TR: When your binding releases in a no-fall zone...

**Lindahl** · 04-27-2014, 10:22 PM

This is going to be pretty short, not a lot of sweet photos, or video, but it is what it is... feel free to pass on by.

Last Saturday, there was a quick window before a storm rolled in that afternoon, so I figured I'd take a quick solo trip up to Mount Helen to ski the SE face. The approach is a short and sweet mellow skin to the summit and drops you on top of a pretty steep and gnarly looking face.

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A fall here would be bad, so I locked my toes and dropped in. Things were a little firm and on my first real turn, my ski began rocketing down the face. I was able to stay up on the one ski I had left, but my heart sunk as I saw the other disappear from view. I didn't see it shoot out over the ending cliff band, so it must be somewhere down there. I took a moment to collect my senses, as I was pretty shaken up, and with the other ski in hand, I began kicking steps down the face - not fun without an ice axe. About 1/3rd of the way down, I found the second ski, and gingerly made my way down the second 1/3rd, past the no fall zone, mostly sideslipping. I definitely couldn't trust the bindings to hold. As I got down lower, the snow was much softer, and past the major no fall zones, I finally got to make my first real turns. On the apron, for a quick breather, and I was happy to be down.

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A video documenting what was going through my head throughout the trip...

The ski should NOT have come off, and the industrial strength ziptie (that's been suggested here) to attach a leash... didn't work. Turns out I have a bad spring in one of the toes... check yours regularly before this happens to you. I'm thankful for the outcome of the lesson that I learned - it could have been much worse.

**TBS** · 04-27-2014, 10:40 PM

Nice recovery. That's shit your pants time.

**LeeLau** · 04-27-2014, 10:40 PM

Ugh. Glad you're OK. People who have this happen often die.

**John_B** · 04-27-2014, 11:22 PM

Damn. Nice job stopping. How did you figure out that you have a bad spring?

**Gone Skiing** · 04-28-2014, 07:19 AM

Doesn't locking the toe bypass the springs? Were you able to replicate the release in a less sketchy situation?

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**dark_star** · 04-28-2014, 07:44 AM

Wow. Scary, nightmare situation. Having taken a tomahawk fall down a no fall zone, this terrifies me. I've gotten in the habit of always checking my tech bindings before dropping with a few quick, firm jumps. Once, the ski popped off because I hadn't adequately cleared the ice... and this saved me from a ski release at the top turn of a chute.

Glad you're ok. Thanks for the report. A good reminder why we should all be diligent in inspecting our shit.

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**hutash** · 04-28-2014, 07:57 AM

Wow, no fun at all.

I had a major pre-release at Big Sky this year. fortunately not in a no fall zone. I had just cleared the rocks in a chute and opened it up a little when, bang there goes my ski. a few tumbles turned into a tomahawk followed by a few more tumbles. Fortunately I was on an open apron, but had to kick steps up several hundred feet to get the ski. Makes me wonder just how good tech bindings really are.

**My Pet Powder Goat** · 04-28-2014, 08:05 AM

yowza! glad your OK!

I think you have to keep your expectations in check skiing Tech bindings inbounds. (I would never ski them at Big sky

) I only use mine in soft conditions and when I'm going to be spending <50% of my day out the BC access gate.

**Lindahl** · 04-28-2014, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by John_B

Damn. Nice job stopping. How did you figure out that you have a bad spring?

Originally Posted by Gone Skiing

Doesn't locking the toe bypass the springs? Were you able to replicate the release in a less sketchy situation?

I put the ski on the bench in tour mode, lock out the toes, and then pound the side of the boot heel with my hand, it pops right out. I tried it with the other toe, and I couldn't get it to come out - like I remember. There's definitely something wonky, I'm just assuming its a bad spring. Gonna take it into Salewa in Boulder and have them figure it out.

