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Trace back the history of snowboarding, and you'll go back to a time when people hiked up snowy hills on foot, boards in hand, or strapped to a backpack. It's more popular than ever for snowboarders to seek out the experience of surfing untouched powder, outside of the confines of the ski area, but thankfully, technology has improved, and we have splitboards to carry us up the mountain. So if you want to get in on the fun and get in touch with nature away from the resort, read on.
We've reviewed over 25 splitboards since 2020, and we have honestly found that most options do a great job. The challenge is finding the exact board for your goals and ability level. We took our time riding all of these boards in as many different snow conditions and terrain types as possible throughout the American West to help guide you to the best board for your goals.
The do-it-all splitboard we would recommend to almost everyone is the Jones Ultralight Stratos. It has a friendly shape and flex that new riders will appreciate, while still being highly capable for experienced riders. However, you will pay a pretty penny for that ride. If you need to stay in budget, the Korua Transition Finder is a well-rounded board that performs well above its price.
If you're just getting your backcountry kit started or need to upgrade last season's gear, you'll want to check out a pair of splitboard bindings and some skins. It is also important to add that the backcountry is dangerous. If you need a new Avalanche beacon, or avalanche airbag backpack, we can recommend some good ones, and please be sure to get the right avalanche education before going out into the backcountry.
The Jones Ultralight Stratos is efficient for the uphill and incredibly capable on the down. One of our favorite things about the Stratos is that, while riding, we simply stop thinking about our splitboard and focus on the ride. This agreeable shape is predictable even in the worst of conditions and fun and playful when conditions are good. We think a wide range of riders will get along with the Stratos. “Every time I'm on the Stratos, I am always amazed by how easy it is to ride, but it can still hang if I want to let it rip. It's my favorite board for finding sidehits in the trees and being playful,” claims our lead tester, Dom Rickicki.
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
159
Waist Width (cm)
25.6
Underfoot Width (cm)
27.0/26.9
Weight
2700 g
Radius
7.5m
The Stratos offers many benefits, but you'll pay extra for them; it is one of the most expensive splitboards on the market. If you aren't willing to pay this price, Jones makes this board in their normal construction and sells it at a more normal price. Alternatively, you can check out the Korua Transition Finder, which is a good all-rounder that is much more affordable than the Stratos. There is also a limited range of sizes for the Ultralight Stratos, but if you can find a fit, you surely won't regret investing in this enjoyable splitboard.
The Jones Solution is a tried-and-true board that has been a staple of the splitboard community for a long time. Jones calls this board their most tested and refined board, and we can tell when we ride it. There simply isn't anything that the Solution can't handle. It is incredibly predictable in all conditions, can handle any terrain, and is fun on even the deepest days. For strong riders, the Solution offers a powerful platform for daily splitboarding. Our lead tester claims, “As someone who is switching boards often for testing, the Solution always feels like an old friend, and it's the board I grab most often, especially when I don't want to think about what's under my feet.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
162W
Waist Width (cm)
26.3
Underfoot Width (cm)
27.7/27.3
Weight
3346 g
Radius
9.3m
The Solution is a tester favorite as a daily driver, but we recommend it most to folks who have a couple of seasons of splitboarding under their belt. For newer splitboarders, the stiffer flex and long sidecut radius can feel a bit unruly. If you're looking for a similar board that's more forgiving, we recommend the Jones Ultralight Stratos.
The Jones Hovercraft 2.0 was the board we turned to most when the powder was stacking up, and we wanted to maximize the day. The wide nose, 3D shape, and short tail make it a breeze to stay on top of even the deepest snow, and we never felt our back leg fatigue on this board. Despite it being a powder specialist, the Hovercraft is far more capable than it looks. We found firm snow, variable conditions, and the like to all be a good time on this board, and for the right rider, it could easily be a daily driver. One of our testers had this to say, “If you prefer a more turny style, the Hovercraft may be the only board you need. It makes every day a party wave.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
160
Waist Width (cm)
26.7
Underfoot Width (cm)
28.1/27.6
Weight
3,456 g
Radius
9.3m
The Hovercraft performs well across a variety of conditions and terrain, but it is a hefty board with a wide footprint. Larger-footed riders will rejoice in this fact, but if you have smaller feet, it can definitely start to feel sluggish, especially in firmer conditions. If you like freestyle, the Hovercraft may not be your first choice. We felt it had ok pop but wasn't as snappy as other models; what it lacks in pop, it surely makes up for in dampness. If you want more pop without sacrificing float, check out the Korua Transition Finder.
