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Review of PLUM Oazo Ski Mountaineering Bindings: Versatile, Light and Durable

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Overview

Suitability: ski mountaineering, light & fast ski touring
Usual price: around $480 USD (Skimo.co, SkiUphill.ca)
Weight: 200g per ski
Pros: functionality, safety, low weight, 3-year warranty
Cons: no ski brakes (if you care for them)

Bottom Line

Without adding much weight, the Oazo is a well designed ski mountaineering binding if you want more safety, durability and comfort than with race bindings.

Review

We have used the Plum Oazo bindings for about 15 days of skiing in various snow conditions and terrain. So far it has performed very well and without any mechanical issues. We paired the Oazo with Hagan Ultra 82 skis which feels like a great combo for overall ski touring and ski mountaineering missions.

Plum is a French company based in the Chamonix Valley and the whole Oazo is manufactured right there. The binding has a 3-year manufacturers warranty.

To keep the weight down, Plum engineers decided to use a time proven toe piece from Plum’s lighter bindings (R150 and R170) and pair it with a new light heel but with more safety.

With three possible heel heights you can adjust the angle to your liking. While you do have to spin the heel to be in the flat position, once you are climbing you can use your ski pole to flip a riser to fine tune the angle.

One of the nicest features of the Oazo heel is that you can spin it both ways. This feels smooth but you will have to do it with your hand instead of a ski pole.

The heel has a fixed front (vertical) release at 8 but offers an adjustable side (lateral) release between DIN 4 and DIN 10, which is not usual at this weight category.

The women’s version, Oazo 6, is dedicated to women and a lightweight person. It offers a lower forward release of 6 but keeping the lateral adjustable release from DIN 4 to DIN 10.

For such a light weight binding, it can be adjusted for up to 20 mm in boot size difference, equivalent of 1.5-2 boot sizes depending on the manufacturer.

To round out the Oazo perks, the toe piece features an integrated ski crampons slot which worked well enough with our Dynafit crampons. However, you will get a smoother performance with Plum’s own ski crampons.

The materials used on this binding are the Plum’s specialty 7075 aluminum, and then steel and high strength plastic to house the heel.

What We Think Could Be Improved

For those that want even more comfort, the heel could be perhaps refined into the future to allow for spinning it with a ski pole.

Visiting PLUM in France: Emerging Ski Touring Bindings Manufacturer From Chamonix Valley

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We have been testing Plum’s Oazo binding since last spring. At only 200g, the Oazo is a full-featured ski touring binding.

Not surprisingly, Chamonix Valley in France, on the foothills of the majestic Mont Blanc, is home to a variety of outdoor brands. The area is a paradise for outdoor gear testing and development.

After visiting CAMP and La Sportiva factories, we were excited to also honor an invitation from Plum. While not very well-known outside of France and Switzerland yet, this ski touring and split-boarding bindings manufacturer have been steadily carving its name on the market since 2005.

With 2-5 years warranties on their products and very little outsourcing, Plum takes raw materials and step-by-step crafts some of the finest and lightest bindings in the world. They are 100% made in France.

So why “PLUM” if we are talking about bindings and not fruit? The brand name comes from the French word “plume” which means “feather”, not a prune.

Plum’s first ultra-light heel was born in 2005, showing on the left. By 2007, Plum significantly improved the original design, on the right.

The history of Plum and their manufacturing expertise and know-how (precision mechanics) dates back to 1968. To learn more about Plum’s history visit their About page.

Plum Ski Touring Bindings Manufacturing and Testing

From super light skimo racing bindings to more freeride oriented models, PLUM offers a wide selection of ski touring bindings. They also offer a range of split-board bindings which are becoming increasingly popular as well.

Pika is one of Plum’s most popular ski touring bindings.

PLUM designs their bindings based on their expertise and feedback from their athletes and mountain guides, including Alexis Sevennec (former Pierra Menta Champion), Vivian Bruchez (steep skier), Glen Plake (legendary ski movie star) and others.

The philosophy of the brand is to manufacture minimalist, light and durable ski touring bindings to be skied all over the world.

Vivian Bruchez carefully skiing one of many steep lines in the Alps.

PLUM’s manufacturing process combines modern CNC machines as well as more traditional machines. This allows them to fine-tune the process while keeping prices at reasonable levels.

To lessen environmental impact, PLUM shreds metal and plastic parts into small pieces (shavings) and sorts them. Then they are collected by a local recycling company which sends these wastes to a foundry where they are recycled.

Fundamentally, the company is committed to produce locally in France, mostly dealing with local subcontractors, to reduce the manufacturing environmental footprint.

