Over the past two months, our 【Backcountry Snowboarding Guide】 series has published nearly ten articles on backcountry snowboarding, but they have all been about twin-tip boards.
Snowboarders all know that in China, snowboarders seem to either be on groomed runs or in parks. Does that mean backcountry snowboarding is only suitable for twin-tip boards? Of course not. The more stable and stylish single board can actually glide even more stylishly in backcountry areas. In the United States, the single...freeridehas been arguably the mosthotwinter sport in recent years. Don’t believe it? Goyoutubeand search for videos—if you can get past the firewall, that is.
To introduce backcountry snowboarding techniques for single boards in a timely manner and allow more snowboarders to fully enjoy the thrill of backcountry riding, we invited veteran rider Li Xiang to write a 【Single Board Backcountry Snowboarding Guide】 for everyone.
Among snowboarding enthusiasts, Li Xiang is truly a “versatile athlete”: not only does he have god-like skills on a single board, but he also explores ski mountaineering,Telemarkand other niche high-end fields. He’s truly a unique gem among snowboarders (:D).
Li Xiang is not only one of the few riders who can weave through the backcountry snow of Chongli's rugged mountains on a single board, but also one of the very few who can keep up with us twin-tip maniacs even in the woods. We’re all extremely curious to know what his secret backcountry snowboarding skills are.
Please read Li Xiang’s article 【Single Board Backcountry Snowboarding Guide】 this time. Additionally, we’ve invited ski mountaineering snowboarderEricto write an article on backcountry snowboarding equipment, which will be released soon—stay tuned.
――――――Foreword
Today, let’s talk about snowboarding on natural snow. Let’s not get caught up in the English or Chinese terms for various things—we’ll just focus on the riding here.
So-called natural snow includes snowy mountains, non-groomed runs at high-altitude resorts, specially designated forest runs at major resorts, and even regular runs hit by sudden heavy snowfall. Apart from the last type, we generally refer to all other forms of natural snow as backcountry snow.
These different types of backcountry snow riding share common elements, but each also has its own particular points to watch out for. However, all backcountry snow shares one common characteristic: it’s deep, thick, soft, and powdery.
Riding backcountry snow allows you to experience the dreamlike sensation of floating and flying, freeing you from the constraints of gravity. Backcountry snow is like a wild, flying child—it has many faces. Sometimes it’s wild and unrestrained, other times it’s gentle and delicate. We need to use different methods to understand and control it.
A true lover of backcountry snowboarding is always searching desperately for that dreamy deep powder snow, but such places and opportunities are still relatively rare in China. Sometimes you need luck and patience to wait for the heavens to bless you with a blizzard—and ideally on a weekend when you’re not working. But often it snows on a weekday, or the snow is so heavy it paralyzes transportation and makes travel impossible. Some snowy mountains also require a lot of effort to reach. But these difficulties won’t stop us from seeking and discovering, nor will they dampen our enthusiasm for discussion.
Because of various factors in the natural environment—like wind, sunlight, and slope—that affect the condition of the snow, what looks like smooth terrain can often hide dangers underneath. When riding in real deep powder, most of the time you can’t see what’s beneath the surface of the snow and can only rely on the instant feedback from your board to make the right moves. In this sense, snowboarding in backcountry snow is more like surfing in the ocean.
When you first start trying backcountry snowboarding, it’s often frustrating and disheartening, and very few snowboarders can truly adapt to it—it takes time to build up the feel and experience. When you can’t see your board or the surface it’s riding on, and you're floating on unstable material, you can feel off-balance. This overturns everything you learned on solid groomed runs and throws you into a completely new realm.
Actually, in recent years, due to advances in snowboard materials and manufacturing processes, as well as developments in snowboarding techniques, specialized board designs for backcountry riding have been phased out. In earlier years, there were boards with unique shapes specifically designed for backcountry snowboarding on mountains, but in recent years, brands have stopped producing these special models. A typical example is the one produced by France’sDYNASTAR, theMont Blanc(MT4807). The overall shape of this board resembles a sharp sword, with a swallowtail at the back and the nose pointing upwards like a speedboat. The bindings are positioned relatively farther back. This design aimed to lift the nose of the board in deep powder, keeping the board afloat above the snow. Since these types of boards have been discontinued, we won’t discuss them here. Nowadays, all boards are all-mountain types, with some further categorized as powder-specific.
And the single boards we now use for backcountry riding are not much different from those used on groomed runs, except for park boards. However, the bindings are still mounted a bit farther back to give the nose more float. It’s best to choose a board with a larger base area according to your height and weight. As for binding angles, my personal preference is to set them in a duck stance, which also allows smooth riding when performing180degree turns.
