Summer finally hit me. I’m sitting here sipping on a cold canister that feels like a chunk of ice in my grip, thinking about a fourteener hike and Jeep trip this weekend, but forcing myself to keep covering the famous WildSnow binding collection so come winter I can concentrate on trip reports, backcountry politics and other more current stuff — like gear. Thus, another classic randonnee boot grabber comes off the wall and onto the product photography table for the once-over. Yeah, promise, I do realize it is summer — luckily winter is just around the corner!
This is the third generation production Low Tech (soon to become Dynafit) binding, distributed in the early to mid 1990s. These were somewhat of a cult binding back then. Inventor Fritz Barthel and his friends built the things mostly by hand, and you had to be a fairly “bleeding edge” gear junkie to use them. Nonetheless, they started to catch on and soon Dynafit picked up the license to manufacture the binding and push the backcountry skiing world a quantum leap ahead.
Check out museum display of our 3rd generation Low Tech ski touring binding.
The incredible self discipline this blog posting and associate article required should win an award, as the sunny back deck of our house was calling me like the song of the beautiful Sirens who tempted Ulysses during his adventure.
“It is said that one of the Sirens, Parthenope, in grief at the escape of Ulysses drowned herself…” Our lawn might be feeling some of the same emotions, only rather than drowned, it is parched.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain. For more about Lou, please see his personal website at https://www.loudawson.com/ (Blogger stats: 5 foot 10 inches (178 cm) tall, 160 lbs (72574.8 grams).
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lou.dawson.writer
3 comments
The little Dynafit binder continues to look more refined. I saw some of those Scarpa boots yesterday–pretty light for a leather boot. Where you going for your 14er trip?
I must be the only person in the world still skiing on these beauties. Actually mine are probably 4th generation because the DIN markings are on the spring adjustment barrel and the heel-piece is marked “Dynafit” not “Low-Tech.” The toe piece is identical to the 3rd generation one shown except the toe points screw in directly (no bolts required) and there’s a slick neon pink pad marked “tour lite tech” that’s mounted just in front of the toe piece; the toe-piece lever cams against this to maintain tour/locked mode. Bright purple and pink/orange color scheme. The bindings migrated out of Bad Reichenhall, Germany, and were mounted on old, old (1st generation?) orange Atomic Tourcaps, now on an Atomic TG10 superlights.
I’ve broken parts on normal Dynafits (toe levers, heel pins) but no trouble with these except worn out toe points that were replaced!
Hi There
I conntact you some months ago, to send some pics of a rare JSER binding.
I am also touring with a third generation Dynafit binding, and they worked great except for one reason.
My binding, has three position at the rear part, one for ski mode, other for touring mode with heel lift, and other for touring mode with larger heel lift.
I miss the possition for touring mode without heel lift, I think they are properly mounted and I wonder how people manage for touring without heel lift.
It is possible to set the rear part on an inestable position to avoid the heel lift, but it ussually do not stay in place much time.
Thanks in advance for your comments (and sorry for my english)
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