The Korua Transition Finder looks like a pretty powder-specific board, but it works well across a variety of snow types and terrain. Despite being on the lower end of the price range, this is a powerful board that delivers a high level of performance. The tapered shape keeps it floating high in the powder, and the stiff tail offers excellent support if you want to pick up some speed. The Transition Finder is also quite poppy for a splitboard, allowing for fun, creative riding in the backcountry. “The Transitions Finder is classically Korua and loves to make big artistic turns, but you can also log airtime with it, and it won't let you down when you want to go fast,” claims one of our testers.
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
157
Waist Width (cm)
26.4
Underfoot Width (cm)
27.5/27.5
Weight
3,150g
Radius
8.2m
The Transition Finder is a lot of fun, but it does take a decently strong rider to reap its rewards. The board's stiffer flex left some of our testers wishing for a bit more forgiveness on days riding through tracked snow, especially in the trees. While the Transition Finder has good edge hold, it likes to be locked into a carve, and doesn't love to skid turns. We found it would want to buck you around a bit if you weren't on your game here. If you want float, but a more forgiving ride, check out the Jones Hovercraft 2.0
The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon Splitboard is a hard-charging board that breaks the mold of many stiff freeride boards by maintaining a good amount of maneuverability. The Goat was one of our favorite boards to have underfoot when the terrain was open and steep, and we had the conditions to let it rip. The Goat has excellent stability at speed, is fun in the air, and is forgiving if you get off your game a bit. For strong riders, we think the Goat is a board you could spend a lot of your season on. One of our testers noted, “I did not find the limit on this one. The traits that stand out: predictability, reliability, and ability to 'save' are all most evident at speed. This is where the goat shines.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
162
Waist Width (cm)
26.5
Underfoot Width (cm)
28.2/27.5
Weight
3008 g
Radius
11m
While the Goat is maneuverable for its category, it is not the same as having a softer, tapered, pow shape under your feet. If you spend a lot of time in low-angle, tight trees or just simply enjoy a more casual ride, the Goat is likely going to feel like a lot of board to handle. The same applies if you spend a lot of time in tight technical terrain. A strong rider will be able to get the board around, but we prefer the Goat in places where we can let it run fall line. The Jones Solution is a more forgiving board that still offers a high level of stability. For strong riders and big mountain terrain, though, the Goat is truly an exciting board to have under your feet.
If you're focused on freestyle creativity in your backcountry riding, the Cardiff Crane Enduro should be at the top of your list. The Crane is a directional twin shape with a smidge (5mm) of taper, a lot of pop, and super-solid edge hold. We had a good time finding side hits on the Crane and found it didn't take much effort to get this board in the air. There's just enough nose to make powder days fun, and if it's firm out, we thought the microbumps in the sidecut offered great edge hold. Our lead tester had this to say, “For many riders, the Crane is going to feel very familiar underfoot. If you have spent most of your days on twin-type boards, the Crane offers a great entry into splitboarding, but it won't hold back an experienced rider either.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Tested Length
162
Waist Width (cm)
25.9
Underfoot Width (cm)
27.3/27.2
Weight
3,418g
Radius
8m
The Crane is capable in most conditions, but its twin shape does hold you back a bit in powder, while we found the Crane has decent float, it takes more work than something like the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon. The Goat may be a better choice if you are logging big airtime in deep snow. Many riders will likely prefer a more directional shape, but for a freestyle-focused rider, we think the Crane is a great choice.
