Morning approach to spines. Photo: Tyler Wilkes

What is this all about?

To find one’s self here, complete with a beating heart and inflatable lungs?

To find that we have legs, arms, and a mind that thinks…

WHY, are we here?

In a logical sense, splitboard mountaineering is one of the silliest activities a person can get interested in. To go into environments that are clearly, blatantly and outrageously not designed for sustained human life. To seek out vast wilderness, and to climb and descend massive snow-covered mountains seems to be more congruent with the pleasure-seeking behavior of a drug habit than the recreational outlet of educated, intelligent individuals. Because let’s face it, big mountains are dangerous.

Day three’s primary objective. Photo: Louie Dawson

In order to fully understand this activity, an irrational and emotional perspective is required. My viewpoint is that our evolution as a species, the process of surviving, reproducing and changing for millions of years in the overwhelming enormity of pre-civilized planet Earth, has wired a specific set of primal needs into our brains. Perhaps simply holding the “idea” that there are still places that have never seen a single human footprint, or that have never been pillaged of the last surviving natural resource is all that is important. Even if people never go there, perhaps wilderness is essential for the sake of our collective bank of human sanity.

An inspiration for personal expansion. Photo: Tyler Wilkes

For some people, myself included, travelling through vast wild expanses have been one of the most efficient ways to go through deep and personal evolution. There is just something about it that can force open the layers of one’s substance.

Jonathon Cooper, peeling back his layers. Photo: Louie Dawson

This question of “why am I here?” grows to be wonderfully irrelevant. The purpose of existence becomes beautifully and eloquently clear: STAY ALIVE.

Nearing the summit of our Apex Spine Descent. Photo: Tyler Wilkes

Russell Cunningham, finally releasing nerves, and flowing into his first Alaskan Spinewall Experience. Photo: Louie Dawson

All that being said, it is virtually impossible to remain monk-like in a frozen vastness beyond a set period. What I have found is that the time following a period spent in the mountains has consistently been the most powerful.

En route above camp. Photo: Russell Cunningham

Gazing towards the heart of Glacier Bay, it becomes apparent how many lifetimes can be spent in glorious exploration. Photo: Russell Cunningham

Unnamed mountain, carved by the unbelievable strength of glaciation. Photo: Louie Dawson

The reality is that survival behavior does not allow for much emotional processing. When one’s life depends on the placement of a single foot, or the direction of a single turn, there just isn’t time to reflect on much else.

Carefully traversing a ridge and fulfilling Alaskan Dreams. Photo: Louie Dawson

Tyler blazing towards the most remote summit of our venture. Notice the 2000 foot exposure. Photo: Russell Cunningham

The process following a mountain venture is a complex one. This is the essential recovery phase in which not only the body begins to rebuild the damaged muscle proteins and add bone density, but the brain itself finally has a chance to make sense of the experience,  making sense of not only what it meant to live in the wilderness, but also what it meant to go through the process of changing identities– To be a modern human who has been touched by ancient wilderness.

Becoming touched the most incredible snow of my life. Photo: Jonathon Cooper

Jonathon Cooper, heading home after a phenomenal day. Photo: Louie Dawson

If one is open to the idea, it is possible for suppressed emotions and thoughts to come flaring out in that critical recovery period. I believe that this is what neural adaptation feels like, and there seems to be a strong dose-response relationship, because the more intense the experience, the more intense the post-wilderness flaring can be.

The White Fank. As seen at Sunset. Photo: Louie Dawson

Drawing on a small lifetime of these mountain-centered therapy sessions, I formulated a dream: To go to Alaska, immerse myself in one of the planet’s most powerful wilderness environments for a short while, and to see what flaring transpires.

Louie Dawson, stoking hard. Photo: Russell Cunningham

Our last morning, and one of the most beautiful of my life. Photo: Russell Cunningham

Jonathon Cooper, at the top of Spinewall Round 2, in the middle of 60mph winds, freezing cold, and more stoked than ever. Photo: Louie Dawson

What is this all about?

WHY, are we here?

Perhaps it’s simply to be here. To be open to the idea that “why” is not important. That getting the chance to be here now, to be present to ourselves, our environments, and our people. Perhaps the ultimate gift of the Wilderness Experience is this chance to be unconditionally present.

Wherever your Wilderness Experience may take you, may it take you inside your own inner passion.

In the coming weeks we will be releasing new set up, use and maintenance videos for Karakoram products. This first video is a set up video that applies to Karakoram 2012-13 bindings.

The Euros really know how to party.  Starting up around 3:30 each day crowds gathered in the snowboard hall and the techno music started to blare.  Three weeks straight of trade shows really takes its toll, so it was great that Chad from Jones set up an Austrian Split-together following ISPO.  We drove to Innsbruck with Moritz from Element Sports (our German distributor) in his rad Sprinter van.

After a short taxi ride up a twisty turny road we arrived at the Lizumer Hut.

When Chad told me “Hut” I thought it would be small cold mountain hut with grungy old wool blankets.  This “hut” turned out to be more of a 5 star luxury accommodation perfectly placed in the mountains so we could tour right out the front door.  I don’t think I could have dreamed up a better trade show wind down or detox as we started calling it.    This beautiful terrain was right out the front door.

Planning where to ride

The snow pack was a little unstable, so we stayed really tame on the line choices.  I think Tyler and I splitboarded from 8 am to 8 pm both days.  The powder was too good to not ride all day long.

Tyler, Chad, Mitch and Jeremy before the first lap.