As the snow gets deeper, especially when riding in freshly fallen powder, the difficulty increases. Because the floatation of deep powder is relatively low, we often find ourselves riding in snow that’s up to calf or even knee-deep. This requires us to adjust our technique to compensate for the lack of floatation.
The first challenge we face is nose diving. Unlike twin-tip boards, which have longer noses, single boards can easily nose-dive in deep powder if you keep your weight forward—as you would on groomed runs. A slight misstep can cause the nose to sink, and the board will get buried deeper and deeper. As more snow piles up on the top of the nose and your legs sink deeper, significant resistance builds up, making it hard to move forward. This brings us to the issue of weight distribution when snowboarding in deep powder. Whether you ride regular or goofy, to avoid nose diving in deep powder, you must never put your weight on the nose. The position I use isn’t fixed either—I shift between the middle of the board and the back foot depending on the snow conditions. Don’t rush into turning right away; try first to ride in a straight line in deep powder. Feeling how the board floats in the deep snow is also a great way to get a sense of your weight distribution and to build confidence in backcountry riding.
Now let’s talk about stance and movement. Actually, the stance for snowboarding in backcountry terrain is basically the same as when riding on groomed runs. The difference is that since you often can’t see what’s beneath the snow surface, you need to lower your center of gravity accordingly. Bend your knees more so that your legs remain soft and flexible—especially the rear foot, which should be as springy as two springs to handle the complex terrain under the snow.
The riding techniques for snowboarding in backcountry powder differ from those on regular groomed runs. Methods like rotating your body and using body movements to edge the board, common on machine-groomed slopes, often don’t work in deep powder. When you’re floating in deep powder and try to edge, you’ll find the board sinking deeper into the snow, leading to loss of balance. Most of the time, when snowboarding in deep powder, the technique involves subtle movements driven by the lower body. At the same time, the degree of body movement during edging and weight shifts is much less than on groomed runs. Try imagining your snowboard as a high-speed motorboat cutting through the sea—the turning motion of the boat is exactly the same as the feeling of snowboarding in deep powder. Whether the boat moves swiftly and smoothly through the water depends entirely on the skill of the driver. Of course, these aren’t absolute rules—you’ll need to adjust constantly based on slope angle and speed. This requires a deeper understanding of gravity, buoyancy, centrifugal force, turn radius, edge angle, and more. In short, when snowboarding in backcountry, aim for smooth and gentle movements, avoiding overly aggressive actions. Trying to twist the board in knee-deep powder is simply unrealistic.
Different terrains come with their own specific concerns, but some basic principles must always be followed. First and foremost is safety—never ride alone, know your limits, and ride within them. Never take off your snowboard, as losing it in deep powder could leave you walking down the mountain through waist-deep snow. Wear all necessary protective gear, including a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and at minimum a spine protector if you don’t have full upper-body armor. Carry a small backpack with essential items: basic tools for your bindings, emergency water and high-energy snacks, a first aid kit, and if possible, a snow shovel. While wearing an avalanche beacon (RECCO) is essential, most backcountry areas in China don’t face significant avalanche risks. Unfortunately, very few people in China are skilled in using detectors to locate teammates buried in avalanches.
When snowboarding in the woods, the single most important rule is: don’t hit trees. Globally, tree collisions are the leading cause of serious injury or death in skiing, far outweighing injuries from falls. Stay away from trees—even thin shrubs can cause unforgettable pain if you hit them at high speed.
To stop or avoid falling in such soft deep powder while maintaining your momentum takes some skill. My method, when the terrain allows, is to make a quick turn and then do a short traverse to pile up the snow beneath the board into a relatively thick and solid mound. This gives you something solid to stand on without sinking too deep. This technique takes practice—at first, you might sink right in, making it hard to get going again. If you’re snowboarding in less deep powder in wooded areas at some domestic resorts, another approach is to ride toward a tree and stop beside it. This is much easier—you can lean against the tree to stay upright and continue easily when ready. However, beginners should avoid this until they’ve mastered speed control and judging safe distances from trees.
Riding off-piste on high-altitude resorts during heavy snowfall is an absolutely exhilarating experience—you can freely soar through the snow. And as long as you stay within marked safe zones, these runs are quite safe.
There’s not much more to say about snowboarding in backcountry powder on high-altitude mountains. For one, the fundamental techniques are largely similar. Also, few people get the chance to go, and explaining it fully would require more than just a few thousand words—it involves a lot of systematic mountaineering knowledge, skills, and training.
Snowboarding in backcountry offers an incredible sensation of flying, but even experienced riders can make mistakes and end up face-first in the snow. Take it slow, progress step by step, and backcountry snowboarding will take you on a whole new and amazing journey.
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