The skins are then attached to the skis. The P18 front jaw is unlocked at its new, small safety switch on the stand and then removed. The safety catch is only necessary to prevent loss in the event of a fall or when being carried. The jaw is held in position by the ski boots during the descent. It is impossible for the toe piece to fall out during the descent. The front jaws must now be carefully stowed in the backpack. It would probably be quite a fiasco to miss them at the summit, although this never happened to any of the testers in many years of CAST use.
The CAST pin jaws are inserted under the shoulder sleeves until their locking mechanism, the small switch, clicks into place. The stoppers are fixed with the simple but very well-functioning stopper plate and locked in the downhill position for a smooth ascent. To do this, you have to press down the plate on the combo block behind the climbing aids and, if necessary, hold the stoppers together at the top; the stopper clicks into the plate from below. Initially, I didn't always wait for the stopper to click into place properly and it popped out again during the ascent. This no longer happens. I've now also managed to lock the stoppers in place while I'm standing in the binding.
With a little practice, it is now easy to get into the boots with the toes and the pins snap shut cleanly after a little downward pressure. When the pin jaws are closed, they simultaneously lock the position on the shoulder sleeves via two plates on the front screws, which creates a positive fit and thus also prevents the pin front jaw from coming loose. So: Lock the front jaws by folding up the lever and off you go!
The system is inconspicuous on flat ascents. In contrast to a Salomon-Guardian or Dynafit Beast, for example, it has a flat, climbing aid-free setting and I can glide along quickly with a large stride width.
I notice the advantage of the pin system on the ascent. I don't miss the rattling I remember from the frame bindings. Now comes the first kickturn. The system has two peculiarities here. Firstly, the mounting point in ascent mode is moved forwards due to the "shorter" cast pin jaws. This means I don't step into the rear jaws and when I lift off the ski on the ascent, I'm closer to the ski's centre of gravity, even in a freeride ski with a more tail-heavy mounting. Secondly, the heavy rear jaw of the Look helps me, as the ski simply folds down for a kickturn. Furthermore, the forward movement of the boot is not restricted. So hairpin turns work very satisfactorily.
The ascent on my tour gets steeper, and without the climbing aid it becomes increasingly strenuous. The first time I had to reach down to unfold the stirrups of the climbing aid. Now I can find the brackets with my pole and fold them open and closed. The climbing aid is then very stable. I can position the ski very securely on the skins with targeted pressure when climbing. There are two stirrups with clearly supportive steps to the climbing aid. I have not measured the angle with my 337mm long boot. This will be even more noticeable with shorter boots.
The last few metres to the summit of the variation: My fellow riders only caught up with me late on the steep climbs and so we all reached the top together. The system works and has withstood all the strain. I need a slightly longer break than the others before I switch back to downhill mode. First I fold the climbing aids back in, then the stoppers by holding them together just behind the heel section. This makes it much easier and the plate of the combo block releases the stopper. The plate snaps into place when it is pushed back onto the combo block.
The touring jaws are easy to remove after unlocking the safety catch. I briefly remove the snow from the shoulder sleeves, which is quite easy, and put the front jaws of the P18 on the skis until the safety catch engages.
Skins off and back in the backpack together with the CAST pin jaws. Boot back into downhill mode and with a big clack I get into the P18.
To get to the start, you have to cross a slightly frozen ridge again and I overtake the ski tourers, who are sliding along a little unsteadily and slowly on their ultralights in the difficult snow. The still unblemished, powdery north-facing slope is waiting for me. I'm not worried about the following ascent. Maybe I'll manage another lap...
Quality of the system
The parts generally have a very high-quality and robust appearance.
With regard to the production quality of this first small series, the developers have already announced the following innovations for next season's pinback:
The pin connections that hold the side parts to its base plate are to be riveted in future. (We haven't lost a pin, but there was one case where it had shifted and another pin seemed a bit short.)
The injection moulding process for the plastic parts will be ready for series production. (There was an isolated case of a broken lever, but it could still be operated)
There were no total failures during the test; all tours and activities could be carried out as planned.
After one or two of the testers had slight difficulties with the installation, but these problems subsided in practice, the feedback was uniformly positive. Both testers decided in favour of the system because they were not satisfied with the ascent solutions of their freeride equipment and the CAST system offered an attractive alternative. We have long appreciated the safety of a P18.
The tips described above will help you to assemble and handle this binding system and avoid early frustration.