The Cardiff Crane is poppy and nimble, even in challenging conditions. Credit: Dustin Dyer
Product Comparison Table
We get out on our splitboards twice as often as the resort. Day in and day out we put boards through the wringer to give you the best advice possible about your purchase. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Why Trust GearLab
Dom RickickiLeads our splitboard review. He began snowboarding at age 10 in Western NY, and it has shaped his life ever since. At 18, Dom saved up his work study money for his first splitboard and began exploring the backcountry around the Adirondacks and New England. After graduating, Dom left the East Coast to start a career as a guide in the Western US and spent several winters instructing snowboarding along the way. Today, he is the head guide at KMAC Guides in Estes Park, CO, and a faculty instructor for the Silverton Avalanche School, teaching Rec and Pro programming.
Rider Stats
Dom is 6'0", 180lbs and has a size 10.5 boot. He's been snowboarding for 22 years and splitboarding for 13 years. His riding style leans to the freeride and all-mountain side of things. He enjoys technical terrain, whether it is mellow trees or steep mountaineering lines. He enjoys sidehits and creative riding, but generally sends airs straight unless the odd back 360 comes out here and there. Stance: Usually +24/+3, but changes depending on terrain. 21.5-22.5 stance width.
Boots/Bindings: Switch between softboots and hardboots depending on the objective. Softboots: Nitro Vertical TLS+ and Karakoram Prime-X Carbon bindings. Hardboots: Atomic Backlands with link levers and Phantom bindings
Lead tester Dom Rickicki, surfing a gully line. Credit: Dustin Dyer
Our tester Isaac Laredo has structured his life around outdoor education and recreation. He is working toward becoming an AMGA Splitboard Guide, in which gear must perform in all contexts. Snowboards and splitboards have become critical tools to optimize both work as an educator and pleasure as a snowboarder. Isaac received a Bachelor's Degree from Sierra Nevada College in 2019 in Interdisciplinary Studies, Environmental Science, and Outdoor Adventure Leadership. Since moving to Lake Tahoe in 2014, he has been able to maintain 100+ days per season in some of the most diverse terrain in the US.
How We Tested Splitboards
We researched over 40 top-rated splitboards before purchasing the top models to test side by side. Yes, we've purchased all of the models in this review. We do so to avoid bias and bring you honest data, alongside an accurate and objective review. Testing takes place throughout the season, and we make it a point to ride these boards for many months in the backcountry, not at ski areas. To get the most honest and accurate reviews, we believe boards should be tested in the conditions they will actually be ridden in. We test primarily in Colorado, but also spend time in the Tetons, California, and the Cascades, putting these boards through the paces.
Back to back board testing is paramount to good comparison. Credit: Dom Rickicki
We assessed and reviewed 11 different all-around styled splitboards by climbing and descending in every condition. In this review, we judged each one based on its performance in the following metrics: powder, firm snow, variable snow, stability, maneuverability, and uphill performance. As we all ride in different snow conditions and styles, you may assign the appropriate weight to each category based on your usage pattern. If a model excels in a metric of value to you, be sure to take this into consideration.
It is not cheap to get into splitboarding, and even the lowest-priced boards are still a significant investment. Since we can't point you to a cheap board, the one thing we can do is to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.
On the more affordable end of the spectrum, we have a series of non-carbon splitboards that will suit most users' needs. The Jones Solution, Cardiff Crane Enduro, and Weston Backwoods all fall into a similar price range and are capable daily drivers. The highest performing board for a low price that we tested was the Korua Transition Finder. This board has great powder float, stability at speed, and is quite poppy. For the cost, we think it's a great option and compares favorably to higher-priced boards.
The Korua Transition Finder provides high performance at a low price. Credit: Dom Rickicki
On the opposite end of the price spectrum is the high-end, expensive Jones Ultralight Stratos. For the right rider who puts 100+ days a season into their board and is trying to maximize both uphill and downhill performance, the cost of a board like this may be justifiable. For the majority of users who are only getting 5 to 30 days of splitboarding in a year, a lower-priced investment will generally work just fine.
