski taking off and the cord has enough stretch to allow skins to be put on without undoing it (I clip mine on at the beginning of a tour and off at the end, with lots of ski off/ski on in between). Unlike Doug, I have lost a ski (pre-leash) on a steep slope in marginal avalanche conditions, knowing that my out-of-sight and unaware partner was going to drop in above me shortly. I found the ski and all ended well, but the process and the exposed wallowing left me scarred.
Interesting debate leashes vs stoppers… Anybody knows where can I buy the fuses to attach my leashes? Do you think the risk of your ski hitting you in the face is much lower with just a longer leash?
I’ve just seen another possible solution, the Find-me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEg-Yr19YRA). I think Dynafit have something similar. What do you think about those?
Re: Fuse: I used some small zip ties initially, but they age and weaken pretty quickly outdoors, or at least mine did. I wandered around my house looking for cord that looked about right and tested it by looping it around something and yanking it to break it(wearing heavy gloves). Something that I need to work really hard at breaking by hand breaks easily in a hard fall. I’m guessing an avalanche would easily break a cord that I can’t break by hand. I wound up with some very thin cord from a retractable window cell shade. I tie a loop of that around the loop end of the leash and use a threaded cable link (google Hillman Cable Link) to connect that loop to my binding.
I much prefer leashes for the reasons given above, including retrieval in deep powder and protection while climbing. When climbing a steep icy traverse I’ve had a ski pop off. The leash keeps it nearby; a brake does not. As for windmilling, a long stretchy leash takes care of that. The B&D lease stretches to six feet. Its main flaw for the weight conscious skier is, well, weight. The B&D leash is from days of yore when everything weighed a lot more. If you have heavy skis and bindings, get those. You can find coiled leashes of various weights and lengths cheap on the internet under fishing gear. People fishing on boats use them.
I attach a lightweight five foot coiled leash to each boot using the screw at the back of the cuff which typically holds a power strap on. When not in use it’s clipped to something forward on the boot. When in use it’s clipped to a lightweight split ring on the toe binding. No slack. Never had a leash catch on anything. The split ring is also the breakable link for when you are tumbled about in an avalanche and it’s better to lose your skis than to get dragged down by them. You can test rings to find the kind with the desired point of failure. Clipping to a split ring is super easy.
What about a recommendation of never buying a first-generation binding product? I feel like over the years the first batch of bindings from most companies was unreliable or worse. It either resulted in a mid-year manufacturing change, recall, or general bad reputation until design change. Not that I would know. . . I’m on 15 year old Dynafit classics!
Camilo, that it certainly a point in Lou’s extended post linked in the introduction. Dynafit has been successful with new releases as was the Salomon MTN and Backland bindings. You generally only hear about the ones that really blow up. Certainly a “be cautious about first year bindings” is worthy and I warn everyone personally of that.
Good info Jim Milstein!
second what jim milstein said about coiled leash. the black diamond helio leashes don’t go as long as the 6′ he mentioned, but they are a nice improvement over the much shorter dynafit leashes i’ve used in the past. i clip them to a little loop of thin cord to cover a break-away scenario.
I’m another B&D leash fan.
The leashes are attached when I start the tour, only detached when the tour is done. Stretchy cord allows me to get in and out of my skis easily during the tour and not risk a ski running away.
Leashes are attached to my skis (quiver of 2) so I remember to attached them to my boots. Pretty hard to not notice leashes dragging in the snow as you skin.
So far in all my falls (low speed) I’ve not been hit with a ski. After the falls it was nice to use the leash to locate or reel in the ski.
I spent 45 minutes looking for a friend’s ski wallowing in a feet of power and the ski was only 20 feet from where he fell.
Also barley caught a ski before it ran off an icy ridge.
I’m sold on B&D leashes.
11. Don’t overlook the ramp. Skiing a tech binding with 15mm difference between heel and toe pin heights is an unpleasant experience (that many people just adjust to). Seems crazy to me how much people spend on boot fitting, and never think about the delta issue.
Everyone has a preferred delta. Somewhere between 0 and 6 is my preference.
https://skimo.co/pin-heights
Ditto Doug’s comments on ramp height. I personally think that 9 our of 10 skiers are tilted way too far forward from a combination of ramp hight and forward boot lean to correctly pressure the tips of their skis in a turn. I’ve advised more than one friend to put a riser under their toe piece (B&D make great ones) and suddenly they don’t need new those new skis they thought they needed. This is as important as canting your boots. Maybe more so. It also takes a lot less effort, and gives your thighs a break.
Nice new look to the site.
I will add one thing. Older bindings had poor brakes that were finicky to deploy and were short so didn’t work well. Newer bindings tend to have brakes that deploy well, are longer and can actually stop the skis if they run. But all of them do add weight and complexity. Some examples of newer lighter touring-focused bindings with brakes that work well that I have used – Salomon MTN, Atomic Backland. A little heavier but still touring-oriented; Fritschi Vipec, Dynafit Rotation.
