sierra splitboard
program
LOCATION: Mammoth Lakes, CA // Eastern Sierra
COURSE OUTING LENGTH: 4 DAYS (Optional Single Day Split 101 or 3 Day Splitboard Level 1)
Golden State Guiding and our good friends over at Volcom, Weston Backcountry, and Ridge Merino are excited to announce that registration is officially open for our Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area!
With the support of Volcom, Weston Backcountry, and Ridge Merino, Golden State Guiding is rolling out our highly anticipated Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area for the snow season! The programming will be multifaceted and will cover a wide variety of topics including familiarizing yourself with your splitboard setup and how to properly transition from tour to ride mode, learning how to set an efficient skin track, kick turn techniques, hands on use of avalanche equipment and how to properly use it, trip planning software reviews, basic backcountry etiquette, and much more. The overall goal of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be to introduce snowboarders to a new medium in their activity, to familiarize them with the current equipment in the market, give them entry level tools to access the backcountry, and most importantly, lay a foundation for good practices in the future to make the best decisions possible when traveling in avalanche terrain.
Our Sierra Splitboard Program consists of Split 101 and a Splitboard Only AIARE Avalanche Course bundled to save you cost! Please note, you do not have to attend all courses but we do encourage it. Individual courses will be available to book if desired.
Dates Range from December through March - Look through our calendar & secure your spot!
-
INCLUDED IN BUNDLE SPECIAL
Split Social (attendance optional), Split 101, Splitboard Only AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course. Weston Backcountry demo splitboard with Pomoca skins, Spark R&D or Karakoram bindings, and split poles. All guests will be able to borrow avalanche equipment (beacon, shovel, probe) if needed. Discount codes from our partners will also be distributed. Read below for the outline of each individual course.
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar! -
COURSE INFO
The third and final installment of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be an AIARE Level 1, splitboard only avalanche course that we will facilitate in the Mammoth Lakes region. Understanding your splitboarding equipment and the functionality of it all is important, but the real skill set that must be developed for longevity in the backcountry is ones avalanche training. Being trained and capable to identify potential avalanche hazards in various types of terrain and possessing the tools to facilitate a rescue in the event of an avalanche are key skills every splitboarder should possess. You will receive an AIARE Level 1 certificate upon completion of your avalanche course.
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar! -
COURSE INFO
Guests of the program will have the opportunity to demo splitboards provided by Weston Backcountry and bindings provided by Karakoram and Spark R&D. The focus of the Split 101 day in the field will be to review your splitboarding equipment and ask any questions you may have about your gear, touch on tour planning for your days out in the backcountry, learn basic splitboard touring techniques from our professionally trained Splitboard Guide’s, and do a small tour in the front country to apply all the techniques and skills you’ve learned up until this point.
***Please note, only a splitboard demo setup (board and bindings), ski poles, climbing skins, and avalanche equipment (beacon, shovel, and probe) will be provided. Participants will be responsible for all other equipment including their snowboarding boots, helmet if desired (we encourage this), and a backpack.***
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar!
For public & private SPLIT 101 courses outside of the Sierra Splitboard Program dates, please visit our SPLITBOARD 101 page.
LOCATION: Mammoth Lakes, CA // Eastern Sierra
COURSE OUTING LENGTH: 4 DAYS (Optional Single Day Split 101 or 3 Day Splitboard Level 1)
Golden State Guiding and our good friends over at Volcom, Weston Backcountry, and Ridge Merino are excited to announce that registration is officially open for our 2026 Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area!
Our Sierra Splitboard Program consists of Split 101 and a Splitboard Only AIARE Avalanche Course bundled to save you cost!
-
With the support of Volcom, Weston Backcountry, and Ridge Merino, Golden State Guiding is rolling out our highly anticipated Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area for the snow season! The programming will be multifaceted and will cover a wide variety of topics including familiarizing yourself with your splitboard setup and how to properly transition from tour to ride mode, learning how to set an efficient skin track, kick turn techniques, hands on use of avalanche equipment and how to properly use it, trip planning software reviews, basic backcountry etiquette, and much more. The overall goal of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be to introduce snowboarders to a new medium in their activity, to familiarize them with the current equipment in the market, give them entry level tools to access the backcountry, and most importantly, lay a foundation for good practices in the future to make the best decisions possible when traveling in avalanche terrain.
