Touring binding heel unit

An apparatus for holding a footwear heel to a snow travel aid, the apparatus comprising a base mountable to the snow travel aid that is connected to a post and an upper portion engaged with the post and having at least one connector for connecting the upper portion to the heel, the upper portion being rotatable on the post between a downhill position and at least one touring position;

• wherein the post comprises a spindle between a cap and a pedestal, the cap and pedestal being larger in cross section than the spindle, the pedestal being joined to a post base having a larger cross section than the pedestal, the post base comprising a feature or features oriented in a generally longitudinal direction for slidable engagement of the post with said mountable base, the spindle comprising a primary flat zone generally facing in longitudinal direction and at least one secondary flat zone facing generally sideward, wherein an underside of the cap comprises a bearing surface and an upper surface of the pedestal comprises an opposing bearing surface and wherein the one or both of said bearing surfaces comprise at least one groove that increases clearance between said bearing surfaces at the location of the groove.

An apparatus for holding a footwear heel to a snow travel aid, the apparatus comprising a base mountable to the snow travel aid that is connected to a post and an upper portion engaged with the post and having at least one connector for connecting the upper portion to the heel, the upper portion being rotatable on the post between a downhill position and at least one touring position;

• wherein the post comprises a spindle joined to a post base having a larger cross section than the spindle, the post base comprising a feature or features oriented in a generally longitudinal direction for slidable engagement of the post with said mountable base, the spindle providing a bearing surface that comprises a primary flat zone generally facing the longitudinal direction and at least one secondary flat zone facing generally sideward, and wherein the bearing surface of the spindle comprises at least one groove extending across at least part of the at least one secondary flat zone, the groove being shaped to provide a path containing a prominence followed by a depression in a direction extending away from the primary flat zone.