Plum uses Aluminum 7075 as their main material. This aluminum alloy is extensively used in aircraft aerospace applications.

 

Brand new Guide binding toe and heel pieces.

Wide Selection of Plum Bindings

Plum offers a wide variety of ski touring bindings divided into four categories based on their intended use.

The Race & Oazo families interest us the most as they feature minimalist ultra-light bindings, the Race family, and full-featured yet light ski mountaineering bindings, the Oazo.

The Oazo binding is specifically designed for demanding ski mountaineering while weighing only 200g per foot. Whether it is steep skiing or long mountain days with a heavier pack we like the Oazo’s functionality and durability. Full review is coming soon.

The above “men” version of the Oazo has a forward release of 8, while the “women” version has it fixed at 6. Both versions feature adjustable lateral release from DIN 4 to DIN 10.

For pure skimo racing and fast & light ski mountaineering, Plum offers 4 competition oriented bindings with the lightest being the R99 model shown below. One of their most versatile light bindings is the R170 model which offers 20mm of heel adjustment, increased durability, at only 170g, and without breaking your savings account.

Plum’s R99 binding weighs 99g. Its toe piece consists of 21 parts and the heel piece of 12, not including mounting screws.

Other families of Plum bindings focus more on freeride style of skiing and users that prefer their ski touring bindings with brake system. Visit Plum website for all details and pricing.

Gear Guide To Your First Skimo Racing Setup: Skis, Boots, Bindings, and more

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When it comes to shopping for your first-ever skimo racing setup there is no “fit-for-all” advice as each person’s goals, budget and athletic background are different. Some are new to skimo racing or even ski touring altogether while others have already achieved some athletic success in other endurance sports and want to give skimo a serious try from the start.
With all that in mind, I will do my best to provide the most useful and honest advice for everyone new to skimo, and point them to the right gear that is currently on the market.
Majority of the below mentioned gear can be purchased online or in person from our two favourite skimo specialized stores – Skimo.co in Salt Lake City and Cripple Creek Backcountry in Vail or Carbondale.

Boots

Don’t make the mistake focusing only on weight and price. Fit is very important when it comes to boots as it will determine how well you will be able to control the tiny race skis on descents as well as for how comfortable you will be training in them.

La Sportiva Syborg, Dynafit PDG, Scarpa Alien
La Sportiva Syborg, Dynafit PDG, Scarpa Alien
The most suitable entry level racing boots are the La Sportiva Syborg, Dynafit PDG and Scarpa Alien. All three are similar weight (800-850g/boot in size 27MP) and are priced around $750 USD (700 Euro, $1000 CAD) depending on the deal you find. Therefore, your decision should come down mostly to already mentioned fit and availability.
Only slightly heavier but more suitable for regular touring with bigger skis are the new Dynafit TLT7 Performance and Atomic Backland Carbon Light, both weighing just over 1kg/boot in size 27MP. Both are priced around $900 USD (850 Euro, $1200 CAD).
For those that are ambitious right from the start or can spend more money, you can try jumping straight into the Dynafit DyNA (basically a lighter PDG) or Scarpa Alien 1.0. Then the very top level boots, even more expensive, are the Pierre Gignoux Race 400, Dynafit DNA, La Sportiva Stratos (Cube and Hi-Cube), and Scarpa Alien 3.0.
Pierre Gignoux Race 400 (virtually the same as Dynafit DNA), La Sportiva Stratos Hi-Cube, Scarpa Alien 3.0
Pierre Gignoux Race 400 (Dynafit DNA is vitually the same), La Sportiva Stratos Hi-Cube, Scarpa Alien 3.0

Skis

There are many skimo race skis on the market so I won’t list them all but I will give you a couple of pointers and will mention only those with the best price-to-weight ratio.
The good news is that the “entry level” skimo skis are generally only about 100-150g heavier that the top line yet costing about 20-30% less.
For racing, there is a rule that men’s skis have to be at least 160cm long while women’s can be 10cm shorter. You should be looking for skis weighing less then 900-1000g/ski and not wider than about 68mm (ideally 64-66mm) since all racing skins are manufactured for those widths.
To get you on race skis without paying the top price you should check out Hagan Ascent, Dynafit PDG, Atomic Backland UL 65, Voile WSP, Movement Gold Fish-X, or older models of race skis from these brands that can be still found on sale. You will pay around $600-700 USD ($800-950 CAD, 570-670 Euro)  for all of the above new models.

