Splitboard.com Forums

Nice banner ad. Glad to see Voile made it happen. I can vouch for this statement. The board is stiff and solid. No side slippin' with this board. I've been riding the mtn gun most of this season and I honestly can't remember losing an edge when it counts on this cadalliac.

VOILE and DJ Barney are the BOMB shnizzel! Just got a 171 Mountain Gun. Planning a no falls trip to the Skillet Glacier to put this board to the test! Will give you all the word...maybe get it out this weekend to see what she can do...Gotta gun in my hand

paging dj barney.

Any chance of helping WSR out?

He needs a Mtn Gun pronto!

He wants to splitboard this.

Nice ad. Great to see the official specs. Clicking the ad doesn't seem to give more info...cost, availability, etc. Just goes to Voile site, I wonder if the link could be fine tuned? DJB?

BCrider-thank you for trying to help me out...we'll see if he comes through...I have the plastic in hand and shaking like a fool.

Sick photo of the line too! I so hope the weather/snow cooperates and I can get a gun in my hand!

what's about the length? in the banner only a 161 is shown, which I could already hold in my hands at the munich ispo last february. and I've seen this board already in the snow in april. the friend who rode it was quite surprised about the performance of an only 161-board. he normally rides a voilé SD 173.
the voilé-guys told me that there should be a 171 available for next season ... but they have to do some more work on the sidecut/radius.

what do you know?

Jogi,

They do have a 171 and I should be able to test her out this weekend. I will give you the scoop if I get it in the mail before this weekend. Apparently, everything is worked out and they should have em by next season.

Have I mentioned the VOILE and DJ Barney are the best! Way to help a bradda out

thx, ws_r! I'm curious about your news ...

have a nice test-ride!

Now that's what I'm talking about. Way to see people gettin hooked up!!

WSR-
You know you're on the hook now for ripping the hell out of that line.
NO PRESSURE!! BTW I should see my buddy tonight, I'll see if went this past weekend or not.

WSR-Give us some details about your line and how the new Mtn. Gun is going to help you accomplish your goal.

sweet wsr, I was about ready to send you mine after seeing the line you're attempting.

Thanks for all the positive response, and congrats to BCR for "getting it up"!

I'm psyched for WSR, and I'm jealous as the Skillet is on my short list too.

I heard a rumor that Voile is running a very small (10 or so) production of the 161 guns starting shortly. Should be a few available for the rabid splitters needing a serious tool for the spring steeps. Use BCR's links and reserve a gun!

lifelinksplit-They hooked me up very kindly for sure. Gotta have the love for the Wasatch Crew and treating many people right!

Pressure...nah...there is no pressure , just dreaming about that line every night and praying the conditions and mountain will allow us a good shot. I would love to hear how your buddy did this last weekend on it. Any beta is good beta!

Ecobrad-I have been emailing Tom Turiano a lot about this line since he is so familiar with it (has skied it several times and guides it). He and his book, Select Peaks of Greater Yellowstone, have been a big help on sorting out all the logistics needed for potential success.

Basically, it is a two-day trip (maybe three). You have to canoe or motorboat around the shores of Jackson Lake to the base of Mount Moran pictured above.

Day one will be to canoe to the base of Moran, set up base camp, test the snow conditions, make a few turns lower on the mountain, and go to bed early. Thomas sent me a photo of the potential camps (red dots) and the ascent/descent are by the yellow route:

More than likely we will be staying at the lower camp and making an early summit attempt.

Day two-Early rise and start 3:45-4 am to help ensure snow is frozen and not going to get wet and slide. My biggest concerns are snow conditions, falling rocks, and hard icy snow. Mt. Moran will be about 6000 vertical feet on 50-degree slopes. I have read of several instances of climbers slipping or getting caught in a slide and plummeting thousands of feet. Hence the need for a more rigid board, which I am sure the Mountain Gun will live up to its name, according the boys at Voile. They swear by it. I did not want to use my 166 (love it in powder) but experienced mad flex on hard, steep snow a few weeks back on a 45 degree couloir. Picture below:


The mountain board will help me not to have to take two boards on this trip. I was going to take the 166 split for the skin to camp, and then on summit day take a solid board to ride for stability. My prayers were answered when DJ hooked me up. Thank you. I believe that the board will be a safer bet on icy-hard, early morning snow. Not a place you want to loose an edge.

In perspective, this route was first skied by Bill Briggs in 1968. Stephen Koch and Christoph Schork made early snowboard descents in 1991. There are a few more technical routes (CMC route and northeast ridge) pioneered by Coombs, Koch, and friends in 1998 and 2000 (info taken from Turiano, Select Peaks p. 422).

By no means is this the most technical line in the Tetons (far from it), but it is a ton of exposed vertical that is extremely aesthetic. I can remember looking up at this mountain from the time I was a young boy…back then, didn't ever expect to possibly climb or ride this route. I just knew it was spectacular, soulful, and an amazing mountain. I will take this image and respect for the mountain with me and get to actually experience it at the end of the month.