First Split Board Experience (Now I'm Hooked) Revelstoke Backcountry w Jones Hovercraft

One of the great things about coming back from an injury, is getting to experience new things that I wanted to do before getting injured. Feels like I have beaten my injury (it's a battle of course). I love the concept of split boarding but have found the risks associated with it a little daunting. In this respect we are playing it pretty safe: there has been no new snow in the last couple weeks and the alpine temperature has been quite consistent at pretty darn cold. The ski patrol said that slides in the area have been very uncommon, with a few small sluff's set off, but no avalanches. So, as a group, we decide to head over the back of Mount MacKenzie in Revelstoke, BC and see what we can find. At the top of the gondola there is a Back-country Rescue practice area. It's great they have an area like to better simulate avalanche rescue techniques and working together with you team. I probably have a little bit of an advantage over some people in that I recently got my CADS level 1 qualification (Canadian Association of Disabled Instructors) for working with the Whistler Adaptive Ski Program, and the practice on skis made my transition to split boarding a lot easier. For both Yannick and Nirav this was their first ever time on skis and it didn't always got so smoothly. We skin up to the top of ridge line and put our snowboards back together. Although the run is not very difficult the amount of exposure is high and consequences of falling over to the left are not worth dwelling on for too long. This works it way down into a few bowl and as we head down there is evidence of some old avalanche debris along the way. The tracks lead down to flat section, where we take our boards off and start hiking out, signs to our left read: Do not go down further, people have died here; is one of those stark reminders to keep you in check. The hike out is relaxed and easy, about 20 minutes slowly uphill on an access trail and we get brought into a cat track on the edge of the Ski Boundary Area and brought back into the resort. The sun is close to setting and the ride down the empty groomers at the end of the day is surprisingly one of the best parts of the day. The Jones Hovercraft was a really fun snowboard to try out and I have to try it again when we actually have some fresh snow. Main thing here was everyone getting out safely and able to enjoy some delicious Indian cuisine at Paramjit in Revelstoke town after. It was so much fun being out there with all the guys: Kevin, TJ, Andreas, Yannick and Nirav. I think it was probably a perfect day to dip my toe: avi risk was low, weather was fantastic and the views just beyond ridiculous. If you ever venture into the back-country make sure you have transceiver, shovel, probe as a bare minimum and know how to use them. Work with your buddies so you can practice together and always strive to be able to come home safely and ride another day. #splitboard #backcoutnrysnowboard #revelstoke