Our Sierra Splitboard Program consists of Split 101 and a Splitboard Only AIARE Avalanche Course bundled to save you cost! Please note, you do not have to attend all courses but we do encourage it. Individual courses will be available to book if desired.
Dates Range from December through March - Look through our calendar & secure your spot!
-
INCLUDED IN BUNDLE SPECIAL
Split Social (attendance optional), Split 101, Splitboard Only AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course. Weston Backcountry demo splitboard with Pomoca skins, Spark R&D or Karakoram bindings, and split poles. All guests will be able to borrow avalanche equipment (beacon, shovel, probe) if needed. Discount codes from our partners will also be distributed. Read below for the outline of each individual course.
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar! -
COURSE INFO
The third and final installment of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be an AIARE Level 1, splitboard only avalanche course that we will facilitate in the Mammoth Lakes region. Understanding your splitboarding equipment and the functionality of it all is important, but the real skill set that must be developed for longevity in the backcountry is ones avalanche training. Being trained and capable to identify potential avalanche hazards in various types of terrain and possessing the tools to facilitate a rescue in the event of an avalanche are key skills every splitboarder should possess. You will receive an AIARE Level 1 certificate upon completion of your avalanche course.
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar! -
COURSE INFO
Guests of the program will have the opportunity to demo splitboards provided by Weston Backcountry and bindings provided by Karakoram and Spark R&D. The focus of the Split 101 day in the field will be to review your splitboarding equipment and ask any questions you may have about your gear, touch on tour planning for your days out in the backcountry, learn basic splitboard touring techniques from our professionally trained Splitboard Guide’s, and do a small tour in the front country to apply all the techniques and skills you’ve learned up until this point.
***Please note, only a splitboard demo setup (board and bindings), ski poles, climbing skins, and avalanche equipment (beacon, shovel, and probe) will be provided. Participants will be responsible for all other equipment including their snowboarding boots, helmet if desired (we encourage this), and a backpack.***
***Guests who sign up also receive discount codes from our partners for online purchases. Secure your spot on the calendar!
GOLDEN STATE GUIDING IS PROUD TO BE A 1% FOR THE PLANET MEMBER & PARTNER WITH OUR GOOD FRIENDS VOLCOM, WESTON BACKCOUNTRY, & RIDGE MERINO FOR OUR SIERRA SPLITBOARD PROGRAMMING
OUR GOAL
First and foremost, our goal for the Sierra Splitboard Program is to educate and support splitboarders and build a sense of community, second is to have an awesome time while doing it! More and more people are heading into the backcountry on splitboards and we feel it’s our responsibility to share our resources and pass along our knowledge to the community. Upon completion of our Sierra Splitboard Program, you will have a basic understanding of splitboard equipment, understand snow angles and how to put in your own skin track, and possess the entry level skills necessary to start trip planning on your own for future adventures into the backcountry. Please note, these courses are only the beginning of your training and in no way do we feel it’s appropriate for any participant to travel into the backcountry immediately following our Sierra Splitboard Program. Refine your skills and build your toolbox, practice what you’ve been taught in terrain that has far less objective hazards, and familiarize yourself with your equipment and parters habits before heading into avalanche terrain.
OUR PARTNERS
Huge thanks to our partner Weston Backcountry for supporting our industry and for establishing a program for guides and services. Big shout out to Volcom for providing our guide team with the best outerwear in the market. Thanks to Ridge Merino for continuing to support our cause, keep our guides warm, and for being a staple in the Mammoth Lakes community. Thanks to AIARE for delivering great curriculum year after year. Also, big thanks to Karakoram and Spark R&D for supplying some of the best bindings in the market for our guests to enjoy! And thanks to Mammoth Mountaineering for your continued support in the Mammoth Lakes and for providing our guests with some of the best apparel and rentals in the market!