From the top: Hagan Ascent, Dynafit PDG, Atomic Backland UL 65, Movement Gold Fish-X
From the top: Hagan Ascent, Dynafit PDG, Atomic Backland UL 65, Movement Gold Fish-X
Overall, it’s difficult to recommend specific skis for a specific skier because it depends on your weight, height and style of skiing – aggressive, careful, expert skier, intermediate skier, etc. But in general all of them will ski somewhat similarly – the first couple of times, it will feel like you need to learn to ski again 😉

Bindings

There are three important things when shopping for race bindings (even “entry level”):

  • With few exceptions, all models can be mounted only for one boot size as the heels have no adjust-ability!
  • Don’t mix-and-match toe and heel pieces from two different brands on your race skis. First, it’s race illegal, and second it could pose a safety issue.
  • Buy a model without the auto-lock feature – it’s forbidden by the sport’s rules. This means that when you step into the toe piece it won’t lock itself right into the touring (or locked-out) mode automatically but rather you have to nudge it to that position.

The good news is that all bindings listed will likely last you for many seasons. The only maintenance you will need to perform is changing the heel pins every 2-3 seasons (they are cheap).
Here are the models we recommend: Hagan ZR (optional mounting plates allow heel to move), Plum Race 150, Plum Race 170 (possible to adjust heel for 2-3 different boot sizes!), Dynafit Superlight 2.0, Kreuzspitze SCTT, ATK Race SLR World Cup.

Plum Race 150, Hagan ZR, Dynafit Superlite 2.0
Plum Race 170, Hagan ZR, Dynafit Superlite 2.0
Once shopping, expect to pay around $500-600 USD (470-570 Euro, $650-800 CAD) for the models mentioned above.

Skins

Thankfully, there is not much to contemplate about “entry level” skins. You can just buy any skins that fit your race skis and are preferably made of mohair (or similar fast gliding fiber). The width should be about 3-6mm narrower than the middle of your skis – in general, race skins are pre-cut to 58-62mm and are the same width in their full length.
With that, we recommend buying the skimo race skins: Pomoca Race and Race Pro 2.0 models, Colltext PDG, Dynafit Speedskin, Ski Trab World Cup, Hagan Mohair.
Some race skins can be bought in a roll or as an ready-to-go package with bungee cord tip attachments already in place. The cost for a pair of skins will be around $100-160 USD (90-150 Euro, $130-220 CAD).

Pack

There are many skimo race packs on the market and more-or-less all of them perform quite well but like with boots the fit is important, and that is the crux with almost all packs if you are either smaller or taller than an average male (175-185cm / 5′ 7″ to 6′). The best idea is to try some on first or buy the one that lets you adjust the sizing.
All of last season, we worked with Ultimate Direction to design two race packs that allow for size adjustments and even come in two different sizes – the first skimo packs to ever do this! Both of them borrow some features from their famous running vests that we seamlessly merged with the necessary skimo functionality. Check them out: UD Skimo 8 vest and UD Skimo 18 vest.
For a new skimo racing pack/vest, expect to pay about $100-160 USD (90-150 Euro, $130-220 CAD).

Ultimate Direction vests: Skimo 8 front, Skimo 8 back, Skimo 18 back
Ultimate Direction vests: Skimo 8 front, Skimo 8 back, Skimo 18 back

Helmet

With new regulations coming into effect this season, we recommend buying only helmets that are fully compatible with these new rules – we wrote a whole article about this a couple of weeks ago so there you can find all the right models.
Beyond that, even more than with boots and packs, the fit is very important! And if there is some space for a bandanna/buff to slide inside for those cold days then even better.
skimo-helmets-matchup

Skimo Race Suit & Clothing

novice-skimo-racing-clothingWhile skimo race suits are fine pieces of gear designed for the most efficient skins management and ventilation I don’t think a novice to the sport needs one for their first couple of races. As long as your clothing is well/slim fitting and your jacket has some nice pockets for skins then you will be just fine.
The middle ground between a full-on one piece race suit and just slim fitting touring clothing are some double-piece “suit” options. Perhaps buying just a jacket will give you most of what a one-piece suit can offer.
One-piece skimo racing suits cost around $250-350 USD (240-340 Euro, $340-470 CAD) while the two-piece solutions would come to about the same if you buy both the bottom and the top.

Ski Poles

Just like with the race suit, you don’t need specific skimo race poles for your first couple of events and most of your training. Light ski touring poles will do. In fact, even top racers use pretty much just shorter xc skiing poles as they work quite well.
To figure out the correct length for your ski poles see this article on how to do it – How to choose the right length (and kind) of skimo racing poles for you.
Prices will range from $80 to $180 USD.

