I’ll have to tell you later about the 12th century church I was checking out in Alpbach today, and the story about the guy we saw caught in an avalanche will have to wait as well (he survived). After climbing about 5,000 vertical feet and skiing a nice peak above Alpbach, we headed back to the Barthel’s, where I spent some time with Fritz in his workshop, getting the detailed lowdown on how Dynafit bindings were invented. A few photos and comments below, more later as always, including Fritz’s attempt at a Dynafit telemark binding.
![first Low Tech (now Dynafit) binding that binding inventors Manfred and Fritz Barthel actually skied on, during 1982 and 1983. first Low Tech (now Dynafit) binding that binding inventors Manfred and Fritz Barthel actually skied on, during 1982 and 1983.](https://wildsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_4072_earlydyna1.jpg)
first Low Tech (now Dynafit) binding that binding inventors Manfred and Fritz Barthel actually skied on, during 1982 and 1983.
For additional details about this binding please check it out in our backcountry skiing binding museum.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.