[SA Chris]

Says £459 for the Skeleton Key? I keep threatening to replace mine, but hard to justify for the 3 or 4 days a year it gets used. Maybe I'll do it irreparable harm sometime.  Also the seem to go up in price £100 every time I look; My current Burton Baron 168 seemed expensive when i bought it, but then I realise it was 19 years ago.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Oooooohh... Am on the lookout for a new board for the coming season - not had a directional board since my 1992 Craig Kelly Air tho. What's it like riding switch? Not into park or owt like that these days but do like to pop 180 from time to time and ride switch for a bit... Also the review seems to indicate that it loses grip on hard/icy terrain, how'd you find that?

Sounds like a right bargain tho...

[Johnny Brown]

Says £459 for the Skeleton Key?

That's the 2022/3 model. Scroll on, or clicky here.

It's totally fine riding switch, surprisingly so given how it looks but it's quite cleverly shaped - on piste the asymmetrical tails don't actually do anything, and the sidecut is more centred on the stance than it appears. OTOH it is quite tapered, which is presumably why it's very hard to catch an edge riding normally, so ought to make it more twitchy switch but I've not had an issue.

I pop lots of 180's, go through the park with the kids and regularly ride switch for full blue runs (matching ten year-old skier speed) but ultimately I went for a board that more usefully reflects the 90/10 time split than a twin-tip. For me the performance boost for carving and powder has been well worth it. The auto mode in powder was just amazing the first time I hit some deep - the taper, tails and set-back all add together to work in your favour. Just a really fun board.

[SA Chris]

Got it cheers. Annoyingly I would need to replace old school bindings too.

[Johnny Brown]

You can just get new discs surely?

Also the review seems to indicate that it loses grip on hard/icy terrain, how'd you find that?

Soz, forgot. I've had no problems, and this year that included charging a big icy black back to the resort each day while the kids took the bubble. Bear in mind the reviewer is comparing to the new board with the wavy/ disrupted sidecut 'magnatraction etc' which I've never used -  I'm sure they'd be much better, as might a bigger, stiffer board, but I don't seek such terrain out as a rule and it is more than up to the job when I encounter it. If I lived somewhere where it was a regular thing I might choose differently. Likewise with 'really pointing it' there may be better boards out there but I've been as fast as I dared on this board  (~57mph) and at no point felt like it couldn't be trusted.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Sounds great!

Might just stick a 158 on the ole CC and wait for the snow (and not tell the Mrs )!

Cheers...

[Johnny Brown]

  At that price you really can't go wrong... I'm tempted to get a spare!

[Duncan Disorderly]

Done - you should rep for Burton 

[Johnny Brown]

Just bought a splitty... frothing now, anyone else yearning for turning?

[andy_e]

Give me a shout if you're heading north for splitboard fun times!

[SamT]

Up for some splitter action! Got a week in Tignes booked in March.. sans family and back country top of the agenda. Frothing doesn't come close.

[SA Chris]

I've not got a splitty, but happy to associate with them when out touring! Like andy_e, shout if you are up. Going to be in Les Arcs last week of Jan, Alps are looking like mid Feb conditions already, hope it holds.

[lagerstarfish]

Just bought a splitty... frothing now, anyone else yearning for turning?

What did you get?

We have a multi family trip to Jasna booked again. This will be the boy child's third week on snow and probably ready for the good stuff - got another transceiver and shovel and we have started doing rescue practice.

[Johnny Brown]

Give me a shout if you're heading north for splitboard fun times!

Will do - are you in Inverness? Keep me posted on conditions...

Up for some splitter action! Got a week in Tignes booked in March.. sans family and back country top of the agenda. Frothing doesn't come close.

Sounds great, My Dad was in Val d'Isere last week, plenty of snow. We're booked for Trois Vallees at Easter but keen to get a non-family trip in earlier... you got a split then?

I've not got a splitty, but happy to associate with them when out touring! Like andy_e, shout if you are up. Going to be in Les Arcs last week of Jan, Alps are looking like mid Feb conditions already, hope it holds.

Will do! Had a great time in Les Arcs two years back.

What did you get?

