We will add generic FAQs in here not specific to courses but just helpful questions. Liek do you include flights in courses, do you do airport transfers, how do I pay etc.
Course specific questions will be added to trips & courses pages then link through to this page for more information.
You can stay as long as you want in a hut (if they have availability), but sleeping for up to 4 nights at altitude is enough for most people. On our hut trips, we stay for between 2 and 3 nights in the same place. On a hut-to-hut tour, such as the Haute Route, around 5 hut nights are common.
For cancellations made up to 6 weeks before the course start date, 25% of the ‘deposit’ amount paid will be refunded. For cancellations occurring within 6 weeks of the course start date no refund payments will be made. If cancelling a course within 6 weeks of the course start date, payments made cannot be refunded, carried forward or moved to another course.
The Rider Social is not liable for refunds or compensation due to late arrival, failure to attend or complete a course due to injury or illness, travel restrictions, resort closure, adverse weather conditions, force majeure or any other causes or conditions outside the control of The Rider Social
You can splitboard from December through to late May in the Alps, depending on snow conditions.
If you are looking for shorter tours to access cold powder, then January and early February are your best bet.
If you want to spend longer days in the skintrack, get to higher altitudes and use the hut network, then mid-March to late April is the best time to visit
Yes, splitboarders can take a ski tour route, and skiers can take a splitboard route. However, many routes that skiers take might not be suitable for splitboarding. This is down to the limitations of the splitboard equipment; touring skis are much narrower, have better grip, and all skiers will be wearing hard boots, which helps on steeper terrain. Splitboarders can have a hard time following these steeper tracks, which is why the route choice for the ascent on a splitboard, avoiding situations where you might have to take off the board on the mountain, can be critical.
Many ski schools across the Alps offer splitboard guiding. However, only a few provide a detailed introduction that teaches the finer skills needed for variable conditions. The Rider Social has run splitboard introduction courses in France since 2012. Our priority is to teach safe and effective touring techniques in all snow types.
To get started you need a splitboard, skins, poles and ideally splitboard specific bindings. You should always take splitboard crampons unless you know the entire ascent will be in soft snow. Normal snowboard boots work well for beginners. You must carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, and you must know how to use them. A good splitboard course will supply both the equipment and the training.
Splitboarding is not difficult to begin with. Once you learn the basic movements you can start walking. The challenge lies in learning how to travel safely in changing snow conditions and how to perform secure kick turns on steeper slopes. Your fitness level also plays a role and will influence how easy or demanding the ascent feels.