Review: Marker Alpinist 12 Ski Bindings · 2024
By Ski Expert
Nils Aberg
8 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Marker Alpinist 12 Ski Bindings are ideal for backcountry skiers seeking a lightweight, reliable, and versatile binding. These bindings offer excellent release reliability, even in challenging conditions, ensuring safety in high-stakes terrain. The simple and durable design minimizes the risk of product failures. They provide impressive power transfer, making them suitable for demanding mountaineering environments. While they lack brakes, the Alpinist 12 bindings are great for skiers looking for a trustworthy, lightweight option at a competitive price point.
Ideal for
- Super lightweight and simple
- Rigid feel and close fit to the ski
- Simple transition
Not ideal for
- No brakes
- Plastic construction
Release Reliability
Tech bindings are notoriously less reliable in their safety measures when compared to alpine bindings. The Alpinist has somehow broken this reputation, and I'm happy to say that both of...Read more
Durability
I've had little to no issues with the durability and longevity of the Alpinist. The simple toe and heel pieces leave little room for damage to occur. My only problem...Read more
Versatility
The Alpinist has held its own in powder, ice, crust, windboard, corn, and anything else Mother Nature decides to throw out there. They ski great at various speeds and can...Read more
Power Transfer
Power transfer is essential in many of the mountaineering environments I've encountered. A lack of power transfer might result in serious injury or death when one is out in remote...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Nils Aberg
About the bindings
- Model: Marker Alpinist 12 Ski Bindings · 2025
Test conditions
- When I bought these: I started with the 22/23 model two seasons ago and upgraded to the 24 model in February of 2023
- Where I’ve used it: San Juan Mountains (Colorado), Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon (Utah), Riksgransen (Sweden)
- How many times I've used it: 85
Expert Reviews of the Marker Alpinist 12 Ski Bindings
Nils Aberg The Alpinist 12 is the ideal binding for a lightweight touring setup. It sits very close to the ski and has a really stiff feel, which I love in choppy snow and high-stakes spots. This year's Alpinist has a toe guide that makes stepping into the toe much easier. I appreciate how well these bindings tour. They're light, have a decent heel riser option that's easy to use, and the minimal contact between boot and ski makes skinning simple and easy. Transitioning takes very little work and is conducive to skimo-style ripping.
I haven't had too many serious crashes on these bindings, but I am impressed with how they release. Compared to alpine bindings, they could be smoother, but I feel comfortable pushing them hard regarding tech bindings. The only issue I've ever seen with durability is in the plastic surrounding the pins of the heel piece. In heavy landings, the metal U that forms the heel can break out of the plastic. For people who are new to touring, I might suggest a binding with a brake.
The Alpinist 12 has no feature to stop the ski from running if a release occurs, making stepping in precarious in certain spots. Despite this, I love the skinning and skiing feel of this binding, and I'm excited to keep pushing them in the backcountry.
Product Specs
| Gender | Unisex |
| Model year | 2025 |
| Ski binding type | Alpine Touring |
| Skill level | Advanced, Expert |
| Din release - low value | 6 |
| Din release - high value | 12 |
Review Ratings
Release Reliability
5/5
Nils Aberg gave 5 of 5 stars. Tech bindings are notoriously less reliable in their safety measures when compared to alpine bindings. The Alpinist has somehow broken this reputation, and I'm happy to say that both of my knees are intact after over 80 days on the Alpinists. My lack of coordination has forced these bindings to release in various circumstances, including in deep powder, in the park (yes, I took a tech binding to the park, sorry), on side hits, and in silly falls on the least exciting terrain imaginable. Each time, they've let my boot escape in time to avoid injury. I've never experienced any pre-releasing, which is a big concern of mine when I'm in high-stakes terrain. I'm very impressed with how similar my trust is for alpine bindings and the Alpinist.
Durability
4/5
Nils Aberg gave 4 of 5 stars. I've had little to no issues with the durability and longevity of the Alpinist. The simple toe and heel pieces leave little room for damage to occur. My only problem is with the plastic surrounding the heel pins. I cracked the plastic in a heavy landing, meaning the heel pins didn't sit quite right with my boot. Marker happily warrantied this pair and clarified that this isn't a common issue, but for those who lean towards freeride in the backcountry, I might suggest a more freeride-focused binding. The Alpinist is plenty for casual backcountry skiers and can handle what one throws at them.
Versatility
5/5
Nils Aberg gave 5 of 5 stars. The Alpinist has held its own in powder, ice, crust, windboard, corn, and anything else Mother Nature decides to throw out there. They ski great at various speeds and can maintain power when the snow allows for longer, faster turns. As far as the intended audience of the Alpinist goes, I can't envision many people finding a backcountry setting where this binding doesn't do well. Other bindings may have a more practical brake setup for people seeking brakes, but these lightweight-focused bindings are about as versatile as they come.
Power Transfer
5/5
Nils Aberg gave 5 of 5 stars. Power transfer is essential in many of the mountaineering environments I've encountered. A lack of power transfer might result in serious injury or death when one is out in remote backcountry zones with high stakes. While I had difficulty getting used to the stiff feel of tech bindings, I am comfortable trusting the Alpinist to keep my head above my feet when it matters. The low stand height is noticeable with the Alpinist, but I like being close to my ski and feeling the power from my body go directly into my skis. The Alpinist has outstanding power transfer for a tech binding, but don't expect them to feel like bulky, fully-featured alpine bindings.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Nils Aberg There's a lot to love about the Alpinist. The updated version utilizes a rubber toe guide to allow for easy entry. I've grown to trust the durability and reliability of this binding, and I've found the heel to release consistently. The Alpinist skis surprisingly hard, considering it's one of the lightest tech bindings on the market. The low stand height and close contact with the ski have allowed me to maintain control in difficult conditions and in high-stakes terrain, and they're easy to swap between walk and ski mode. I'm a big fan of how simple the Alpinist is, and removing the bells and whistles that some other tech bindings feature has helped me trust these on bigger adventures.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Nils Aberg My Alpinists took me on a 15-hour linkup of three seldom-skied couloirs in the Twilights near Silverton, Colorado, in April 2023. The day started at 1:30 in the morning and involved about 10,000 feet of climbing, so shaving as much weight as possible was important. The three lines we linked have never been completed in a single day, and we quickly realized why. Despite lots of bushwhacking, sub-par snow conditions, and a constant battle with exhaustion, my ski partner and I completed all three objectives and safely made it home. Even in chattery snow full of frozen debris, I felt comfortable laying into my turns with the Alpinist. This day of couloir skiing is still on the back of my eyelids, and it wouldn't have been possible without the right gear.
Why did you choose this product?
Nils Aberg As someone who appreciates simplicity in product design, the Marker Alpinist stood out to me. I was searching for a lightweight, full-tech binding, but I knew I needed something that could take a beating. The simple features and sleek design made it seem like my errors and possible product failures were minimized. In addition, the price point of the Alpinists was hard to beat.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Nils Aberg These are at the top of the list regarding a price/quality ratio. They weigh in below many other tech bindings, have similar durability to competitors, and ski better than many other tech bindings I've encountered. Considering these strengths and the below-average price, I believe the Alpinist is a great investment.
