With the coronavirus still raging as we head into winter, I opted out of buying a pass to my local mountain听this year. I鈥檓 avoiding crowds at all costs, but that doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 hanging up snowboarding for the season. I figured it鈥檚 finally time to learn what all the backcountry-touring fuss is about鈥攁nd I know I won鈥檛 be the only newbie strapping into a splitboard in search of untracked pow and a new form of cardio.
Backcountry participation is , according to gear manufacturers and educators. Splitboard maker Weston had its biggest month ever in September, before the season even started,听according to owner Leo Tsuo. Other brands are quickly selling out of inventory, both online听and in stores. And are already booked through spring.听
If you鈥檙e among the first-time splitboarders avoiding the lifts听this year, here鈥檚 what several athletes and professional mountain guides听recommend in terms of safety courses, gear, and planning your first trip.
Certification and Education
In the backcountry, nobody is grooming the runs into perfect strips of corduroy or blasting away avalanche hazards. It鈥檚 just you, your friends, and the snow. That鈥檚 the beauty of it鈥攂ut it鈥檚 also the danger. Last season in the U.S., , four of whom听were skiing and riding in-bounds, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.听
Before you even venture onto untouched powder, it鈥檚 essential to get certified in avalanche safety and hone your fundamental outdoor skills, says Izzy Lazarus, a听professional mountain guide and an avalanche educator in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Your life鈥攁nd your friends鈥 lives鈥攄epend on you knowing how to react in the event of an emergency. Your backcountry partners are crucial to your own survival, so find a crew of people who you know are serious about safety听and who will push you to develop your mountain sense through the proper educational channels and lots of practice.听
The American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education, better known as AIARE, is the gold standard听for teaching skiers and riders in the U.S., Europe, and South America, mostly due to its well-known and widely available programming,听Lazarus says.听(Avalanche Canada is our neighbor to the north鈥檚 main organization.) The nonprofit supplies research-based curriculum to guides and course providers across the country, who then offer various training weekends鈥攑riced between $250 and $500鈥攖hroughout winter.
The beginner听course, , consists of 24 hours of lectures and time in the field,听usually three days. AIARE partnered up with Weston this year to toward the price of a course for women,听BIPOC,听and LGBTQ+ folks. In this cornerstone class, you learn how to assess avalanche hazards, make informed decisions, and rescue someone in the event of a burial. Avalanche Rescue and AIARE Level 2, the next courses in the sequence,听cover companion rescue and risk assessment in further听detail. Find AIRE courses in your area, or those offered by听other certified providers, at .
In preparation for the season, several organizations and brands (including 57hours, Mammut, and Weston)听hosted online avalanche-awareness sessions for the public. You can also access online classes through a program called .听Until my home of Flagstaff, Arizona, gets more snow, I鈥檓 taking notes on these online classes to prep myself for an avy course come听spring. These aren鈥檛听substitutes but supplements; the more you know, the safer you and your backcountry partners are.
Essential Gear
Any backcountry traveler will tell you that a听beacon, probe, and shovel are the three most important pieces of avy gear in your kit. They鈥檙e your life-saving devices, and an avalanche-safety course (and subsequent practice) will familiarize you with their functions. Whenever you head听into the backcountry鈥攐r even on big powder days at the resort鈥攃heck your safety equipment befire you go.听Adam Zok, a guide听in Revelstoke, British Columbia, recommends bringing听a 30-to-40-liter pack to fit all your gear听and layers.
Unless you鈥檙e planning on听boot-packing or snowshoeing up the mountain (which is doable but requires more听gear and effort),听you鈥檒l need a splitboard鈥攁 snowboard that can be split听vertically听and used like skis to walk uphill. The first splitboard was a , but the technology has come a long way. Burton, Jones, K2, and Weston听are a few of the leading splitboard manufacturers.听A board with plenty of camber beneath听your bindings is your friend on the ascent, Lazarus says. It鈥檚 easier than a rocker profile to flatten when weighted, and more contact with the snow makes it easier to听travel uphill, she says.
, or strips of fabric made听of directional nylon or mohair fibers, are also necessary. Strapped to the bottom of each plank, skins听are designed to grip the snow鈥檚 surface as you trek uphill鈥攖hose directional fibers prevent you from sliding backwards鈥攂ut glide when you鈥檙e moving forward.听Like skiers, you鈥檒l also want some poles to help with stabilization and efficiency听while headed up the mountain. Pick a pair that collapses or folds, like听听($120)听or 听($200), so you can store them in your pack for your descent.
Some splitboard-specific boots are better for the uphill, such as the听听($350) or听the听Vans Hi-Country and Hell-Bound boots听($330),听but the best footwear听is what you already have.听Zok says regular resort boots will work for splitboarding, but keep in mind that walking will wear them out faster than simply听using them to ride听at a resort.听However, you will听need new splitboard-specific bindings that face your board鈥檚 nose on the way up and then change to your preferred stance for听the way down.听The 听($400)听and 听($385) are popular choices.听For some bindings, you鈥檒l also need pucks that are sold separately.听Check with manufacturers about which bindings and boards are most compatible, as you鈥檒l want bindings听that don鈥檛 interfere with the connection system locking听your board鈥檚 halves together.听
Lastly, like any day on the mountain, remember to wear a helmet, gloves, and layers. Your body temperature will run warmer since you鈥檙e moving more, so choose layers that breathe and wick moisture away. But for your safety, make sure your clothes are insulating and waterproof, because there aren鈥檛 any public warming huts in the backcountry.
Planning a Trip
Once you鈥檙e ready for your first day in the backcountry, there are a few ways to go about organizing a trip. Rob Copollilo, a mountain guide based in Chamonix, France, suggests staying out of avalanche-prone听terrain for your first year so you can get used to the gear and backcountry conditions. He even suggests听getting used to your new splitboarding equipment听in low-risk areas before getting certified. Guidebooks, maps, and friends can point you to low-angle slopes (less than 30 degrees) that pose听fewer risks. It鈥檚 also wise to check with听local avalanche centers, which often post daily snow-report bulletins.
The easiest way to get used to your gear is at your local ski resort鈥檚听track. Many locations create uphill听runs that are either free to access or accessible at a reduced price. In Colorado, riders and skiers can learn the basics at the 1,200-acre Bluebird Backcountry uphill-only area. Ski patrollers are on hand to mitigate avalanche hazards, and guides are available听to help with navigation.
You can also hire a guide through a local outfitter or , which connects clients with professionals. However you get out, make the most听of your first journey by heading into the woods听with a team of trustworthy and safety-conscious听friends who have similar goals for the day.