GEAR REVIEW: BLACK DIAMOND, O1 TELEMARK BINDING

By Scott Walker - BD Sponsored Athlete and Heliski Guide

“Why on earth do we need a touring function on a Telemark Binding? Aren’t our heels free already?”

This was my first reaction when G3 produced the Targa Ascent and Black Diamond released the O1 bindings. Ok, so yes our heels are free to assist in ascending with skins on, however there is a lot of effort required to not only compress the springs on the cable but also to flex the boot, especially if you are one of these people who ski with the Race or Ridiculously Stiff spring cartridges. I needed to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

First impressions were just how much heavier the set up seemed out of the box (1.68kg verses 1.41kg for the O2 binding) but once on the ski the extra weight I hardly noticed. The pivot set-up and release switch looked very robust, durable and user friendly. The pivot point is situated right under the toe of the foot so as to provide a smooth and efficient action when walking.

Skiing the O1 is very similar to the O2 but I found that it to be even more precise with greater edge hold and I guess this could be due to shorter cables under foot. For me personally the BD O2 binding is the benchmark for Telemark bindings with the underfoot cables and cartridge allowing you to have complete confidence in the boot/ski interface and the O1 is definitely not compromised in this area at all. At the bottom of the run the usual routine of attaching skins and refuelling occurs, but now with a press of a button on the O1 binding’s front piece, you have completely resistance free climbing action to look forward to. Wow, what a difference. Now I can see the reason for the hype, but it wasn’t until the next run that I realised how much difference there was. I had forgotten that little button and tried to skin up without the touring function and once I remembered it(halfway up!) was all that spring/boot resistance realised. That function alone made the little extra weight seem trivial.

The next big test both for me and the bindings was an NZMGA Winter Guides Course. In the 12 days touring and being assessed in and around the Tasman Glacier I only encountered issues with the climbing wires. (Heel elevators) These are made with a thick steel wire and when stomping on them whilst laying a traverse track on steep hard snow they would occasionally drop down and after inspection appeared to have bent a little. Once back at De La Beche Hut, 10min of maintenance and they were working fine again. Tele Crampons (and less aggressive stomping) would have eliminated this issue. As with all bindings in the backcountry, I would recommend carrying spare parts just in case.

Apart from that, the touring function performed flawlessly and definitely was a huge benefit when skinning around with a heavy pack and having to keep up with the super fit AT skiers in the course. Having now skied these binding for three seasons, they are still in great shape with only a little play evident in the pivot but I am sure that a tighten of the bolts and a bit of grease will have them good as new.

If you Telemark and enjoy getting out of bounds and earning your turns then the Black Diamond O1 binding will enable you to have the energy to put in that one last run or help you go that little bit further. Besides, it’s all about the down and these bindings definitely make the ups so much easier.