Gear Review
Garmont 7tm Power Releasable Telemark Binding
Item #GAR0158
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0 in Stock
No Good
By Jack Wizo
Ranked #1 - Telemark Bindings
January 2, 2010
If you're looking for a releasable tele binding, skip these and look for the Voile CRB's. Cheaper, and same activity/stiffness as the 7tm. I'm not a fan of this binding at all, but I understand why people want a tour feature, and a release mechanism. 3pin Hardwire CRB from Voile is better, cheaper, and lighter. Also, they're made in SLC, UT, USA and not China.
View Details: Garmont 7tm Power Releasable Telemark Binding
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
Change me.
2 Comments Last Reply: February 26, 2010 By: mal3652297
I've been skiing rentals with the 7tm binding's and as someone who has strong intermediate and decent advanced skill I love them. I have yet to have a bad spill on them so I'm not sure if they are too "sticky" but the DIN setup has avoided inadvertent releases. Depending on if you read imperial or metric the CRBs are actually a tad heavier but if weight is a serious concern (if you tour more than resort) then perhaps you should consider beefed up XC bindings with metal edged touring skis instead of 75mm bindings on alpine planks. As for the country of manufacture, the quality of high end Chinese goods eclipsed American ones a decade ago, unless you are a "buy armerican" nutbar go for the 7tm.
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes
In my experience 7tm beats Voile CRB easily, though I agree about choosing carefully who manufactures your kit. I've been using 7tm all-mountains for the last 4 seasons and like them far better than the Voile CRBs that they replaced. The Voiles gave me my worst-ever injury, a torn shoulder muscle, when they pre-released on a fast schuss, so I e-bayed them in disgust. The release setting on the Voiles is cumbersome and imprecise to adjust and getting the release plate back onto the mechanism after a release is no job for a steep slope. The 7tms are easy to get into and out of, easy to re-fit in snow after a release and are easy to adjust for boot size and for DIN setting. I find them predictable and reliable to ski, even on notorious Scottish snow (an ice, peat, heather, rock, windslab and sometimes even powder mix). I'd like them to be more active though and have just fitted a power upgrade kit- hoping to try this weekend. I also have 7tm power tours. Not quite so sure about those. At 1.8 kilos, they are heavy to carry on the inevitable walking parts of a tour. I've also had a couple of occasions where the lock-down lever for the pivot has swung into uphill mode while skiing downhill, suddenly giving zero control on that rear ski and an unexpected fall. I think this occurred due to the lever catching snow and being pushed round when I'd been skiing backwards. User-error meets design weakness? Anyone have a view on how active Volie Swichbacks or Targa Ascents are in comparison to 7tm Power Tours?
Helpful Votes: 0 Yes