boots for snowshoeing / snowboarding

Hi,
I already wasted half the winter to figure this out myself - but am not getting anywhere... :-(
And I am sure, some of you have done this for years...: I am looking for some advice for boots with focus on long extreme hikes but with ability to snowboard down. The focus is clearly on snowshoe-hiking, the snowboarding is only 2nd priority!

My experience so far is, that there is no snowboard boot available that can do a good job on a hike. Therefore I use my Hanwag hiking boots in the snowshoes (MSR Evo Ascend), a perfect combination. But obviously the pain starts when snowboarding down a perfect powder run with limited control of the hiking boots in the snowboard binding...

How do you guys manage this, what is your experience. Is there maybe and "dual purpose boot"?
Thank you in advance,
regards, Volker

Split boards allow you to skin up and ride down in the same pair of boots. If the high cost of spiltboard gear makes that option out of reach common practice has always seemed to carry the second pair of boots respectively during each part of your trip. Its a bit cumbersome but what you sacrifice in extra bulk/weight is made up for with the feel and responsiveness you are looking for.

I'm stuck in the snowshoe in and board down camp. It sucks. A split board is what I dream about. To skin up they are twice as fast, and half the work of snowshoes. Until I can afford a spilt board setup, I will be hiking up in my snowboard boots. I prefer the responsiveness and stability my boots provide.

prior to obtaining my split, i did the snowshoe up and ride down for a number of years. my snowboard boots fit into my snowshoes just fine and worked well enough for a 6 mile approach. i agree, not the best footwear option for a hike, but when you already have a board on your back, a 2nd pair of boot seems ridiculous!

FYI - if you are looking for a split, keep your eye on craigslist. people sell them all the time. also, if you have a old board, there are several companies in the area that will split the board for you at a decent price.

I not a snowboarder, so take this with a mountain of salt.

When I was researching my AT boots (Scarpa F1), I found that a lot of split boarders were using them. In walk mode, they're more comfortable than my old plastic mountaineering boots, so plenty nice for snowshoeing. Here's an article about boarding in AT boots.

snowboardmountaineer.com/pa…

hi guys, just a quick thank you for the great input so far - this is valuable "intel" ! Really appreciate it: Thanks!
For mid-term, I will not consider switching to the split board - even though it might allow faster ascents. I really enjoy the snowshoes - and speed-wise, this is as much as the dog can keep up with... Faster would just mean having to wait for him more often ...
Has anyone ever tried a +10 mile hike in snowboard boots... ;-) ?

pit stop

I'm not really that much faster climbing on a split than snowshoes for the first few miles. When you put skins on, you don't glide as much as a standard at ski, but you are way more efficient on a split than shoes. Your dog shouldn't have trouble keeping up with you. Mine always runs ahead unless the snow is deep, then he just follows my tracks. You also have soooo much less to carry. And you're right, you're not going to find a boot that will do it all. You will need the responsiveness of a stiff boot while bombing a run, which isn't comfortable to walk in. Hey, at least you don't have to wear ski boots, I made that mistake once and will not be doing it again.

Then how does your dog keep up on the downhill?

curt86iroc wrote:prior to obtaining my split, i did the snowshoe up and ride down for a number of years. my snowboard boots fit into my snowshoes just fine and worked well enough for a 6 mile approach. i agree, not the best footwear option for a hike, but when you already have a board on your back, a 2nd pair of boot seems ridiculous! FYI - if you are looking for a split, keep your eye on craigslist. people sell them all the time. also, if you have a old board, there are several companies in the area that will split the board for you at a decent price.

This. Your snowboard boots are just fine. I've done 10 mile hikes on a trail that was mixed dirt/snow/water and THAT sucked, but other than that you'll be fine. During the late spring / early summer I switch over to approach shoes or light boots and carry the boots attached to my board, but that isn't really what you are asking. The more you can put on your feet, the lighter your pack will be, the faster you'll go and less tired you'll be.

And def check craiglists, splitboard.com's forums, ebay and geartrade.com. I haven't touched my snowshoes since I started splitting, and that has been quite some time.

Em Cos wrote:Then how does your dog keep up on the downhill?

You've never seen a dog charge a pow slope huh? They'll be as fast as you. I don't know how animals do it.

Some more thoughts on boots. You will see alot of people going with a hard boots (AT) for high level splitboarding especially for crampon comparability. You lose some of the comfort obviously, but they are popular. Whatever it is you'll want a stiffer boot. I have the Burton Driver X and they still don't feel still enough, but the vibram sole is a welcome addition. You can also buy the mountain plate for ice boots, however you will be restricted to the voile slider plates which add 3+ lbs to your set up and suck to ride on.

I think my next boot will be either the fitwells or spark summit. They seem to be the best bet with a still vibram sole and semi-automatic compatible.

Of course that comes with a 500+ price tag.

splitboardmag.com/article/s…

Scott McMahon wrote: You've never seen a dog charge a pow slope huh? They'll be as fast as you. I don't know how animals do it.

I have, but not one that also couldn't keep up with the skinning. However, my data is anecdotal and my sample size is small. I was just curious.