Jeremy taking the Ultacraft splitboard for its virgin ride.

Jeremy has made a living off of toe side slashing and basically gave us a clinic all day long.

We had quite the posse.

Mitch Toelderer showing us how to ride mach 5 and launch off pillows.

Chad throwing up a roost

Bryce surfing an Austrian wave.

After each day of splitboarding we’d come back late and have a great dinner waiting for us; goulasch, spinach dumplings, cheese dumplings, etc.  It felt great to be in the mountains again.

Before leaving Austria we had the opportunity to hang out with Mitch and Bibi another day.  They took us on one of their classic ridge walks.

Tyler and Mitch just before dropping into some waist deep powder.

After the ridge walk we jumped on a train and headed to Chamonix.  We didn’t realize the train ride would be so long, but after riding some great pow it wasn’t that big of a deal.  The trip to Chamonix was really short as we only had a day before flying out of Geneva. We were able to meet up with Tom and Martin from Zero G.

Tyler with fun straightline on a slack country line out of Brevent.  

Ending the trade show season with some snowboarding made everything feel a little less like work.  It’s always nice to spend more time on my splitboard as this is why we make our gear.

Mitch Toelderer sent me this picture a couple weeks ago pointing to his next splitboard mission.

Mitch and Bibi got out two weeks ago to ride Praxmarerkarspitze.  Check out the video:

Snowboarding Praxmarerkarspitze from GoPro Fitnesstraining on Vimeo.

We had the opportunity to make it down to Mt. Bachelor, Oregon for the Dirksen Derby this year.  The Dirksen Derby is one of the first snowboard events of the season,  so lots of industry folks make it to the event.  It was pretty cool to race against some of the best riders in the world like Terje Haakonsen and Temple Cummins.  Needless to say, I did not win…

Josh Dirksen has been putting this event on for six years.  The Derby is a great event with a great cause, all proceeds go to cover medical expenses for his friend Tyler Eklund and to help promote sit-skis for disabled skiers.  We helped sponsor the event and provided bindings to the winner of the Splitboard event.

Before the event Josh leaked some pictures of his new split set up, a custom Salomon Derby 147 split with Karakoram SL splitboard bindings.

Over all it was a great event, especially seeing Ralph Backstrom and Forrest Burki rocking their Karakoram splitboard bindings to first and second place in the splitboard division.   The splitboard race started with a change over from ride to tour mode and then a sprint up the red course of the bank slalom, then a change over at the top and finally a ride down the green course.

Racing up the Red Course.  Ralph was in 3rd on the way up and Forrest was in 4th.  Russell, Karakoram’s Communication andRelationship Manager,  in 7th place on the way up.  Russell was first out of the gates with the fastest changeover, but the previous two days of non-stop powder riding slowed him down on the skin up.

Change over, Ralph takes the lead making up three places.

 
Forrest Burki racing light with a Pancho and no ski poles.

Off to the races, Ralph and Forrest are the first out of the change over.

Ralph Backstrom comes in first.

While standing down at the finish line we saw Terje throwing down some one-footers, and some others hucking little wildcats and fronside corks off a little booter.  It looked like way too much fun to pass up so we joined in.

Pete with a nice little method.



No trip to Bachelor is complete with out a high speed low flying method off Tyler and my favorite little booter on Northwest Express.

We’ve received many requests from customers to put our Air Flow Highback with Ride-Stride on the SL chassis.  We now have a few of these built up and stocked in our store.  The Carbon SL comes with our carbon fiber highack and the SL (Dupont Zytel Highback) comes with the Air Flow Highback with Ride-Stride.  Retail price on the SL (Dupont Zytel Highback) is $749.99.

Story by Allison Lightcap, Photos By Seth Lightcap

Have you ever had the feeling that Old Man Winter was going to come early? I started to get
this feeling in Tahoe a few weeks ago when I saw the squirrels rushing around collecting food.
They knew what was up. Then I got this subconscious urge to clean out the garage and find all
my winter stuff. I never like to clean the garage. Something was seriously screwy. But then all of
a sudden it made perfect sense. Tahoe got dumped on last week of October!

Seth and I don’t look at the first winter weather forecasts for the season until we’re forced to
maintain local conversation. When the snow comes, it comes. But after a couple dozen people
asked us about the pending storm, we broke down and checked out NOAA. Our eyes definitely
liked what they saw! The forecast for Tahoe starting October 22 called for multiple feet of snow.

Pretty amazing what Mother Nature will deliver within a disguise of wind and clouds. It’s easy to
forget over a sunny Cali summer. In three days, nearly four feet of snow fell on the Sierra Crest.
We started our season with five glorious pow days riding our splitboards.

When I grabbed my split for the first day of shredding it was still caked in summer dirt from
riding in July. What’s the use in cleaning your board if you’re only putting it away for three
months? Stoked to take such little time off from the skin track this year.

Earning your turns is the only way to start the season. First turns of the winter are so much
richer when you hike for them and skinning feels incredible after a few months of rock climbing
and biking.

I am still amazed with how light my split set-up feels since I started riding the Karakoram SL’s.
First day back and my board felt just as featherweight as when i’d put it down in July. That’s a
good sign!

The base depth just below the crest in North Tahoe was unbelievable for only one storm. We
stayed up high and lapped the deepest lines to make the most of it. Riding quick laps also gave
us the perfect opportunity to dial in our transitions and think about what gear needed replacing
as we skinned up for another run.

I had a strange feeling winter would come early but I could have never guessed coverage would
be this good after just one storm.