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Splitboard Mountaineering Boot-Binding Setups

Original Post
CCChanceR Ronemus · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 130

Any splitboard mountaineers on here? Has anyone figured out a good setup for just using one pair of boots for an alpine climb with a board descent? I'd love to use my mountaineering boots, and the plate bindings are great for that when the riding is really easy! However, it's scary and hard to ride anything remotely hard with that little support. Has anyone figured out how to add a highback to their plate bindings? That seems pretty unstoppable.

For example, I'm planning on climbing and boarding the Ford-Stettner on the Grand this spring, and it'd be sweet to be able to rock my Eigers for the climbing, but I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable riding in them w/o more support. Have we been reduced to just bringing two pairs of boots?

luke smith · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 121

Pick up a pair of hard boots- from what I've seen TLT 6's or something similar are the way to go. Stiff enough to frontpoint in, no highback needed to ride, efficient to skin with. It does take some getting used to ride with, and there is the issue of buying most of an AT setup along with what you have. But it's way better than carrying two boots or trying to ride in mountaineering boots.

CCChanceR Ronemus · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 130

Thanks for the reply. That does kind of seems like the ultimate best set-up for this type of mountaineering. Investing in that stuff seems kind of ridiculous unless you're guiding in Cham or something, but that would undoubtedly be sweet. Riding in hardboots is kind of funky from my experience, does riding in mountaineering boots really suck? I haven't tried. I know some people swear by the hardboot, but you might as well be skiing at that point right? ;)

Anthony O. · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 145

Go with some Deeluxe Spark XV boots and a set of Spark R&D Bindings. The Deeluxes have a heel welt so you can use some semi-auto crampons. I'm pretty sure its the stiffest soft boot you can buy before going full hardboot.

+ some intuition liners and you're all set!

CCChanceR Ronemus · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 130

Ooh that sounds sweet! I'm riding in some sloppy burton park boots that just suck at bootpacking or technical riding. The jump to hardboots, while I'm sure it's the way to go, just doesn't seem that inviting. Gah, maybe I should just start skiing...

Jake Laba · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 0

Wish I could afford some phantom bindings and sportiva spectres

axcxnj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 35

I just "finished" my splitboard mountaineering setup this year. for a few years i was hoofing it with snowshoes for approaches. Ive ice climbed in snowboard boots once...wont do that again. then i moved to snowboarding in my scarpa invernos. that worked far better.

finally picked up a splitboard setup this year and i went with an AT boot and bail bindings. I havent climbed ice in the boots just yet (trip is planned for 2 weeks from now) but ive been out in the backcountry a few times and i really enjoy the AT boot setup.

I havent tried the spark boots...but id be very wary to actually climb ice in another boot made for snowboarding.

BigB · · Red Rock, NV · Joined Feb 2015 · Points: 340

Did op say he was going to climb ice^^^? Many ski mountaineer objectives don't require actual ice climbing ....
I've been splitting since 2003 and have seen and ridden some real crap while it has matured... the setups are finally getting to where they work. Good setups depending on your stylee are:
1. Soft boot setup- Fitwell Boots or Deeluxe Spark xv w/ spark( or burton truck drivers, same thing rebranded) bindings, these bindings are the shit and are really quick in transition(no pins), both boots fit boot crampons well.(my setup)
2. Hard boot setup- dynafit tlt 6 boots(modified), dynafit tech toe piece and plate bindings(spark, voile, etc)... This setup is probably your best bet for true ski mountaineering. skinning is the easiest w/ this setup, it's the lightest, you have hard boots, crampons are easy, only drawback is many of us have a hard time getting used to no flex laterally on the down.... that's why peeps are modifying the boot to try and get some flex back.
3. No boot - surf it with no bindings and any boot u choose, laugh then go watch a vid of what their pullin off and you'll realize I'm SORTA serious ;)))
4. I love snowboarding been doing it since 1987-8, and Splitboarding is all I do now(no resorts)but if you want the best tool for ski mountaineering then learn to
ski....h8 to say it but it is a better tool for real mountaineering objectives(right now, anyways, of course JJones might disagree).
If you want to have FUN splitboard! :)))
btw... Splitboard . com is your friend!!!

axcxnj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 35

true, many ski mountaineering objectives do not involve technical climbing....however there are many ski mountaineering objectives that do. ice pitches can fall under the umbrella of ski mountaineering.

id rather snowboard in a mountaineering boot than climb in a snowboard boot.

IMO an AT boot is the best of both worlds.

Jason Halladay · · Los Alamos, NM · Joined Oct 2005 · Points: 15,153

I've been splitboarding for ten years now and have been very happy with using Koflach Vertical plastic mountaineering boots (with Intuition liners) and Voile Lightrail strap bindings. The versatility in this setup is quite nice and I feel I still have a good amount of control for riding.
I am interested in getting into the Dynafit TLT 5 or 6 boots (so I can modify them for lateral flex) and some plate bindings like Phantom. Problem is I'm a 32 mondo and Phantom bindings don't fit that size of boot (yet...fingers crossed for a "bigfoot" version from Phantom sometime.)

axcxnj wrote: finally picked up a splitboard setup this year and i went with an AT boot and bail bindings.
I'm curious what boots and bindings you went with and if you modded your boots.
CCChanceR Ronemus · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 130

Yeah you guys are right about ice being pretty rare with skimo stuff. I split board a lot on my current softball setup and have never really needed or wished I could climb ice with my boots, however, the easiest route on the Grand has some mandatory alpine ice, and I was just wondering what you guys like for that. I'd probably be fine climbing in my snowboard boots with strap on crampons. Thanks for the replies.

