The Alpinist 12 is the perfect 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 in high-stakes spots. This year's Alpinist has a toe guide that makes stepping into the toe much easier. I've really appreciated how well these bindings tour. They're light, they 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've been impressed with how they release. In comparison to alpine bindings, they're definitely not super smooth, but as far as tech bindings go, I feel comfortable pushing these bindings hard. 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. Hasn't happened to me, and I've only seen it once.

For people who are new to touring, I might suggest a binding with a brake. These don't come with any feature to stop the ski from running if a release occurs, which also makes stepping in precarious in certain spots. Even despite this, I love both the skinning and skiing feel of this binding, and I'm excited to keep pushing them in the backcountry!