Avalanche Gear & Training

Last but not least, let’s take a brief look at the avalanche gear you will need for racing and your training. On top of that, you should also take at least some basic avalanche courses to educate yourself how to use this gear the most effectively as well as to how to avoid avalanches altogether.
Avalanche beacon – choose a 3-antenna beacon from reputable brands like Pieps, Mammut, Backcountry Access, Ortovox. Prices will range from $300 to $500 USD.
Avalanche probe – for racing you only need a 240cm probe but if you are going to buy only one then we recommend 280cm or 320cm length. The extra length is beneficial should you find yourself in a real rescue. Carbon probes are lighter than aluminum but are also more expensive – we leave it up to you to choose. Prices will range from $50 to $150 USD.
Snow shovel – just like with a probe, to meet skimo racing regulations you only need a “kid’s toy” shovel like CAMP Crest but we recommend buying a more robust shovel that is actually usable in a rescue scenario. If you opt for something with a short handle but strong blade of decent size then you will be way more equiped. Prices will range from $50 to $100 USD.

Final thoughts

After reading the whole article it may seem that skimo racing is a super expensive sport but it is possible to be strategic with your spending. You can buy a lot of used gear (don’t do this with avalanche beacon) or using online sales and package deals from specialized shops like Skimo.co or Cripple Creek BC. Also, remember, that lots of this gear will last you for many years and will take you to place no expensive carbon bike can ever do.
If you would like to know more about race gear and even skimo training then check out our Manual For Ski Mountaineering Racing where we discuss specific how-to tricks.

Video and Thoughts on Risks of Locked Binding Toes

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Our thoughts are based on the talk by a biomechanical engineer Jeff Campbell. You can watch the 25min video further below.
Bio-mechanical engineer Jeff Campbell presents findings from his study. You can watch his 25min talk below.
We are all guilty of locking out our tech toe pieces while skiing downhill. If you are thinking “not me” right now then you are probably lying or you landed on this website by a mistake.
My assumptions are that most skimo racers lock out their toes close to 100% of the time when skiing on race skis (in races and training), and over half of the time when skiing on their bigger/backcountry skis.
Personally, I usually unlock my toes on my bigger skis when conditions are “breakable” (crust, wind slabs…) and when skiing where coverage is thin or trees are tight because the risk of twisting a knee or simply falling are higher. I do the same on my race skis but less often.
One rationale for locking the toes is to prevent losing a ski that is without brakes. Occasionally, I use ski leashes to prevent loosing a ski but not often enough which then gives me a “bad” reason to have my toes locked. My main fall prevention method is skiing at speeds at which I feel in full control – my perception is that I am in control 80-90% of the time.
Some seasons I used ski brakes and after watching the talk below I think that is the best option to prevent loosing a ski while skiing with an unlocked toe.

Locking vs Unlocking while Skinning and Steep Skiing

By now, you have probably noticed I have been only talking about locking/unlocking the toe pieces while skiing downhill and that I haven’t mentioned skinning (tour mode) at all. This is because I don’t know anyone who skins with their toes unlocked even occasionally. However, the video below will point out situations when it would be advisable to do so.
Skiing steep terrain or when conditions are hard/icy are probably the only two situations when I believe locking out the toe is preferable. The risk of premature or unwanted release in such situations outweighs the other risks, in my opinion. Also, when you are skiing something steep or icy then you are skiing carefully anyways, therefore, already minimizing the chance of injuring yourself due to skiing and crashing at high speed.

Lower Leg Injury and Deep Avalanche Burial

Now, that I have pointed fingers (at all of us) and put my thoughts out there, go ahead and watch this highly recommended research talk.
Jeff Campbell – Retention and Release in the Backcountry:

What Are Your Habits and Thoughts ?

Scroll down to the comments section and share your habits and thoughts on this topic. It’s always interesting to learn what other people are doing.

New Skimo Gear for 2015-2016 Season

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La Sportiva Sideral 2.0
La Sportiva Sideral 2.0
It’s that time of year when all the manufacturers are coming out with the newest products. Here we want to give you a quick overview of what is new this season. Frankly, it is a relatively quiet one, with very few truly new products. Several companies have given current products some big updates however.
The biggest change of the season is in skimo racing bindings. Weight continues to be shaved off despite new ISMF regulations that require race bindings to have manual locking mechanisms (pulling up on the toe piece to lock in). All the major brands now have a competitive (light weight) binding with a manual lock.

La Sportiva

No major changes to the La Sportiva ski line but the citizen race/ski touring boot – the Sideral – has been update to the 2.0 version. It features improved buckles (borrowed from the Spectre model) and an updated sole that offers compatibility with Tech, Frame and Trab TR2 binding systems.

