Splittie of the Week | Big feet = problem feet

Splitboard shape

Tobi has recently written here about suitable splitboard shapes . On the subject of center width he writes: "260 mm is the upper limit", which I can understand on the ascent. When I arrive at the summit with such a board, I can't go down because my feet protrude about half a meter over the board at the front and back. And that's despite the fact that my feet are "only" 30 cm long - there's still room for improvement. In the summer, I was able to take part in a splitboard building workshop at SPURart. For the shape, I focused completely on the downhill. That means: center width 274 mm, a good bit wider than Tobi's recommendation.

I had the finished board with me in September, but the problems started even before the first tour. Splitboard skins are available in a width of 135 mm. This is narrower than the width of a splitboard half and rather suboptimal. I tried it anyway and was pleased at first: the skin fits reasonably well and I don't even have to cut it to the width. Towards the ends, however, it could be a bit closer to the edge ... I guess the only solution is to drill holes and tune the skins at Kohla.

On the first tour, I immediately notice that more width in the middle also means more weight on the foot. But you get used to it (I hope). However, on the first traverses I also immediately notice that the edge hold is significantly lower compared to my narrower splitboard. It looks like I have to agree with Tobi's mid-width theory. But the descent was great fun!

However, there is a simple but unfortunately expensive solution to this problem: put two splitboards in the cellar, one for powder days and short tours, one for longer or alpine tours. Switching to hard boots can also improve the situation, but these boots are only slightly shorter than soft boots in the corresponding size.

My consultant was also aware of this problem. It is possible that boat manufacturers only test their models in small sizes and assume that the larger models will fit. In addition, the market for crampons in this size is probably too small for the manufacturers to offer an extra-wide model. However, the statement that crampons with cups at the front and back are sufficient for all tours that can be done with soft boots also fits in with this. The solution here is again as simple as it is expensive: switching to hard boots.

Touring mount

I haven't noticed any negative effects on my tours so far, but I can imagine that this problem becomes relevant on steep terrain with hairpin bends. The rotation axis of the touring mount is not directly at the front end of the boot as with hard boots or touring skis, but is offset a few centimeters to the rear with the soft boot binding. This means that the binding can only be tilted by a small angle, as the front end of the boot touches the topsheet at a certain point.

This is why you should make sure that the highback is set correctly when purchasing the binding. Most manufacturers make it possible to move the highback forwards or backwards.

If this is not enough, as far as I know there is only a remedy from Spark, Plum and Voile in the form of so-called riser kits. A complicated term for a simple solution: a spacer is simply fitted between the touring mount/highback mount and the board. This solution is definitely the cheapest in this article, although the Plum version is not cheap either at € 85. There is also the additional weight of approx. 170 g to approx. 220 g. You have to decide for yourself whether the greater freedom of movement is worth it. It certainly hasn't been for me so far.

Conclusion

Splitboarding with big feet is of course not impossible. However, in many places you have to take a closer look at the choice of material than colleagues with small feet or hard boots. And in case that hasn't come across clearly yet: I'm definitely on the team having fun on the descent and sacrificing a bit on the ascent.

Have I forgotten anything, or are there any other (probably male) splitboarders here who have already encountered similar problems? Let us know in the comments.