Powder
In the echelon of snow types we could be riding on, powder tops the list as a favorite for most of us. While powder is what we want to find, it can often feel like it is the exception and not necessarily the rule for what we actually find. That being said, on those special days when we are scoring soft turns out there, it's really great to be on a snowboard that is going to maximize our fun. Thankfully, as snowboarders, even the least powder-oriented boards are floatier and better in soft snow than some of the gear our skier brethren may end up on. Plain and simple, snowboards are fun in powder, but the right shape can make that powder experience even better.
What makes a great powder board? Primarily, design features that help lift the front of the board up over the snow and drop the tail naturally. If we are having a hard time getting the front of the board over the snow, we must put more weight on our back foot to force the nose up, and this can become fatiguing. Burning out our back leg while riding pow is the antithesis of a good time and can end any powder day sooner than planned. In order to avoid this we are looking for boards that have a longer nose than the tail, this helps naturally shift our weight further back on the board to get more lift. We also look for boards that taper, meaning the nose width is wider than the tail width. We find that these two design elements play the largest role in a board's ability to float, but you should also consider a board's waist width, as wider boards will float better. Boards with swallow tail shapes also help increase float by removing surface area from the tail, which helps the tail sink deeper.
Deep snow is what we are seeking, and a board that doesn't hold you back when you find it is worth it. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Our favorite powder board in this test was the Jones Hovercraft 2.0, which utilizes many of the design features mentioned earlier to create an easy-riding, fun powder experience. The Hovercraft has a very large nose compared to the tail, and the taper from tip to tail is 17mm. All of this board in front of you floats over the snow effortlessly, and a small swallowtail shape helps the tail sink. The Hovercraft is also quite wide, increasing its surface area to help keep you on top of the snow.
The Hovercraft, along with other Jones boards like the Jones Solution and Jones Ultralight Stratos, all utilize 3D shaping in the nose. This unique design element takes what would normally be a flat snowboard base and subtly curls up the edges to create a spoon shape. We found that across all the boards we tested, this design element increased float and most especially reduced drag. The reduced drag on the base allowed us to accelerate faster and glide farther across flat slopes. Another unique sensation the 3D shaping adds is that it makes the board roll very easily edge-to-edge in powder, creating a surfier experience. Overall, we were big fans of this design for powder riding.
The 3D nose shape, small swallowtail, and tapered profile of the Hovercraft make it an excellent powder board.
While adding length to the nose and tapering a board make it float better, variations in these measurements create different riding experiences. The Hovercraft has a very long nose and a lot of taper, but the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon also has a longer nose and some taper. Riding the two boards back-to-back, they feel like completely different animals. The Hovercraft is nimble and quick-turning in the trees, whereas the Goat prefers bigger, more drawn-out turns. Comparatively, the goat has a much longer tail than the hovercraft, and the taper is 11mm compared to the Hovercraft's 17mm. The Goat is a great powder board, but its long tail and less tapered shape make it a board that favors big, fast turns and jumping off cliffs rather than making tight turns in the trees. Choosing a board that matches your riding personality will only make the powder experience better.
All snowboards are fun in powder, but the right shape will keep you smiling lap after lap. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Firm Snow
Encountering firm snow in the backcountry is inevitable, unless you only ride in the middle of storms. At times, firm snow can be incredibly hard and bumpy, making life tough as a backcountry rider; other times, it is smooth and actually quite enjoyable. The right kind of smooth, firm snow, especially in the spring when there is corn snow, can make it feel like you are ripping around on a natural groomer, arcing big, fast turns.
Boards that maximize firm snow performance will be on the stiffer side, especially in torsional flex. A soft board will be more challenging to maintain good edge pressure on and will slip more easily. Narrow waist widths help in firm snow conditions as well; wider boards require more leverage to get up on edge and will want to flatten out more. Narrow waist widths also make boards fast edge-to-edge, which is desirable when riding steep, firm snow or firm exit tracks. Waist width should always be determined by boot size, and the general recommendation is to leave 1-2 cm of boot overhang. Any more overhang and you risk booting out, less and the board will be challenging to get on edge. For firm snow, we like to stay right on the narrowest width we can get away with for our boot size.