Got some Black Crows Orb Freebirds for a spell recently and now am stuck between beefier touring bindings or lighter weight speed touring bindings…planning on using Scarpa Alien RS’s…any input from the interwebs?
These are bridging the gap between my ultra light race skis and heavy as F backcountry touring skis…
Tim, I think there are many great light bindings out their that will ski beefy but where you won’t pay the weight penalty. I have been out with skiers far better than me and seen them absolutely ripping on hard with even the Dynafit Superlite binding. Sometimes it is actually the lightest bindings that have the least moving parts to go wrong. Personally with that ski, boot combination I would narrow it to the Dynafit Speed Superlite 2.0 or Salomon MTN binding. In the above article it list just a couple of the slight feature differences. You will have a great lightweight ski setup with either of these that can still perform.
Thanks Doug! Is there any appreciable difference between the 18/19 Dyna Superlite and the 19/20? Also, where’s the Zed fit into the mix?
Thanks again!
Hi Tim, there is no difference between the 2 years of the Superlite. There should be some good deals floating around the internet on the older ones. I would say Dynafit is one of the best companies to work with if you ever break a piece. However, it does get trickier when a binding is out of print because of color. If its close on price get the newer ones.
The Zed is a great binding to consider. At 345 grams it is a bit closer to the Speed Radical binding in weight, but you can put a brake on it if you want to go that way. It also has the dynamic travel on the heel so it eliminated the mounting gap that all Dynafit binding have until you get up to the Dynafit Rotation weight class.
Some good info, but wow, huge miss on the potential issue with non-releasable leashes in the backcountry. I also like and use B&D leashes.
Good info Jim, hit the wrong reply button lower in the thread earlier, whoops.
Brakes or Breaks, the title of article coming soon to WildSnow (a little humor for Turner if he is still reading the comments). The leashes debate is a super interesting one and it’s great to see so many people engaged in it. There are 2 main objectives that everyone seems to be looking for in a leash system: 1) A ski should stay close to you when you want it to and 2) the ski should not stay close to you when you don’t want it to. I am forever a skeptic so I will have to really do some research so that we know exactly what force is “appropriate” to achieve this. There are 2 clear ends to the spectrum. One would be in a ski resort where a bad fall and run away ski could hurt someone besides yourself and you would want a very strong leash. The other end would be skiing in avalanche terrain with a high probability of an avalanche. Then of course there is everything in the middle. Maybe there needs to be a whole “quiver” of breakaway links at 30, 40, 50 or 60 pounds of force and you could make this judgment based on terrain, conditions, speed and personal preference.
This being more of an introductory article the debate will have to rage on in the comments. If anyone does have any studies about leashes in avalanche terrain I would love to write an entire article on this subject alone. Doug-AT-wildsnow.com
A lot of intricacies regarding leashes for sure Doug, and I do think you did a very good job with the article and get that it’s more introductory in nature. But who better to give a bit of education to than new bc skiers? The thing that always sticks in my mind is Bruce Tremper’s description of being sucked downward in an avy because his safety strap didn’t break on one ski which acted like a boat anchor. Just a “some have concerns with skis being still attached to the skier should you be caught in an avalanche so it might be good to consider break away leashes”… was all I was thinking. Anyway, good article with lots of great information!
Doug told me to go to G mode and lay down the law, but the spiritually infused stone tablets remained blank. Snowshoes vs skis, soccer vs NFL, natural GW vs anthro — leashes vs brakes — the conundrums of life! I’ve known real people caught in real avalanches who told me their leashes were a nightmare. I’ve also known people injured by leashed skis. Me, if I’m fit and skiing well I tend to use neither. On the other hand, when jeg laggad or just suffereing from the viscitudes of life, meaning a mistake could happen, I prefer have ski brakes for both avalanches and to prevent embarassing “whoops” sounds. I also tend to use what happens to be on my quiver pick for the day, as I don’t find the choice particularly concerning. Lou
Marker Alpinist, English ver: https://www.wildsnow.com/?s=marker+alpinist
Another proposed article title: Heel or heal? Podiatrist, heal thyself!
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Back to leashes. At what force should they let go in an avalanche? It depends a lot on the ski and binding combo. If the leash separates in a mere fall, why have it? Okay, you don’t want to be caught in a windmill. That’s why you need a long, coiled leash (like five or six feet). That fixes the windmilling problem. Heavy skis and bindings need to be connected strongly. One Kg skis with race bindings, not so strongly.
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With a hanging spring balance (no home is complete without one), you can test the cords or split rings you use between the leash and ski (or leash and boot) all the way to failure and get numbers. With my very light gear I like, maybe, twenty=five pounds at failure. Remember, the long, coiled leash allows energy to dissipate as the leash stretches and the ski is slowing down (usually). I have yet to have my ski separate from the leash, but I seldom fall. (Lou is my role model in that.) No avalanches for me either, so far. I’m not real eager to find out how that works in the field.
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I have lost a ski in deep snow now and then, and the leash made it simple to find. Taking skis on or off in precarious places goes better with leashes attached. Sometimes a ski will release climbing steep stuff. Good to have leashes.