Amplid Surf Shuttle 157. Been holding out for the tech to mature a bit for a long time and it really feels like we're there now. Everyone is making them, so was inclined to go for a more specialist brand. I'm totally sold on directional boards now and it seemed crazy to have a less directional split. That ruled out a lot of stuff.

Shortlist:

Dreamscape (decathlon) - very hard to ignore this option, board and skins available to click and collect a short walk from work for a mere £450. Haven't seen any bad reviews.

Korua Shapes - love what these swiss guys are doing (see above vid) and a few of their boards were tempting (Pencil & Transition finder probably), but most are only in two sizes small or large.

Borealis Koi - another smaller alps-based brand making very nice boards, Koi looks perfect for me, very tempting.

Went with Amplid mainly on price in the end. The outlet on their website sells last season's boards at >40% off and the package +skins is basically free. New board laden with tech and skins included for £575 shipped. DEAL. Was a bit concerned it might be a B-grade board, was relieved when it wasn't, after a few days realised it might be but the issues are so small they are hard to detect and entirely cosmetic. Reading about the brand and the founder/ designer Peter Bauer gives me a lot of confidence in the board too. Interview here, great podcast here. Also, top of Whitelines splitboard of the year shortlist. In the flesh it seems quite big with a lot less tail rocker compared to the Skeleton Key.

Bindings - I've been Burton step-in/ step-on for twenty five years so only really one (very new) option without carting two pairs of boots about. Not normally an early adopter but very impressed with the Burton x Spark step on bindings so far, a world away from the janky Karakoram x Voile setup I hired only a few years back. No higher than my normal bindings, totally solid and really slick to change over. You can also get pucks for normal boards so an option to take both boards and one set of bindings. In the future I can see I might want a more tech sole for crampons etc which might change things. Spark pucks and crampons brought the total to £1220.

got another transceiver and shovel and we have started doing rescue practice

Avvy gear is next on the list - what did you go for?

[andy_e]

Give me a shout if you're heading north for splitboard fun times!

Will do - are you in Inverness? Keep me posted on conditions...

Yep. There were some good early season scenes but it's been warm and/or windy recently so it might well be a bit grey up there. Snow set to return in the next couple of days...

[SA Chris]

Yep, was hoping the temps would be a bit lower, but no such luck. Warm rain has stripped it all back again https://www.ski-glenshee.co.uk/Webcam
But as andy said, looking to drop off again.

Andy, did you grab one of the new "Ski Touring in Northern Cairngorms". I missed the last print run, but looks like they are doing another. Just put an order in.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah I've just ordered one too. Finger crossed, I have a van at the mo so short trips are a possibility.

[andy_e]

Ah no I hadn't seen that! Thanks for the beta.

[SA Chris]

Cool. Anyone who fancies southern cairngorms give me a shout. No shiny new guide, but some good info here https://www.steepscotland.info/southern_Cairngorms/ or pick my brains.....

[SamT]

 

[lagerstarfish]

Avvy gear is next on the list - what did you go for?

second hand Ortovox Zoom + . It's a massive improvement on my old F1

you are welcome to borrow transceiver/shovel/axe/probe from me before you sort your own

https://beaconreviews.com/ is very useful if you are looking at buying an older/used transceiver

[lagerstarfish]

What did you get?

Amplid Surf Shuttle 157.

my mate Graham loves his Amplid Dada and he's pretty fussy about kit

[Johnny Brown]

Avvy gear is next on the list - what did you go for?

second hand Ortovox Zoom + . It's a massive improvement on my old F1

you are welcome to borrow transceiver/shovel/axe/probe from me before you sort your own

https://beaconreviews.com/ is very useful if you are looking at buying an older/used transceiver

Thanks! I've got access to an F1 but was planning on getting something new, hadn't really considered used. Will check reviews...

[SA Chris]

I need to replace my antiquated BCA Tracker!

[lagerstarfish]

I am often asked why I bother carrying avi gear with me when I spend most of my time on the hill on my own.
If I do meet up with other people, I don't take bigger risks, but the idea of seeing someone get buried and not being able to have a good go at finding them and digging them out really bothers me.
Having tried a more modern tranciever and finding out how much better they are for finding other beacons, I a little bit embarrassed that I didn't get one sooner.