Can I use my Fritschi bindings at the ski resort?
Using your randonnee bindings for all your skiing, resort and backcountry, is known as “one rig.” The wisdom of using bindings as “one rig” depends on a few factors. If you’re primarily doing laps using ski lifts you’ll be covering an immense amount of vertical that places wear on the bindings they were not designed for. More, though the Fritschi toe release is adequate, it’s not as highly engineered as the latest alpine bindings. Thus, if you’re only using the lifts for access to the backcountry, by all means use any of the Fritschi models, but if you’re simply riding ski lifts and charging max vertical inside the ski area, a full-on alpine rig is probably safer and more durable (more vertical = more chances of falling and needing release). As for which model binding to choose for your “one rig,” use a Freeride if you’re larger or aggressive, for smaller or more mellow skiers, the Explore/Express will work fine.