DrApnea · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 265

I would love to use only my LS baturas to skin in, climb, and ride out. More of a single setup for approach to ice climbing in the winter. A hinged plate binding with use of the toe/heel boot welts as a binding attachment would work for accent, but I feel boarding with those would be way to sloppy without back support on the way down. I guess it wouldn't be that tough of boarding for what I'm thinking, but anyone tried using Baturas for split boarding?

axcxnj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 35
Jason Halladay wrote:I've been splitboarding for ten years now and have been very happy with using Koflach Vertical plastic mountaineering boots (with Intuition liners) and Voile Lightrail strap bindings. The versatility in this setup is quite nice and I feel I still have a good amount of control for riding. I am interested in getting into the Dynafit TLT 5 or 6 boots (so I can modify them for lateral flex) and some plate bindings like Phantom. Problem is I'm a 32 mondo and Phantom bindings don't fit that size of boot (yet...fingers crossed for a "bigfoot" version from Phantom sometime.) I'm curious what boots and bindings you went with and if you modded your boots.
I currently have the Voile mtn plate bindings with Scarpa Laser AT boots. the boots were old demo boots that i picked up for $75..so it was hard to pass them up, I want to demo some lighter weight Dynafit boots and see how they fit. but they are $$$ and for now this works well.

i havent modded the boots yet, but i am considering getting the canted pucks for the bindings.

boot size is 29.5 and I have no issue with the toe hitting the board during skinning.
chris21 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 125
DrApnea wrote:I would love to use only my LS baturas to skin in, climb, and ride out. More of a single setup for approach to ice climbing in the winter. A hinged plate binding with use of the toe/heel boot welts as a binding attachment would work for accent, but I feel boarding with those would be way to sloppy without back support on the way down. I guess it wouldn't be that tough of boarding for what I'm thinking, but anyone tried using Baturas for split boarding?
I've been using my LS Baruntse(not sure if these are stiffer/how much stiffer than baturas) with old burton bindings and voile splitboard hardware. Took some tweaking (mounting the bindings one or two holes back on the slider plates to make up for the difference in the shape/length of the boots and adjusting the binding straps to fit the boots better) but it has worked pretty well so far(a few days of testing/tweaking)... the real test will be in Alaska later this month.
axcxnj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 35
Dave Schultz wrote:a little thread drift and soap box, sry... if it doesn't involve technical climbing then its just touring. if you skin to the top of a mountain, your touring. if you skin to the top of a mountain and climb some ice or other technical feature on the way if will probably fall into the realm of ski mountaineering (or ski alpinism as i prefer to call it). ski alpinism is a really, really specific niche. if during the ascent/descent you need a belay, climb one at a time, place pro with anchors, and/or rappel your probably in ski alpanism terrain; otherwise, you're just touring around. i think the term gets way overused, so let's not call inaccurately classify your ski tour up a mellow mountain as a ski mountaineering objective. i personally have nothing against touring, i do it all the time, but let's not call it ski mountaineering ... off the soap box i don't personally snowboard, and i've only been on a tour once with a splitboarder, but am fascinated by those who use the splitboard for technical ascents and descents. i'd really like to go on a climb with someone to see it in action. i have also really enjoyed reading what folks are doing with their set up to accomplish some technical climbing with a splitboard, keep the posts coming!
Its a matter of semantics..but yes, agreed. As a fellow ADKer, if i skinned up marcy and skied down, i would consider that a tour, not ski mountaineering, but climbing the trap dike, or north face of gothics, then descending a slide is ski mountaineering. and yes, thats where i prefer to have mountaineering or AT boots over snowboard boots.
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

When i can save up the extra scratch i'm going to get a set of fitwells.

fitwellboots.com/product/ba…

fitwell

axcxnj · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 35

wow thats steep. I think my whole splitboard setup + boots was under that.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
axcxnj wrote:wow thats steep. I think my whole splitboard setup + boots was under that.
yeah no doubt. The Deeluxes are a bit cheaper (and on sale at backcountry), but even those will run you $3-500. You can always swap out for an intuition liner, but then you would lose the welt.

I use burton driver X's, but I want something a wee bit better for front pointing.
luke smith · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 121

Although this won't help you this year, I hear that a couple of companies are working on a hardboot with flexible upper specifically for snowboarding and snowboard mountaineering. I've been told that the Sparks and the Fitwell boots work really well from multiple people too. My preferrence for the Dynafits is on rock, while I don't do it that much I really don't like even crossing a rock band in snowboard boots. I would say if you can make your mountaineering boots work with your splitboard setup that's the way to go.

Jburton · · Ogden · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 0

I second the Deelux Sparks, a stiffer soft boot that you can get crampons on. Best pair of boots I've ever owned.

CCChanceR Ronemus · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 130

There was a pair of Deeluxe's on Craiglist last month but I blew it! Flailin', I like that setup! I think I have a pair of those laying around. Does it ride like a softboot setup?

Per the thread drift, I don't think that snowboarders would really be that disadvantaged in the the skimo realm if we could figure out the boot situation. For sketchy lines, I think that toe sliding with a mountaineering axe ready to drop to self arrest is about the most secure position you can be in, whereas if you blow it and eject on skis, you're screwed. None of my skier friends kick my ass on the skin track either, but they're on plate AT setups with Hellbent skis haha

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Mountaineering
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