![]() ![]() ![]() Release pressure is adjusted by swapping out the u-spring in the heel. Many tech heels now have continuous adjustment from 4-10 or 4-12, but the MTN only has 3 discrete release values. One compromise Salomon made to keep weight down is to limit the release adjustment range in the heel. I wouldn’t consider these for a 50/50 binding. On hardpack snow…well they’ll get you down the hill and keep you attached to your skis but they’re harsh, like many other tech bindings. I haven’t noticed any play/slop in the heel (until recently, more on that below) and have had zero pre-release issues when charging fairly hard. Driving biggish skis has been no problem (I had these on Candide 3.0s for a season, which are 108 underfoot) and they feel very connected with the ski. In soft snow I have absolutely zero complaints skiing the MTN. The ramp delta is around 9.5 mm, so a slight forward lean but you can flatten this with leashes by omitting the stomp pad. ![]() If you’ve skied an ‘old-school’ tech binding with no elasticity you have a fairly good idea of how these are going to feel. And with the high riser you’ll be in a good position for steeper skin tracks. Even with toes unlocked they stay solidly attached to your boots.įlipping the risers up/down is a simple affair with a pole grip or basket. It’s a tech toe so the pivot point feels fairly natural and as I mentioned above the toe springs are strong. But I’m happy to report that with heels free, the MTN feels great. Although important, weight isn’t the only factor that affects how a binding feels when skinning. Weighing in at a hair under 300 grams without brakes, the MTN tech binding is on the lighter end of the spectrum (ignoring ‘race’ bindings). In theory you could leave the toe unlocked when touring in terrain where that might be beneficial. I have definitely forgotten to lock the toe more than once when touring but I’ve never popped out, even on steepish side hills. The amount of force required to close or open them is noticeably higher than Dynafit ST or G3 Zed 12 (the other pin bindings I had on hand to test side by side). My favorite thing about the toe piece has to be the springs. The ski/walk lever is the only plastic bit and even it has proved to be durable. It’s a simple design that looks like a fairly traditional tech toe and is pretty much entirely metal. Salomon didn’t try to reinvent the wheel with toe of the MTN/Backland binding and that’s a good thing. This review is based on the original version and the fact that Sally only made minor tweaks is a good sign (if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it). The differences are slightly beefier toe wings and heel tower. It has been available for quite a few years now and Salomon recently tweaked the design. The Salomon MTN / Atomic Backland (same binding, different graphics and name) is a solid piece of kit. It’s no surprise that they decided to dip their toe into the light(ish) alpine touring segment of the market. Salomon has been making excellent alpine bindings for almost as long as I’ve been alive. Release range: ‘women’, ‘men’, ‘expert’ (aka light, medium, stiff) ![]()
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