For firm conditions a board that is damp with predictable edge hold, can make it feel like you're carving a groomer. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Other characteristics that help in firm snow are effective edge length and sidecut radius. A longer effective edge provides more stability while on edge, and a longer radius will give you the ability to make larger and faster turns. A tight turn radius can have good edge hold, but it will want to be ridden slower. One of our favorite firm splitboards is the Jones Ultralight Stratos. The Stratos is narrow and has a strong flex between the feet. It is not an overbearing flex, but just the right amount to really lock it in on firm snow. The Stratos became the board we reached for often if it hadn't been snowing, or we were heading for the steeps.
Another similar board to the Ultralight Stratos in the firm snow department is the Cardiff Crane Enduro. Similar to the Stratos, the Crane is a slightly narrower, freestyle-focused board; it has a strong torsional flex and a supportive tail, which provide confident edge hold in dicey situations. Both boards use disrupted sidecuts to improve edge hold. A disrupted sidecut is one or more bumps in the sidecut that create points that bite into the snow more to add grip. Jones splitboards all have this tech, and they call it “traction tech”, while Cardiff calls theirs “micro-bumps”. We found boards with disrupted sidecuts to provide the highest edge grip across our testing.
The disrupted sidecuts on these Jones and Cardiff boards do a lot for increasing edge hold.
Another fun take on firm snow handling is the Korua Transition Finder. Korua boards are known for their carving capabilities, and the Transition Finder brings that performance to the backcountry. We wouldn't say we loved this board in bumpy and chattery conditions, but for good smooth snow, we could arc turns almost as well as a solid board on a groomer. The super stiff tail of the Transition Finder and the long nose provided a lot of support for really tipping the board over and arcing high-speed turns in the backcountry.
The deep camber and stiff flex of the Korua Transition Finder give it excellent edge hold for carving good snow. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Variable Snow
Variable snow conditions, just like firm snow, are encountered more than we care to admit in the backcountry. As much as we want to hype up and memorialize the powder days, the variable days are quite common. Variable snow covers a variety of conditions; on one end is chopped-up, tracked-out snow, and on the less-fun side are breakable crusts and other varieties of refrozen or wind-destroyed snow. Sometimes we just need to survive these conditions to get from the summit down to more protected slopes; other times, we may have just made the wrong call on where to go and have to deal with it for the whole descent. Boards that make these conditions more tolerable leave us feeling almost as stoked on the bad days as the good.
In general, the characteristics that make a board fun in powder also make it fun in breakable crusts and the like. If you're encountering more super hard, chunky snow, a board good for firm conditions could be the ticket, but in general, we're dealing with breakable conditions in the backcountry after the sun and wind have had their way with the pow. Large powder noses and small tails make boards float over crusts and easy to turn when things get challenging, a little forgiveness in flex can help here too so you can steer the board with your feet.
For alpine variable conditions, a predictable and forgiving snowboard makes getting down big terrain possible. Credit: Pat Gephart
All of the things that make the Jones Hovercraft 2.0 our favorite powder board also make it one of our favorite boards for variable snow conditions. In a very real sense, the Hovercraft has made days in breakable snow just as fun as powder days for us. With that being the case, you'll get more fun days in the backcountry on a board like this. One design characteristic that we think really helps the Hovercraft on crust is the large-radius transition at the contact point. What we have found is that if the contact point is more drawn out and less abrupt, boards feel less hooky in breakable conditions. The Jones Ultralight Stratos is a fun powder board, but we find its contact point to be a bit more abrupt and less fun in challenging snow than the Hovercraft.
Another great option for variable snow conditions is the Weston Backwoods. The large powder nose on the Backwoods, coupled with 18mm of taper, makes it a board that floats over bad snow and is easy to maneuver. We have always found this board to be predictable in bad snow, which makes the commute to good snow a more pleasant experience.
