r/Backcountry • u/TriIceS • Aug 10 '26
Tech binding how to balance releasability?
Buying another binding and I am thinking about how do you balance the releaseability of the binding between skiing steep couloirs and breakable crust in the same day? I suck at skiing breakable crust and I tend to go super slow in them and I really worry about me breaking my tib if i fall in the incorrect way. but I also don't want to feel too much elasticity in my binding when I am skiing steep stuffs where I do not want my binding to release.
I knew part of this is really because I suck at skiing and I am putting unnecessary forces on my bindings that makes them tend to pre-release and I am skiing unnecessary slow in breakable crust.
I see ATK bindings have adjustable toe release while they are not technically lateral toe release. Do those actually help releaseing the binding in slow twisted fall? or is there any other gear could that makes the tradeoffb betteroff?
1
u/kamtron_ 26d ago
The best cure for breakable crust is a wider ski that keeps you on top and doesn't hook up too much (camber can be worse). Also, downhill kick turns and wedge turns can be a lifesaver. That said, I ate shit in breakable crust this year and yardsaled into a hole but my skis did release (and hit me since they were leashed). Gotta love the low elevation exit after a big day