Mountain Weekly News ~
So you’re considering entering the exciting sport of splitboarding for fun and for health? What a wonderful decision. And what a horrible decision.
I mean, it’s a lot more difficult to earn your turns than to ride the great space coaster to the top of a well-marked, mapped out peak. If you have an issue, there’s no ski patrol to bail you out. If you get to a summit and forgot a screwdriver and your binders loosened up a little, you better be able to get downhill on one foot.
Have you checked out our article on splitboard terminology and parts explained? It’s also a great resource for people starting out.
Sure, you can just point to any peak around you and say “I’m going there” and then, like, go there. And the act of touring makes your muscles considerably stronger than just hotlapping the resort, and the whole up and down of a tour is considerably better on your joints then just rocking a controlled fall on hardpack all day.
Unless you’re superman, you might only get in a run or two in the same amount as you can easily get 10 or 20. Though those two runs are usually through terrain more unique than what you’ll find at almost any resort. And a good chunk of the time you’ll find a couple untouched turns (or a couple-thousand-foot untouched pow run) long after the resort is skied out. And yes, that connection to the heritage of our sport, the love of exploration and joy of experience without limits, is pretty cool.
So splitboarding is epic and frustrating, and takes considerably more work and knowledge and skill than picking up a lift ticket and cruising groomers, the gear chase is wild, and it also just happens to be where the sport is going for the experience-minded adventurer.
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But first: let’s show you how you can learn to splitboard in four easy steps.
Get Fit
Okay, you’re resort ski fit. It’s kinda like hot-girl fit. Decent legs. Damn good balance. That’s a start. But before you can start splitboarding, you need to get your cardio up. And your leg strength. Because after going up the mountain, you need enough left in the tank to get back down, and there are no trail maps, no “black diamond, blue square, green circle” sweet nothings to make you feel good about your choices if your legs are already shot. Get in shape. Otherwise, not only will you be limited in what you can explore but also you’re not gonna have as good a time doing it as you could.
So going David Goggins is the first step on your journey to getting into splitboarding: run. Pick up a good pair of running shoes (we’ve got a few suggestions) and start putting in the miles before winter begins proper. Find hills if you don’t live near decent mountain trails. It’s better to put in a few miles a couple days a week than going on one big, sputtering run once a week.
Then strengthen those legs. Eccentric leg exercises are clutch. Start with 3 sets of 10 air squats, 10 lunges, and 10 jump lunges. Get that up to 20 reps and you’re there. Finally, throw in something for those triceps since you’ll be poling out to the peak. Tricep extensions are great but if you don’t have weights, push-ups have worked since the beginning of time.
Avalanche Education
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Cool, now you can get up and down a hill without tromboning breakfast or collapsing in a sad puddle of sweat. Next step: learn about the backcountry. Start off by taking an Avy 1 class. If you don’t know what cracks or whumpfing are, or understand what rapid temp changes can do to a snowpack, or if you haven’t practiced using your beacon (I’m digging the Black Diamond Recon X) and probe to find another beacon, you have no business going into the backcountry unless you’ve paid a guide.
Next find maps of where you want to ski. You can find some good beta online. You can also usually find a backcountry ski shop in the nearest town and see if they have some old-fashioned paper maps like grampa used to use. Figure out how to use them. Also good idea to figure out how to navigate by the GPS on your phone, or even better download a backcountry GPS or topo app, like https://ihikegps.com/ with backcountry maps. Or you can get a GPS machine. But again, read them, practice with them so you know how to use them because it’s a big world out there.
If you get lost at a ski resort, just ride down to the base and look at a trail map. If you get lost in the backcountry, it could mean a night spent out in a snowy forest, trying to coax a furry animal into burrowing with you for warmth.
Get Your Splitboard Specific Gear
Okay, we’ve gone over the bad and the ugly. Now it’s time for the good. Getting your gear.
Let’s start with boots. Theoretically any snowboard boot will do but not really. You want boots that are stiff and supportive; otherwise all the skinning and hiking will make them pack out quicker than a burro with a ghost pepper up its ass. You also want a good sole for extra grip when you’re booting up in between skins, with big lugs, a Vibram sole is great. I like the Nidecker Kita myself.
Then a good splitboard is next. Here are our picks for the best splitboards of the year. Currently I’m riding the Never Summer Proto Split though we have a full list of options to get you dancing. Then you need your skins and I’d suggest you get the shop to cut them for you. Personally I’ve long been a fan of the BD Ascensionists.
Now it’s time for bindings. That’s a thornier one since there are a couple different systems. Karakorams have long been favored by the hardcore gear geek crowd due to their precision and strength, and I’m currently on Nomads. Then Union is our favorite for high performance on the down, with a peg/hook system. We also gotchu with a list of the best splitboard bindings for you to peruse.
Now you’ve got the hardgoods to get out touring. And to fill out your pack, check out this article pulled together by our editor, Mike Hardaker. Now, get that bread.
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Go Explore
Okay, it’s your big day. You’ve got the tools and you’ve got the talent. Go get your slice of Valhalla. Grab your A-1 adventure partner, who’s also done all the prep you just did, and head out at your local neighborhood backcountry trailhead. Start small. If you’ve got a heavily-trafficked mountain pass type area, with 1-to-3-hour tours, do that. But give double the time so you’re not hustling, and you’ve even got a chance to go off and play on the tour.
Hook everything back up. I usually ride a new splitboard as a solid at a resort before a backcountry ride on it though nothing can ever prepare you for how it feels at the top of the peak. Staring at the endless mountains. No chairlifts, no fancy restaurants or shiny shops. Just you. Your people. The mountains. And below you, a galaxy of fluffy, untracked white reaching back to society.
Enjoy.
Related Splitboard Articles
- Must Have Essential Gear for Splitboarding Adventures in the Backcountry
- Best Avalanche Beacons for Splitboarding and Backcountry Skiing
- Dedicated Splitboard Specific Snowboard Boots, Top 10 List
The post How to Get Into Splitboarding, A Guide from Teton Splitboarders appeared first on Mountain Weekly News by Ryan Ariano.