The Weston Backwoods is another capable board for variable conditions. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Stability
If you want to go fast, you'll want a board that won't hold you back. Fast is a relative term here, and frankly, going fast in the backcountry is exciting and dangerous. When things go wrong, there won't be a ski patroller to haul you off the mountain. While we may feel like we're going pretty fast in our heads, for the majority of us, that idea is unfortunately just that, in our heads. That makes this category somewhat less important for a lot of us, but the rowdy few can take notes.
Boards with good stability tend to be on the stiffer side of the flex spectrum; the last thing you want while riding top speed down a slope is to fold the nose of your board and tomahawk out the exit. Aside from flex, longer sidecuts and longer effective edge lengths also help keep you from feeling chattery during big turns. Stiffer, full-sized tails help keep you upright if you get off balance, and a bit of extra waist width can help things feel stable as well.
The most stable board we hopped on in our testing was the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon. This stiff carbon board has all the support you need to run big fall line turns with confidence. While going fast is possible on any board to some extent, a strong board like the Goat provides confidence, making your run feel less like you're holding on for dear life. The Goat has an 11m turning radius, the longest of any splitboard we have tested. This helps the board feel composed at high speeds and not like it wants to turn tight and chatter out. The full-sized tail on the goat also helps with landing big airs.
If you want to go fast, you need a strong board that won't overflex. Credit: Dom Rickicki
If you're into backcountry freestyle, some stability can help keep you from backslapping your landings and help you stay composed on big cliff drops or pillows. The Goat is a great board for this, but it's more nimble brother the Cardiff Crane Enduro is also a stable freestyle oriented platform. It has a big tail and a nice medium-stiff flex that feels great for popping off side hits and landing in powder.
The Jones Solution is also a nice option here and offers a unique flex pattern that provides stability without being overbearing. We found that between the feet, the Solution was just a touch softer, especially in torsional flex, this made it easy to turn at slow speeds, but if you opened it up the stiffer tail and nose felt stable. We felt like we couldn't find the speed limit on this board despite its more forgiving flex, and feel it struck the best balance of any board we tested.
Landing airs in powder is challenging, a board with a big nose and supportive tail gives you a lot of support to keep your balance. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Maneuverability
Unless you are only riding in wide open terrain, being able to turn your board quickly and easily is going to be a benefit while slaloming trees and navigating variable snow conditions. We find that most riders prefer a board that's a bit easier to turn than one meant for straightlining. What gives a board stability and what makes it maneuverable often live in antithesis to each other, so finding just the right balance of both is nice for a daily driver board.
Boards that are maneuverable tend to have a softer torsional flex, which allows you to more easily foot steer the board at slower speeds. Tighter radius sidecuts also help a board turn sharper, and narrower waist widths are quick edge to edge. Wider boards are often given a healthy taper and a shorter tail to help make them more maneuverable.
We find the Jones Hovercraft 2.0 to be nimble and easy to spend all day lapping the trees with. It is a wider board, but it has enough taper and a short tail to make it easy to get around in tight places if the snow is soft. When things firm up and get tracked out, the Hovercraft's width becomes much more noticeable and harder to get around. Some boards are quite maneuverable in soft snow, but that doesn't always translate to firmer conditions.
Tapered boards with short tails help you make tight turns in soft snow. Boards with a narrower waist are nice for firm conditions. Credit: Dom Rickicki
The Jones Ultralight Stratos is an option that blends soft-snow and firm-snow maneuverability quite well. The narrower waist width and tight radius on the Stratos made it one of our favorite boards to pull off the shelf a few days after the storm. It is quick and agile edge-to-edge and has just enough forgiveness in the flex to make it manageable at slower speeds. When the snow was deeper, the Stratos was still a nimble ride; the 3D shaping and 10mm of taper kept it feeling quick when things were deep, making this a great daily driver board.
The Korua Transition Finder was also a nice, playful board in tight terrain, especially in soft snow. The 15mm of taper and short tail make this board quick to get around trees and the like. We also liked the poppier construction of the Transition Finder in this kind of terrain, as we could quickly find side hits and get creative with our riding.
