Gear Review
G3 Targa Ascent Telemark Ski Binding
less than stellar
By kathleen
Ranked #909 - Telemark Skiing
April 8, 2009
The first season I had my G3 Targa Ascents, I was a girl in love. The switch from touring mode to ski mode occurred without a hitch and I loved the freedom of the full pivot binding- genius!
Little did I know the honeymoon would end in season #2. This season these bindings have frozen up, gotten stuck, and have been a pain to switch into ski mode on almost every single tour I've done. One tour I was forced to ski parallel down in tour mode because the switch was so completely jammed. Now the knife I carry is more for chipping ice/soft snow out of the bindings than for slicing cheese at lunch.
It makes me wish I bought the BD bindings, unless someone has a tip out there for making the slide mechanism less susceptible to freeze.
View Details: G3 Targa Ascent Telemark Ski Binding
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes | 0 No
Change me.
1 Comments Last Reply: July 26, 2009 By: Daniel Kulin
Write your comment here...Dear Kathleen, do not despair! Like you I had more than annoying trouble with my ascent bindings icing up. The can opening tool on my knife was the essential tool to switch from climb to ski. I still carry my knife but never us it on my bindings. In my work we commonly use dry lubricants to protect the performance of running hardware on boats. These lubricants are safe on plastic or metal and are designed to enhance the working characteristics between them. The product I prefer is marketed by the Harken company its named Mclube. Its available in a small spray can handy in the wax bag for travel. I did carry this with me all season fearing the dread freeze up which never came. This single treatment at the beginning of last year endured early trips to our beloved Olympics (strangest snow on earth),to a three week trip in the Kooteneys, and then a spring finish in the Cascades. You can see that the remedy worked in all kinds of conditions and temperatures. So do not shop for new bindings,(sorry backcountry)! Mclube is also known as "sailcoat". You can obtain Mclube at most marine hardware stores wherever Harken gear is sold. It is very popular in dingy racing. If you are having trouble finding it I can send it to you. You can reach me at dan@porttownsendrigging.com . This should solve in my opinion the only major complaint against the G3 ascent binding. As my canadian friends would say "Enjoy".
Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No