Dynafit

Dynafit continues to improve its ski running line with the retail release of the 2.0 version of the DNA Race ski, boot, and Low Tech Race binding.

Dynafit Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding
Dynafit Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding
DNA 2.0 ski (and PDG 2.0) – The new DNA ski is 40 grams lighter than the black DyNA thanks to its carbon construction. It is also shaped a bit differently (similar to the Cho-Oyu or Denali shape) compared to previous version, while retaining the same dimensions (99-65-80) and turn radius (20m). The PDG 2.0 adopts the same shape and shaves 25 grams off its predecessor.
DNA Boot (PG RC-1 2.0) – Last year, Dynafit stepped away from their DyNA race boot and began licensing the Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400 as their RC-1 race boot. The 2015/16 DNA Boot is an improved RC-1 with a new color scheme (green and pink to match the skis) as well as an improved sole (way better than the RC-1!), and a new upper cuff strap system. Probably, it will be pretty difficult to find much stock in the US but if you find yourself in Europe it’s much more common over there.
Low Tech Race 2.0 Binding – With ISMF regulations requiring a race binding toe that does not auto lock, the Low Tech Race has taken an TLT Superlight toe piece with locking lever and trimmed it down to the essential material, pairing it with a Gignoux plastic heel piece to create a lightweight (around 100g) binding with a removable crampon attachment.

Plum Race 99 Bindings
Plum Race 99 Bindings

Plum

Race 99 Binding – This is an exciting entry into the game from Plum as the lightest all-metal binding on the market at a scant 99 grams. Mount these on any of the lighter skis and you might find yourself needing to add weight to meet the ISMF minimums! We got a chance to check them out at the 2015 Pierra Menta in March and at the Plum factory in Annecy, they are pretty cool!

Fischer

While racing the World Cup last season, Eric took mental note of all the broken skis that he saw throughout the year, and there were lots! The yellow Fischers topped the list but it looks like they have worked out the issues this year with their new Alp Attack Carbon skis. It has the same design as the (older) yellow version with a new construction and top sheet.
Race binding – Fisher is moving away from ATK as their bindings manufacturer and adopted the Dynafit Low Tech as its own re-branded binding for this season. Using the same toe as the Low Tech described above, it is slightly heavier with the older version Low Tech heel (metal rather than the current plastic Gignoux heel). This unit is likely much more durable for day-to-day use.

Fischer Profoil Skins
Fischer Profoil Skins
Profoil skins – Not really a skimo race quiver but worthy of a mention. The Fischer Profoil skins are just a thin sheet of plastic with no natural or artificial hair. Fischer claims the skins are just as effective climbing, have as good glide as mohair, but due to the material they literally can never ball up with snow (when wet to cold conditions occur). They cannot be trimmed and are only able to be used on a ski of a certain width (to allow room for a certain pattern on the base), but with their light weight and low bulk they could be especially useful on an ultra-wide ski.

CAMP Speed 2.0 Helmet
CAMP Speed 2.0 Helmet

CAMP

Speed 2.0 Helmet – CAMP is responsible for some excellent skimo accessories including their Rapid Racing Pack and their Race 290 crampons, and have now improved their venerable Speed helmet to be slightly lighter and with a new retention system. The Speed 2.0 helmet is comfortable for racing and does not to conflict much with sunglasses or a light light hat.

Ski Trab

Gara Titan binding – Ski Trab’s new binding comes in at just over 100g (slightly less than Dynafit Low Tech 2.0) and has all the required features plus a new design that allows the tech toe to close without coiled springs on the wings. Being completely new on the market, it may require some testing of the concept but it’s a possible worthy alternative binding.

Petzl Rad System
Petzl Rad System

Petzl

Rad Line – This is a special 30 meter, 6mm diameter ‘hyperstatic’ cord that can be used for rappelling and for glacier travel. The cord is pre-packaged by Petzl with three lightweight screw-lock carabiners, a double-shoulder length sling (can be used as an anchor or improvised harness), a micro traction (rope capture pulley (for a crevasse rescue), and a Tibloc (for rope ascent), all in a fancy Petzl bag.
The Rad Line is basically a ready-to-go ski mountaineering kit. Perfect for glaciers in the North Cascades, or Chamonix, or dropping into gnarly lines in the Tetons. Pair it with a thicker 30m lead line for harder terrain or use a skinny pull rope for 30m rappels.

For now, that’s all we have for new 2015-2016 skimo gear. We will have some more in-depth reviews of all of the above products soon! If we’ve missed anything, please give us a shout in the comments below or via our contact form.