I don’t think it’s a rock issue. There are times when just carrying the board up on your back is better. These include:
– The climb is too steep and/or icy to skin up.
– There is already a good bootpack trail set in the climb. You can really haul ass on foot up something steep if this is the case (but not always).
– The climb is skinnable, but you don’t want to zigzig up and ruin your clean descent line (by crossing the skintrack repeatedly on the way down). So you boot straight up off to the side.

Your results may vary…

It seems silly to bring the splitboard in these cases, but maybe the flat approach was an easy glide or the conditions weren’t anticipated. Also the split can either be skinned or carried, whereas a resort board can only be carried, so the split is more versatile.

Some routes (like the sw chutes) require a skin out that would suck booting since the morning’s frozen corn has turned to knee deep mush.

It is my understanding that you should only use the term “splitbooting” when you are walking downhill with board in hand or on back. SF can provide details and inception of term.

But, yeah, there are times when a solid is the way to go. Don’t scratch that nice splittie.

Well of course the main reason to splitboot is because everyone else is doing it, and you don’t want to be left out. Plus you don’t want to get flamed at splitboot.com, the moderator over there can be ruthless.

I guess I just tend to take the split if there’s any chance of skinning. Any chance to get the board off my back is welcome. I also like carrying the board in A-frame mode lately, which is kinda hard with a solid. As far as damage, my split tends to see more damage than my resort board just because of the fact that I’m riding it in the backcountry, in ungroomed, uncontrolled snow. Late season or not, you never know when you’re going to hit some barely covered rock. Unfortunately my split has now become my rock board. 🙁

@jimw wrote:

Well of course the main reason to splitboot is because everyone else is doing it, and you don’t want to be left out. Plus you don’t want to get flamed at splitboot.com, the moderator over there can be ruthless.

That’s correct. Splitbooting is a sport in it’s own right. It involves carrying a splitboard around on your back. Obviously if you don’t have a splitboard on your back, you are not splitbooting. If you’re not into splitbooting then fine… don’t carry a splitboard. But don’t call yourself a splitbooter.

One of the best things about splitbooting is that a splitboard is heavier than a regular board. It also is shinnier, with more hardware. You can express even more slavish devotion to your splitboard by throwing your skins and crampons in your pack and carrying them around as well.

@powderjunkie wrote:

It is my understanding that you should only use the term “splitbooting” when you are walking downhill with board in hand or on back. SF can provide details and inception of term.

I am indeed a splitbooter and I consider myself on the forefront of the sport. My understanding is that the term was coined by one Mr. bcrider following Karma Surf’s epic descent of Mt. Albright (on foot of course) in powder conditions. This paradigm-shattering event brought what had been an obscure aspect of splitboarding into the light as a sport in it’s own right. There have been relatively few great splitboot descents to date; descending with a splitboard on the back or in hand is still at the cutting edge of winter sport.

I’m proud to claim the first splitboot descent of famous Mt. Tallac in Lake Tahoe after mounting my bindings at the center of the pattern on my new NS Titan split and attempting to ride it on a powder day. Walking was easier. There is some dispute here as I did manage to ride the first 1000′ feet or so before getting barred by the lessening slope angle. Of course all the challenge of wallowing in deep powder was highest on the low-angle slopes of the lower mountain, so I personally consider myself as having achieved the first splitboot descent of that fabled peak.

Regardless, any epically bad carry of a splitboard under difficult circumstances counts as splitbooting, especially if the carry is wholly unnecissary. For more information about the joys of splitbooting you can find everything you need to know over at splitboot.com.

HA! That photo is awesome.

Tex, re: that pant crapping problem you’ve got, have you checked out this thread yet? Jim has somethin’ for that @zz…

@bigdood wrote:

Tex, re: that pant crapping problem you’ve got, have you checked out this thread yet? Jim has somethin’ for that @zz…

Actually, Tex is the inventor of Shart Shorts, he came up with the original concept. I just work in marketing.

Ah the Shart ShortsTM. What a greta product. How are sales going these days Jim?