We’ve put together a blog covering gear applicable for skiing off piste and ski touring. It’s not a review but a shopping wish list all the same!

Find the blog here: http://mountaintracks.co.uk/blog/winter-ski-kit-0

Do you get many clients on Marker bindings? What kind of vertical do your guides do with them? Or doesn’t gear weight have much impact on the tours you are doing?

Hi David

I am presuming we are referring to the Duke and Baron models
The Marker bindings are designed for shorter tours and general off-piste. They are designed for hard use, and can be used for skiing fast and steep if required. There are no limitations to the binding other than their weight and the fact that they take longer to ‘change over’ than other brands, due to the sliding rail mechanism. One could theoretically skin any distance with them, they are simply heavier, so it is up to the user if they make this choice.

For long hard tours, we would recommend lighter kit, but if someone came with Marker and were fit, we would be totally OK with that. If you want to give yourself an up hill advantage then the lightest bindings are made by Dynafit.

Please note, Marker do also make a lighter model for longer tours. http://www.marker.de/en/product-range/touring.html

Matt Dickinson

I’ve resisted going on the scarpa website in this lead up to winter.  its a good job, those few pictures of their boots look great. my spirit 4’s are still fine though!

davidof - 22 November 2011 05:12 PM

Do you get many clients on Marker bindings? What kind of vertical do your guides do with them? Or doesn’t gear weight have much impact on the tours you are doing?

Still alot of clients on Fritschi and Duke’s

The Marker F12 Tour is a great binding though i’ve used it on many ski tours in and around Chamonix and in NZ. If you’re on the heavy side a Duke is advised as its a slightly stronger option.

Dynafit are great and I use them on my light set-up, F12’s on wider skis though for bigger days and shorter missions!

Chris Fecher
http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

In answer to how many - around 10%

Tinderbox - 23 November 2011 03:06 PM

davidof - 22 November 2011 05:12 PM

Do you get many clients on Marker bindings? What kind of vertical do your guides do with them? Or doesn’t gear weight have much impact on the tours you are doing?

Still alot of clients on Fritschi and Duke’s

The Marker F12 Tour is a great binding though i’ve used it on many ski tours in and around Chamonix and in NZ. If you’re on the heavy side a Duke is advised as its a slightly stronger option.

Dynafit are great and I use them on my light set-up, F12’s on wider skis though for bigger days and shorter missions!

Chris Fecher
http://www.tinderboxskischool.com

I’m not sure I get this thing about Dukes for “heavier skiers” or “steep and deep” or however they market it.

If I have a binding (a Duke, a Freeride, whatever) and it suits my desired DIN setting, so I’m not setting it right at the end of it’s range then what difference does it make? Doesn’t the point of DIN settings mean that I know that any binding is going to keep my foot in place when I want it to?

Or to put it another way, if I ski in a Fritschi Freeride or an F12 am I really more likely to pre-release than I am in a Duke, or a regular alpine binding for that matter, assuming same DIN settings? Are the lighter bindings somehow not as reliable as the heavier ones?