A lot of the season we are riding lower angle terrain, waiting for the snowpack to stabilize later in the season. A turny board can keep these days exciting and help you remain patient. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Uphill Performance
We like to maximize the downhill experience as much as we can; heck, we carried all this gear for a reason. But the reality is that well over half of our day is spent on the uphill, and to totally ignore it is to lose a lot of efficiency. As a transportation tool, the splitboard is not the most efficient option, but we can look for characteristics that maximize the little efficiency we do have.
Boards with camber underfoot are almost always going to climb better than those without it. In order for our skins to grip, we need to get as much of them in contact with the snow as possible, by using camber we get more contact with the snow and better grip. This also helps for sidehilling. Speaking of sidehilling, this is the Achilles heel of the splitboard. Once separated, a splitboard ski is much softer than an actual ski, has less effective edge, and is significantly wider. This means the split ski is hard to tip on edge, harder to maintain edgehold with, and harder to find stability. Boards that are narrower help here, and longer sidecut radii can offer an advantage. Aside from all of these things, really, the number one thing we can do to increase our uphill efficiency as splitboarders is to invest in lighter gear.
The majority of our day is spent walking uphill, sometimes beginning before the sun rises. Boards that make life easier on the ascent may be worth the investment. Credit: Dom Rickicki
The lightest and best climbing splitboard in our test is the Jones Ultralight Stratos. At 2800g in the 159cm size, the Stratos is a featherweight underfoot. The board is not just lightweight, though; it is also quite narrow, which makes it easier to sidehill with, and it fits into narrow skintracks better. Jones also employs their traction tech on the inside edge of the board, which means both your edges have a disrupted sidecut. For sidehilling on the climb, we thought this might be a gimmick, but actually found we were able to grip icy sidehills better with it.
The next lightest board was the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon, coming in at 3000g in the 162 length. The Goat feels lightweight underfoot but still performs on the highest level on the down, which might make the higher price tag compared to a non-carbon board more justifiable. The goat has a long pocket of camber, which helps with grip, and we found the long 11m sidecut to offer good stability.
We walk to find good snow, a light setup can allow you to get a few more laps in when the conditions are great. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Know Before You Go
Splitboards are fantastic tools for exploring the backcountry - when used correctly. To use them properly, you need to know more about the winter mountain environment; information that can't be gained by busting out laps at the resort. The best-untracked terrain lies outside the ropes, but venturing out can be incredibly dangerous. Although it may be close, the nature of the snowpack beyond the ropes could be completely different from what it is inbounds. In addition to purchasing a board, you'll want to invest in an avalanche beacon. It is also a must to invest in an avalanche probe, such as the Backcountry Access Stealth Avalanche Probe, as well as an avalanche shovel. An affordable option is the Backcountry Access B-1 Shovel.
Splitboarding can quickly go from the best day of your life to the worst, learning how to avoid that situation is paramount. We all make mistakes, and if we get it wrong, knowing avalanche rescue skills can save a life. Here, lead tester Dom Rickicki takes a few laps at the local beacon park. Credit: Dom Rickicki
Once you've got all the gear together, make sure you receive training for such conditions. Seek out a Level 1 avalanche course and start learning about terrain from the avalanche safety perspective. Follow that up by becoming a daily reader of your local avalanche center's avalanche advisory, paying particular attention to the specific avalanche problems of the day. With practice, you can get the picture of what is happening in the backcountry and learn how to get out of harm's way while also knowing how to search out the goods.
Conclusion
There are a lot of really great splitboards on the market these days, and more options than ever across a variety of riding styles. The best thing you can do for yourself when choosing a splitboard is to be realistic about the kind of riding you do and find what suits those needs. Chances are, whatever that board is will be a lot of fun on the day-to-day, but will still perform in other scenarios. As the old adage goes, you should pick the board for the conditions you do ride in, not the conditions you want to ride in. We put a lot of time into testing these boards to help you find what's right for you, we hope it helps and we hope you get out there and enjoy many great turns.
