Snowboarding in your mountaineering boots?

[donniedarko]

I'm planning a hike up / ride down trip at Mt St. Helens in two weeks and have been thinking about shedding some weight, leaving the snowboarding boots behind and riding down in my hiking boots. I guess I need an excuse to upgrade to a nicer pair of boots such as the La Sportiva Nepal.

Anyone snowboard in your winter/mountaineering boots?

[JZickler]

I've made several runs on my board with my Baruntse this season and it kinda sucks. Have also tried to ride in my Trangos and failed miserably. It will definitely get you off the mountain faster than walking but if you're looking to make quality turns I recommend cutting your board in half and installing a voile split kit.

[Sean Garcia]

About a month ago I hiked up the worm flows route and boarded down. I wore my Lowa mountaineering boots up and down. It will definitely get you down the mountain faster, however they lack the ankle support if you really want to shred. I personally prefer the lightweight ascent/ easy ride out to the shred on the way out approach.

[96avs01]

Ride my Venture split in Spantiks. No complaints.

[genepires]

I tried to use my mtn boots on a regular high back binding. There is some pain due to the fact that the boots don't go higher than the high back. Some wierd pinching that was bearable but did detract from the experience. I tried taping on a small bit of foam to my leg but it just falls off.

 

If your boots are higher than the high back, you should be fine.

 

Koflach made a mtneering snowboard boot many years ago. Looked like a nepal top. I should have got one but didn't. All good things get discontinued quick.

[Dave A.]

I've had the same experience. My mountain boots are shorter than my highbacks so there is some discomfort. Since I spend hours going up for minutes going down it's not that big a deal, and it's way better than packing extra pounds of boots and the hassle of changing top and bottom of every run. More important is taking the time to make sure the bindings are properly fit to the boot.

[Frikadeller]

I just hike and climb in my AT boots. Works great. I tried :a Sportiva Nepal Extremes and Koflach Plastics with a tele liner, and really though the ride from both sucked.

 

Went the hard boot route, and never looked back.

 

[donniedarko]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience!

Looks like it's not ideal but doable. I'm just looking for a quick and fun way to get down the mountain.