Salomon Warden Binding (AT boot compatible)

[1000-oaks]

The new Salomon Warden has been mentioned in the 2015 gear thread, but will probably need it's own thread eventually. Al's Ski Barn posted this image of the Salomon Warden WTR boot-compatible binding to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlsSkiBarn Looks a lot like a Guardian without the frame & pivot, for lower stack height and less weight.

[LC]

Fix the title. Allegedly AT boot compatible.

[coldandwet]

It is being alleged quite hard. Regardless of how trustworthy the marketing copy is, the photo here appears to have a sliding AFD, which is a good sign.

edit: derp, it was just a render. found a larger copy.

[Pudge.]

They now feature a "Multi Norm Compatible" label where the WTR can be found on the STH2s. Hmmmm

[CascadeCement]

Sexy toe piece. Is there a difference between adjusting the toe height screw and a AT compatible binder? I used to jam my dynafit freeride boot into anything that would accept it!

[adrenalated]

Sexy toe piece. Is there a difference between adjusting the toe height screw and a AT compatible binder? I used to jam my dynafit freeride boot into anything that would accept it!

A sliding AFD to compensate for the increased friction of a rubber vs plastic sole, usually.

Sent from my VS840 4G using TGR Forums

[adrenalated]

Bump. With OR and ISPO last weekend, any more details out? Price? Weight? Stack height? Mostly metal construction like Guardian, or more plastic? Is the height adjustment just a screw to raise/lower the toe or are there more moving parts?

Next year's Wrenegade 112 with these, CAST, and Freedom SLs could make most of my quiver obsolete.

[SupreChicken]

Plain ole 191 BG with this and CAST would be the only thing I would reach for with anything from 3" of new to the deepest days with or without sidecountry as a destination.

As it is, I'll just shave the cochise AT toe blocks and see how it goes with p18s...

[Lindahl]

Plain ole 191 BG with this and CAST would be the only thing I would reach for with anything from 3" of new to the deepest days with or without sidecountry as a destination.

As it is, I'll just shave the cochise AT toe blocks and see how it goes with p18s...

You can probably file a slot in the rubber and epoxy in a plastic piece in line with the AFD? Gonna do that if my AT soles don't test out well in an STH.

[cyborg]

Plain ole 191 BG with this and CAST would be the only thing I would reach for with anything from 3" of new to the deepest days with or without sidecountry as a destination.

As it is, I'll just shave the cochise AT toe blocks and see how it goes with p18s...

My dream set up. I adore my BGs. I'm mounting dukes on them on Saturday, but if I had the CAST system, I'd probably ski my chargers/dynafit much less in the backcountry

[coldandwet]

Few things half way through this video... the toe and heel are from the Guardian. The next revision of the Guardian will also have the 'MNC' design, so that presumably implies a sliding AFD there, too. So that's nice.



Few more photos about, no actual useful information though. Apparently it will have a 'steel housing', whatever that might mean. I assume it'll be pretty STH like in construction.

http://www.doglotion.com/wp-content/...CH_.POSTER.jpg
http://www.sbcskier.com/gear_article?news_id=1744
http://www.utahoutside.com/2014/01/s...door-retailer/

[mickymikey]

anyone had a chance to have a decent look at these? they are available here in NZ now for the coming season and am tossing up between these and some marker lords for my mercury's, the marker lords are just stupidly expensive though. the wardens are cheaper than the lords are on sale. Are the wardens height adjustment going to be enough for really rockered soles? I thought I read somewhere that guardian toe pieces don't have enough height adjustment for really rockered soles like the mercurys and the wardens just look like guardian toes and heels. Anyone been able to play with them?

[1000-oaks]

I'd wager fully-rockered AT boot are a negative, ghost rider.

[mickymikey]

Why would they not just put a sliding afd on the sth2? I had a bit of a play with them last season and they had enough adjustment for the mercurys and seemed like a good solid binding, not so keen on them without a sliding afd for everyday resort skiing though. I've emailed the shop that are selling them about how they would work with a mercury so will be interesting to hear their view on things, may just have to fork out for the lords.

[coldandwet]

Are the wardens height adjustment going to be enough for really rockered soles?

Allegedly. The 'MNC' part of the name is basically Salomon claiming compliance with the ISO touring boot sole standard, so in theory Mercuries should work just fine.

I thought I read somewhere that guardian toe pieces don't have enough height adjustment for really rockered soles like the mercurys and the wardens just look like guardian toes and heels. Anyone been able to play with them?

Next year's Guardian toepiece will be exactly the same as the Warden toepiece, so the Guardian should be ISO Touring compliant, too.

Why would they not just put a sliding afd on the sth2?

Because the Guardian needs one for touring boot sole compliance, and re-using the toe design means manufacture (and certification) will be cheaper.

[mickymikey]

According to Atomic NZ the warden will be able to be used with full rockered touring soles like the mercury. The store I emailed hasn't received them yet but said they got to play with a demo model and said a vulcan fitted into them fine so I guess they have added a bit of extra adjustment to the toe piece of the new guardians and wardens which is good.

[mickymikey]

Got my hands on a pair of the atomic warden bindings, mounted on a pair of cochise with dynafit mercurys. definitely enough height adjustment to accommodate the mercurys. Finally someone has made a nice solid alpine binding that accommodates fully rockered touring soles! took them long enough! All without some weird mechanism at a stupidly expensive price (looking at you marker lord). Had a day on them today and they seemed super solid and worked perfectly, I tend to think alpine bindings these days are much of a muchness, I don't tend to break gear often and am only 70kg and probably don't ski as hard as some here but will update if I have any reason to change my opinion.

[Ivan Oder]

Anyone got a binding mount template for these? I want to see if they can be insert mounted along side a pair of Dynafit Radicals FT's.
So far, for my 320 Cochise Pro Lite BSL, the Small 2013/14 Guardian/Tracker is the only binding that can be mounted without hole spacing conflicts.

[jondrums]

I'll believe the claims when I see it, but according to the propaganda these look great. Also interested in knowing about the hole pattern.

[XavierD]

I'll continue to jam my rockered Cochise sole blocks into my P18s when I forget to swap them out.

[XXX-er]

Is the heelpiece any different to accomadate an AT boot sole which is thicker than a DIN sole ?

[changodeoro]

untracked says any boot sole conforming to the 9523 iso/DIN standard is compatible, and according to Lou Dawson "nearly any AT boot that doesn't have a "trimmed sole" such as the TLT5 has a DIN 9523 sole."

I'm optimistic, but skeptical also. Anyone else had a chance to see/ski them with rockered rubber? micky --got any pics?

[mickymikey]

will try and get some pics of the mercurys in the binding, I've used them pretty extensively over the last couple of months patrolling on them and haven't had any issues, no pre-releases but also haven't had any big stacks on them, so still haven't really given the release characteristics much of a test. I would think the heel pieces would be the same as found on the sth2s or guardians, haven't compared them though. they click in with a very solid reassuring sound, they feel like they engage the heel more solidly than my old beat up dukes for what its worth.

[skimaxpower]

^ Good info. Welcome, new maggot.

[Jonathan S.]

I just clicked through on an Atomic email promoting the new 2014-15 line-up: the website now has "MNC" appended to the Tracker & Warden, and ditto for the Salomon website.
Claims to be "compatible with all boot sole norms: DIN, Touring and Walk To Ride" -- of course, the lingo is a bit off (since separate DIN documents apply to both alpine downhill and alpine touring boot soles, with WTR being their own invention), but still, sounds like an appealing design for many skiers.