Check out the Deeluxe Spark boots. Vibram sole, sturdy toe box, and one of the stiffest boots you can get without going into a hard shell. Also, there's a heel welt for crampons.

As someone who has gone through the snowshoes snowboard split board dilemma myself, I'll add my .02 cents.

I used to snowshoe and carry my board. I just used my snowboarding boots. They worked fine for "side country" i.e. Berthoud Pass, Loveland Pass, and any approaches < 3 miles. Eventually, I saved up enough money and made the switch to a split board and haven't looked back. Splits are vastly more efficient both in terms of movement and weight (carry board on your feet, instead of your back).

That said the cost of a full split board setup new is around $1,500 with the deck, bindings, and skins and I understand that is prohibitive for a lot of people. I'm sure there are used deals out there, but they seem pretty hard to come by.

I think you need to think about your boot selection in this context. You don't need great boots to split board, standard snowboard boots generally work fine. So, you can skip the boots if you can throw down on a split board. If you're planning on getting a split board in the future, but don't have the cash right now, I would recommend either the Fitwell Backcountrys or the Spark Deeluxe XVs. I currently have the Sparks and like, but don't love them. Both the Fitwells and the Sparks have a Vibram sole and a semi auto crampon bail. This makes them great for walking and climbing. I will say, the Sparks are large. I haven't seen the Fitwells in person but they seem to be much more streamlined, albeit with a much higher price tag. These would be great boots to split board with as well, so if a split board is in your future, but you want boots in the meantime, I think these would be a good bet. The Sparks really excel in the backcountry when you encounter areas that are windblown and scoured when you can't skin/snowshoe. The Vibram sole lets you walk easily and being able to but crampons on them solidly is a great advantage.

TheBirdman wrote:...the cost of a full split board setup new is around $1,500 with the deck, bindings, and skins and I understand that is prohibitive for a lot of people. I'm sure there are used deals out there, but they seem pretty hard to come by.

Actually, the Denver area used splitboard market is alot better than it used to be: denver.craigslist.org/searc…

There's some damn good deals now that every snowboard company (ok, most companies) out there make a split. Combine that along with the folks who decide this sport isn't for them and you've got a pretty good used market.

But I 100% agree with everyone saying that splitboarding is the answer.

Air7 wrote: Has anyone ever tried a +10 mile hike in snowboard boots... ;-) ?

Update - Went out yesterday and did about a 7 mile hike up a NH mountain - not quite the distance you are looking to do, Air. I carried my snowboard, and decided to leave the snowshoes behind and wore only micro spikes on my snowboard boots. My buddy Skinned with his AT setup.

Our speed was nearly the same, however Skinning seemed to be far more energy efficient on anything but hard pack, my energy was sapped by additional snow cover, while he kept trucking without issue. In deep stuff I would have been hosed without snowshoes, I made it because aside from drifts, a lot of the trail only had a light covering of very fluffy fresh snow.

This trip really brought out the appeal of skinning for me. A lot of good info on gear here, and the tech is only getting better.

Air7 wrote:hi guys, just a quick thank you for the great input so far - this is valuable "intel" ! Really appreciate it: Thanks! For mid-term, I will not consider switching to the split board - even though it might allow faster ascents. I really enjoy the snowshoes - and speed-wise, this is as much as the dog can keep up with... Faster would just mean having to wait for him more often ... Has anyone ever tried a +10 mile hike in snowboard boots... ;-) ?

you'll be hard pressed to make a case for snowshoes over a split :)

my pup will be 10 years old in march and weights 25lbs...and has no problem keeping up on a skin.

seriously, i did the snowshoe thing for 2 years. found a great deal on a used split and never looked back!

curt86iroc wrote: you'll be hard pressed to make a case for snowshoes over a split :) my pup will be 10 years old in march and weights 25lbs...and has no problem keeping up on a skin. seriously, i did the snowshoe thing for 2 years. found a great deal on a used split and never looked back!

I had two pairs of snowshoes, one atlas and one MSR. Sold the atlas. We went on a hut trip the other weekend and my friend used my MSRs. I've owned them for a minimum of 5+ years, and she had to take the tags off to use them.

That's how long it's been since I've even looked at snowshoes. Splitting is the way to go if you can't AT. Changeovers suck, but once you start your snowshoes will be to lend to friends.

I've played around with this problem for years. I used to have to wear my hiking boots and switch to snowboarding boots at the top which sucks. I recently bought a pair of K2 boots that are a lower profile so they fit perfectly into my msr snowshoes. I brought the snowshoes in with me to test the fit of multiple boots in them. Riding in hiking boots is no fun imo, you lose some of the responsiveness and control which s not good in the BC

hi, all !
thx again, this is some amazing feedback - and really helpful!
yes, it looks like there is no way around a splitboard for the bigger tours - and I`ll probably buy something off season and get it ready for the next winter!
Have fun out there!

Travis Dustin wrote: I recently bought a pair of K2 boots that are a lower profile so they fit perfectly into my msr snowshoes.

which ones?