Plum Guide Binding Overview

Stoked!  The Plum Guide is here in North America, and it's insanely nice!  Plum, a CNC company out of France, who create cutting edge designs in the ski mountaineering binding game.  Having already cornered the market on the super light race bindings, the Race 135's, 145's, and 185's, now have a binding for the burly ski mountaineers looking for a higher DIN.

Enter the Plum Guides, a meticulously designed ultralight binding that has been designed for hardcore users.  Weighing in at only 335g per foot the Guide takes the edge over it's competition, the Dynafit FT12, weighing 530g per foot.  It's beautifully CNC'd design, not only makes the binding more robust, but by far more stiff and rigid to ski.  This advantage will translate down to the skis, allowing them to hold a better edge on steep exposed ice, and ski even more like a downhill binding.  On a closer look they have even more to offer than just any 'tech' system.

(Photo Above: Integrated Crampon Slot)

The toe's are designed with a full metal locking lever for the toe, also a big advantage, as I have seen many plastic levers broken in the cold or due to crashing into rocks, alder, or other skiers.  It is also one single piece, opposed to other competition models, which are two separate pieces and are made with one part plastic.  The toes have the same beautiful engineering as all their race bindings, and also have a crampon insert directly molded in with the overall frame of the toe.

The heel is pretty cool looking.  It's only plastic piece, the main body and housing for the springs, is actually made from aerospace polymer to ensure the bindings stay light.  Like the polymer, the aluminum and steel, on the heel and toe are also aerospace grade.  What skiers may find is that the volcano, or climbing aid, is much easier to turn and less likely to break as it has also been CNC'd out of metal.  Yep, no more pesky climbing aid breaks in the backcountry!

The heel does not have a rearward adjustment screw, like it's competition, but a wider sliding platform that adjusts and screws in on a track (pictured on the right).  Having been modifying and trying to find the widest and most stable options, for many high end freeskiers wanting to huck more, I am happy to see the slightly wider metal platform.  As a result it will stand up to hucking, skiing high speed through debris, and generally poor snow conditions far better.  The track itself has 30mm of adjustment in it, so you can swap multiple models of boots, and sizes without having to re-drill your skis.  The DIN is set at 12, for both the lateral and forward release settings.  Steep skiers will be happy to know the rear pins are quite long allowing for a great deal of negative flex of the ski in awkward conditions, and barely any chance of popping out unexpectedly.

Although the bindings do not yet have brakes, do not fear, Plum is already designing one for the Guide which should be out shortly.  That being said, brakes are just more weight!  One cool feature, which also sets these bindings apart is they have been TUV certified, making them the only TUV certified tech system on the market.

Overall, these bindings have a lot going for them.  Expect to see even more fantastic designs and models in the very near future from Plum.  Having been sworn to secrecy, I can honestly only say, this is only the tip of the iceberg.  Ski Mountaineers, Racers, and hard skiing Freeskiers should take note of these designs as this the path I see ski gear trending towards.  If you want to get a pair, The Escape Route, in Whistler has them here. Plum also has multiple different models, with lower climbing aids, and lower DIN's so check them out here.