Xplore Binding Failure - Any Fix or Utter Doom?

[Skijoring Grace Gale]

2nd time out skiing with my new fancy alfa apx xplore boots, when joy turns to sorrow...

Xplore Binding Failure:
Is there any way to fix this in the field?

Or are you just Shackleton'd, devistated to a long haul of utter misery and desperation? Using your unbound ski as a sword to fend of polar bears?

[blitzskier]

how do the Altai snow mongols make bindings in the field? time for some R&D

[Stephen]

@Skijoring Grace Gale , I think I remember reading that one can push on the opposite pin to possibly get the stuck pin to pop out (would require having something with you of a small enough diameter to push the opposite pin, not-stuck pin, inside it’s hole — not just flush with the exterior).
Also, there was something about lubing the pins as preventive maintenance.
Don’t have direct link to those, but it’s in here somewhere.

{EDIT} I think it might have been @Tom M that posted on that.

[randoskier]

2nd time out skiing with my new fancy alfa apx xplore boots, when joy turns to sorrow...

Xplore Binding Failure:
Is there any way to fix this in the field?

Or are you just Shackleton'd, devistated to a long haul of utter misery and desperation? Using your unbound ski as a sword to fend of polar bears?

Is this an early iteration of the Xplore boot? Alfa had a problem when this boot first launched that is well documented. My wife had the same thing happen to her with a retracted pin. It was on the penultimate day of a two week ski tour in Norway. Had been fine to that point. She had her skis off at lunch and when she went to reattach them she could not click in. We soon discovered the pin was retracted and would not come out, We fiddled with it for about 45 minutes. I finally took the point of my knife and pushed in hard on the pin and it popped out (not good for one's knife point!). She finished the tour, but each time she needed to get out and back in we had to repeat it.

As soon as we were out of the woods she contacted Alfa in Norway. They said they had documented a fault with the engineering of the spring pin that had since been addressed. They had us return the boot, repaired it and sent it back rapidly- it has several long tours on it since and a lot of day skiing. No problems at all. Someone else in this forum had the same experience.

Could you perhaps have one of the early models? Where did you get the boot? Maybe it was older stock?

[randoskier]

@Skijoring Grace Gale , I think I remember reading that one can push on the opposite pin to possibly get the stuck pin to pop out (would require having something with you of a small enough diameter to push the opposite pin, not-stuck pin, inside it’s hole — not just flush with the exterior).
Also, there was something about lubing the pins as preventive maintenance.
Don’t have direct link to those, but it’s in here somewhere.

{EDIT} I think it might have been @Tom M that posted on that.

We pushed the stuck pin itself several times and it eventually popped out. The Alfa fixed the problem which they were aware of.

I guess on further reflection it is best to try both methods the pin itself and the opposite pin. You are right on lube too.

Also Rotty makes a special grease and applicator for the Xplore-

[randoskier]

@Skijoring Grace Gale Tom's emergency depannage for the Xplore

[Theme]

Alfa Outback Xplore is brand new for this season.

Might be an issue with the pins again (bad batch of Rottefella soles) or just too little grease. Or stupidly freezing conditions.

I have skied 3000 km on XP boots and none had this issue more than once. It just froze in ideal conditions. Pushed it in with tip of ski pole and it popped out, never to be repeated and I didn't even add any more oil or anything. I would try warming the pin up next if the mechanical help didn't suffice. And add some more lube if it happens again.

If it keeps happening, probably faulty pins and reason to contact the shop you bought the boots from.