Splitboarding Kluane Steep Lines
When people go looking for truly steep lines, they tend to think of Alaska. But Karakoram athlete Ian Holmes heard that the Canadian side of the border was an untapped mecca for steep riding. Searching for information, he found a photo of what looked to him like the perfect line. He became obsessed with finding it and after a first unsuccessful attempt, he decided to go back for another try this past spring. Teaming up with skier Gig Kingsford, they hired a plane and disappeared into the giant peaks of Kluane National Park. Two guys, alone, searching for the perfect
Performance Matters: Julien Herry & Another First Descent
Before we really get into this post, it must be said that we (Karakoram) don't necessarily want to encourage our friends or customers to partake in this style of snowboard alpinism. In case you're really wondering, snowboarding on the terrain that Julien "Pica" Herry enjoys, is more akin to full-throttle, full-stakes big range mountaineering. For those with experience in large-scale, high-angle environments, you'll understand what the magnitude and consequences of these photos really are. For those without a trained eye or experience on peaks and slopes like this, all we have to say is, "Don't try this at home!" It
Neil McNab – Guiding in Chamonix
Karakoram Guide Ambassador Neil McNab shows us the ropes in Chamonix.
Miikka Hast – Splitboard Gear Guide
New to splitboarding? Miikka Hast breaks down all the splitboard gear you need and how to use it in this second episode of Discover Splitboarding. [video_responsive][/video_responsive]
PNW Splitboarders, Support NWAC with Purchase of Bindings
Hey Pacific Northwest Splitboarders! Thinking of buying a set of Splitboard Bindings this winter? Grab a set of Karakoram splitboard bindings between October 29th and November 6th from our website and we'll buy your 15-16 NWAC membership. If that's not enough, we'll also give you a limited edition Karakoram/NWAC t-shirt. Here's your opportunity support NWAC- the guys that give you detailed daily avalanche forecasts in the Pacific Northwest. All you need to do is select the option: "Yes. I want Karakoram to pay for my NWAC membership" -and add it to your cart before checking out. Enter the coupon code
Splitboard Touring Just Got More Powerful With The Flex-Lock
Flex-Lock: Ride Like a Soft Booter. Tour Like a Hard Booter. Imagine touring up a hard packed skin track on your splitboard: your legs are on fire as you spit and fight with every ounce of strength and focus just to keep your edges griped to the slope. You’re trying to keep your cool so your buddy on AT gear, who’s effortlessly dancing up the path, doesn’t notice your struggle. Your downhill leg is contorted and awkwardly twisted inward as you desperately try to keep your edges from rolling down hill and breaking free from the firm snow. You even
Splitboarding BC and Alberta by Van
Words: Kyle Hansen Photos: Kyle Hansen and Brandon Huttenlocher I’m guessing you’ve heard this before: this past winter was terrible. Most winters, I expect to be able to go snowboarding or splitboarding at Snoqualmie Pass every single day. It’s pretty much what I’ve scheduled my life around since high school. This winter, warm weather left us skunked: we were looking at grass on cat tracks in January. So when March rolled around, long after all the Northwest ski hills shut down, I took a five-week sabbatical to spend some time in a van with a couple good friends (Jay Hergert and
Getting Rowdy on Mt. Adams with Karakoram
Words, Photos and Video by Paul Stanley With the incredible stretch of warm, dry weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest, the volcano shredding has been firing in recent weeks. In our last blogpost we highlighted three volcanoes we went splitboarding on lately. One of them being Mt. Adams (12,280'/3,743 m). The trip we had on Mt. Adams was one worth talking a little more about. Mike, Russman and myself (Paul) made the climb up Mt. Adams with our friends Theresa, Adam and Saign. Our goal was not exactly to just climb the volcano, but also to go get
1 Week, Splitboarding 3 Major Volcanoes!
Okay, so maybe it was more like 7.5 days, but who's counting! Either way, we're stoked to splitboard and climb 3 major volcanoes within the Cascade Range here in such a short amount of time. Russell 'Russman' Cunningham and myself (Paul Stanley) were able to successfully and safely climb and ride all 3 peaks during the week; Mt. Baker, Mt. Shasta, and Mt. Adams. Each trip we we're joined by various friends and we couldn't have been more stoked to have them come along! First up was Mt. Baker. Sitting at 10,781 ft (3,286 m), Mt. Baker is one of the snowiest
Prime Splitboard Binding Change-Over Video
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Innovation Forever. Developing the PRIME Splitboard System
Mechanical design is funny process sometimes. You have an idea. You get stuck. You put the idea away for awhile until inspiration strikes again. You eventually come up with a solution. I've noticed another trend that has happened with our first release of the Split30 Splitboard System and now the PRIME Splitboard System, both designs stem from earlier designs we came up with. There was just an element we could not quite figure out with the initial designs so we went down a slightly different path. The end solution has always circled back to the initial design, sometimes it just