**Kinnikinnick** · 04-28-2014, 08:21 AM

Could be something wrong with the binding, but in my experience its just an issue that the dynafits are prone to if there is any ice in the binding under the springs or any ice in the toes or heels of your boots. The protocol that I've taken to is to click into the binding and then before I commit to skiing I jump up and down hard on both skis. If I execute on this I have not had prereleases, but have had several when I have not done this.

**Lindahl** · 04-28-2014, 08:25 AM

Good to know, I'll start doing that too. However, I was able to replicate this problem inside, when ice/snow/etc weren't present.

**stradissimo** · 04-28-2014, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Lindahl

Good to know, I'll start doing that too. However, I was able to replicate this problem inside, when ice/snow/etc weren't present.

That sure sounds like a broken binding. Are they Dynafit Verticals? The stamped-steel base plates can crack and/or bend, especially on a Vertical FT12, because they don't have enough support under the wings.

I'm glad you're OK.

Did you have wolf protection?

**lynchdogger** · 04-28-2014, 08:54 AM

No judgement but why no ice axe or whippet? Crampons? Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Kudos for the skills to control the situation. Takes some skill and nerve for sure! Well done sir! Thanks for sharing the info.

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**lynchdogger** · 04-28-2014, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by stradissimo

Did you have wolf protection?

Beautiful!

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**AKbruin** · 04-28-2014, 09:42 AM

Yikes. I'm glad nothing worse happened. I'd ask Salewa replace the entire toe for peace of mind.

I can relate. Five years ago, I was skiing solo into a fairly firm couloir. On my very first turn, my Dynafit toe ripped out of my ski. I was able to self arrest, get my shit together after a few minutes, break out the ice axe, and survive the ideal. But it made me realize how dependent on our equipment we are. It doesn't take much to turning a ripping run into utter disaster.

**meter-man** · 04-28-2014, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

Yikes. I'm glad nothing worse happened. I'd ask Salewa replace the entire toe for peace of mind.

I can relate. Five years ago, I was skiing solo into a fairly firm couloir. On my very first turn, my Dynafit toe ripped out of my ski. I was able to self arrest, get my shit together after a few minutes, break out the ice axe, and survive the ideal. But it made me realize how dependent on our equipment we are. It doesn't take much to turning a ripping run into utter disaster.

Good reminders that you always need to be prepared to think and move like a mountaineer when you're in the backcountry. Glad you weren't hurt. My uninformed hunch is that binding failure has resulted in more death/serious injury than people realize.

AKB, is that in Little Sliiide canyon?

**spankthepow** · 04-28-2014, 11:55 AM

My partner had his dynafits fail on him too this weekend. We were skinning up to the base of the climb when his toe piece plate cracked. We bailed and headed back to the car, a little frustrating when you got up at 3AM, but at least it didn't break while skiing!

**tuco** · 04-28-2014, 11:56 AM

Fucking pretentious tech bindings

.

Glad you're alright man!

**Zeedashbo** · 04-28-2014, 01:12 PM

Snow under the springs is the biggest problem. People always think it's the inserts clogging, but 99 percent of the time it's snow under the toes

**shafty85** · 04-28-2014, 01:16 PM

Well, that's scary. You handled that well.

Which model/year of Dynafits were these? I run radicals without the stiffener plates (99% OB) and these sorts of things always make you wonder if your binding(s) are next?

spook · 04-28-2014, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

Yikes. I'm glad nothing worse happened. I'd ask Salewa replace the entire toe for peace of mind.

I can relate. Five years ago, I was skiing solo into a fairly firm couloir. On my very first turn, my Dynafit toe ripped out of my ski. I was able to self arrest, get my shit together after a few minutes, break out the ice axe, and survive the ideal. But it made me realize how dependent on our equipment we are. It doesn't take much to turning a ripping run into utter disaster.

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuck

spook · 04-28-2014, 02:20 PM

so how old were your bindings? did you get the ski back?

**Gone Skiing** · 04-28-2014, 02:21 PM

I'll be interested to hear what they say. Is this a dual position single click on/off toe or the multi position toe that you have to lift past three or four clicks to be "in"?

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