- Outdoors
50/50 Uphill
“Get up, stand up, stand up for your RIDE”, could be formulated as the credo for a splitboard tour, in paraphrasing Bob Marley, your ride doesn’t come without effort, you have to work for it. Stand up. Get up. But of course, that is what it is all about. Once you have reached the summit, you will be rewarded with a virgin snowfield, and all the effort will simply be forgotten. Your thoughts will be clear and the slope below ready for you to make your tracks.
Up to now, a tour was generally just a compromise for snowboarders. It was a strenuous exercise going uphill in snow boots with a board in the rucksack and getting on the board at the top of the mountain. With the splitboard, your beloved sports gear is split in half, and with skins attached to the bases transforming equipment into a function climbing aid. The times of carrying unnecessary and impractical baggage are in in the past. In the past snowboarders had a tough time lugging their gear around for a tour, while ski tourers had a relatively easy time. With the splitboard your equipment is not so cumbersome to carry and you will be able to keep up with your ski touring buddies. The material has revolved and is now much lighter and functional.
Essentials:
If you decide to make a tour, the appropriate equipment and good planning are essential. If you do not have your own splitboard, no worries. When starting off you can try out various models. At the Board.at shops, you will find top quality material, and the pros are on hand to offer great tips. This is the best way to find out what you like and what you don’t like. Once you have found the correct board, you need to be kitted out with skins, crampons, and telescopic poles for a successful ascent.
When partaking in a tour, the mottos is: “The less, the better“. Lightweight, functional clothing is perfect as well as gloves, helmet, first-aid kit and of course avalanche equipment should not be forgotten. Don’t forget to take enough to drink along with you as well as chocolate or a muesli bar. You will be grateful for some supplies to charge your batteries ;) A headlamp is a handy item to carry in your backpack. When in a group always take time to check things out with each other, this prevents uncomfortable discussions and delays up on the mountain. Once everything is in place, the tour can commence.
The journey is the destination…
… or is it the ride? To ride the best faces, you have to work for them. Do you feel like a Sherpa when making your ascent? Well, with the splitboard you can take things step by step to the next level – i.e. higher summits and better lines, but at the beginning don’t set your standards too high. Often a short tour after work is sufficient to release your thoughts and appreciate the scenery and nature around you in an environmentally friendly way, whilst at the same time regaining your inner balance. Whether on a single tour, or on a tour with friends, all possibilities are open. The descent is the icing on the cake. Nothing is better than arriving back down in the valley with a massive powder smile (grin on your face) looking back up to line and heading back happily home.
