Harscheisen

Before every tour of the splitboard group of my DAV section, we check whether all participants have crampons with them - the right ones for their own bindings. This is not so trivial for some and requires support here and there. In this article, I would like to briefly explain why crampons are not a nice-to-have for us splitboarders, but an absolute must-have. You will also get a comprehensive overview of the current splitboard bindings and their corresponding crampons.

After the season is before the season. For most splitboarders, the season begins to wind down around Easter. Before everything gets stashed away in the cellar, it’s a good idea to take a moment and check the gear: What’s its overall condition, and is everything set for the next season? Because let’s be honest, we all want to be ready for the first fresh snow of 2025/2026, right?

The ION 12 pin binding from Genuine Guide Gear (G3) follows the trend of freeride-oriented tech bindings: Puristic in its approach, but equipped with some clever details, the successor to the Onyx offers ascent-oriented freeriders another option when choosing a binding. We tested the strengths and weaknesses of the ION 12 in a long-term gear review.

This ski tour is located in the north-west of Andorra, Pyrenees and is a classic among local ski tourers, as the summit is one of the highest in the region. The summit should only be attempted in safe conditions. Safe hairpin bends are a must, and crampons are recommended in icy conditions.

In the beginning there was the splitboard, or something like that. In any case, the board, which can be split into two parts, was used for snowboarding tours before today's alpine snowshoes. In this experience report, I try to summarize why splitboards have been on the rise again for a few years now and where the biggest differences to touring with snowshoes lie.

According to the manufacturer, the Freeride Pro from Fritschi has not only been improved in terms of design, but also in terms of functions compared to its predecessor. The extent to which the manufacturer from the Kandertal valley in Switzerland has really succeeded in achieving a high-end level will only be revealed by the long-term gear review. Here are our first impressions of the new "Freeride Mountaineering" model.