UKC

Does anyone have experience of the Ambition 12 ski touring binding which is made by Tyrolia but also marketed as Head and Fischer?

http://www.tyrolia.com/en/ski-bindings/aaa-series/aaambition-10.html

It seems a step forward from previous frame bindings but is it robust?

In reply to MacKnee:

Well I have no experience of these bindings and they may be just fine. Having said that, they remind me very strongly of the Naxo bindings which now seem have left the AT binding gene pool. And oddly enough a short search revealed Lou Dawson's comment that a previous Tyrolia binding had some Naxo-like features. So I can't answer your question but I'd certainly share the concern if I was contemplating buying them.

In reply to MacKnee:

Most new ski touring products have teething issues. If this is the first year that they're selling them it's probably wise to give them a bit of time to sort the design flaws out.

In reply to MacKnee:

There are a lot of exciting new touring bindings around at the moment..... That is not one of them.

In reply to AdrianC:

I'm always happy to listen to Lou but the Tyrolia TRB binding in question was made in 1982.

In reply to Ben Briggs:
Point taken. It will never be exciting. I'm looking for a piste robust binding which is as light as possible for touring. I'll be travelling light for the season and will only have one pair of skis to do it all. The Marker Kingpin may be the route or even the G3 Ion but both are only just out and may be a risk in their first season as Owen suggests above. Vipec is in its second year with some improvements but it doesn't really excite. Marker Baron, Duke, Guardian etc are too heavy and the Fritschi Freeride a bit of a dinosaur. The Dynafit Beast takes something simple and light and makes it complex and heavier. The Tyrolia has been around a while but there may be a reason why it's a bit of a secret.

In reply to MacKnee:

If it helps, I have the G3 Ion, and after a little use, I love it. It removes the faff factor of getting in to Tech bindings: as long as you don't have unusual boots, the toe stop works very well.
It is the first year for the ion, but I think they've learnt from the issues of the onyx. I'd happily ski in on piste, it will be the binding I take for an upcoming trip to Canada, on and off piste.

In reply to damowilk:


I've not thought of the ion as a mark 2 onyx but of course it is. The question is, have they introduced new 'issues' with the 'improvements'? I never buy 1.0 software and am inclined to carry this principle into the ski hardware realm. And you can never try these things out on the hill.

In reply to MacKnee:
Good old Wildsnow. Just had a look there and lo and behold there was a comment posted within hours of my first query by someone who has used them:
"Regarding the Ambition 12, we had been on Fritche for years, then made the switch to Dynafit Radical over the past couple years. However, when we got on the Ambition 12, the combination of the binding which is significantly lighter than Fritche when mounted on the Fischer Hannibal ski gave us a set up that was lighter than our previous set up, Folsom Custom ATX and Dynafit Radical. So we have the total convenience of a full on step in binding with security of DIN 12, and reliability all the way around on par with standard bindings. Other benefits are that the Ambition has a super high climbing peg which adds to the convenience. After a couple years on Dynafit, that benefit alone more than made up for the difference in weight. While the Ambition is lighter than the Fritche, it is obviously not as light as a tech binding. We weigh in at around 180 pounds and especially on hard snow and ice, the Ambition 12 is a pure AT binding that easily accommodates side country and even in bounds skiing if needed. It’s very versatile. We will take them to the Himalaya this winter without hesitation. It’s not something that you would race on, but for other AT skiing, it’s a proven product that is light, durable, and very convenient. I personally have never been completely sold on tech bindings in general for a variety of reasons, and the Ambition 12 is a super and very pleasant addition to what’s available these days."
And then, when the Marker Kingpin proves its durability, I can get some of those