How to Snowboard With Mountaineering Boots

Going into the backcountry or off piste is gaining interest among avid skiers and snowboarders. While Alpine Touring and Telemark skiing (also known as ski mountaineering) has been standard for some time, snowboarders are now entering the backcountry with new equipment like their two-plank cousins. Snowboard mountaineering requires modified equipment and knowledge. One important piece of gear is the boot. Using a solid pair of mountaineering boots to snowboard helps get into the backcountry and up and down the mountain. Using these boots with a snowboard requires a bit of knowledge and understanding of how they perform.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowboard and locking snowboard bindings
  • Mountaineering boots
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start by getting a proper pair of well-fit mountaineering boots. Going to a top mountaineering and climbing shop and having a knowledgeable shop employee fit the boot is key. Modern mountaineering boots are made from either hard, roto-molded plastic for the shell, with a high tech foam liner, or leather uppers and hard rubber rands. If you are used to wearing snowboard boots, the mountaineering boots will feel very stiff and awkward. Before heading into the backcountry, take time to wear and walk in the boots to get them broken in and get the feel of the boot.

    • 2

      After the break-in period, place your snowboard on the floor at home and practice locking the mountaineering boots into the lockable snowboard bindings on the board. Adjust the bindings accordingly so you get the proper fit and tightness off the binding. As the mountaineering boots will tend to be a bit narrower than the snowboard boots, the bindings may have to be tightened.

      Also note, the sole of the mountaineering boots is much harder and tougher than that of the snowboard boot. This may cause slippage when ice and snow accumulate in the sole of the mountaineering boot. Get to know this sensation and how it will affect getting into the bindings, and how to knock out the snow and ice prior to snapping into the bindings.

    • 3

      Now that you are used to the feel of the boot and bindings, it is time to head for the mountain. At the top of your boot track up, and prior to your descent, knock out the accumulated snow and ice from the sole of the boot, lock into the binding, and get ready to head down the hill. The mountaineering boot will be much stiffer than the snowboard boot. Also, the mountaineering boot will not have as much of a forward leaning "cant" and will require a new style of riding. Putting a forward lean into your stance without the benefit of a forward cant from the boot is required. Take care to place your dominate foot forward, and keep the lean coming from the mid torso and hips. Use the knees only to make turns and grab an edge off the board.

    • 4

      Your riding will become second nature in the mountaineering boots after a run or two. There is an adjustment from snowboard boots. Use the stiffness of the boot to grab edges by entering into turns not off the ankle or end of the boot, but by feeling the stiffness off the ankle and coordinating it with leg and knee body English.

    • 5

      At the bottom of the hill, loosen the fittings of the bindings and step out. Before beginning another trek up the mountain, loosen the straps or buckles on the mountaineering boots to allow proper circulation into the foot. Once at the top, take time tighten them down before stepping back into the bindings for another run down the hill. Trails.com has a good selection of mountaineering boots if you are shopping and ready to make the jump to the backcountry.