These days, the majority of newcomers to the sport of snowmobiling come from other winter sports, such as skiing or snowboarding. It is their zest for adventure that finally peels them off the chairlifts and into the breathtaking backcountry.
I personally started sledding just to roop around, but after a year, and 5,000 kilometres of epic pow days, I was finally good enough to start thinking about bringing my skis with me and getting into good ski terrain.
Sled-skiing or sled-snowboarding involves pairs of riders who ride tandem up to the top of good skiing or snowboarding terrain and drop their partners off. The two riders then return to the bottom while the two skiers or snowboarders slay the epic pow before meeting up with the sleds at the bottom. The group alternates between riding and skiing until everyone has had their fill of fun!
It’s harder than it looks
Sled-skiing or sled-snowboarding sounds easy, but it can be hard work getting to the top of the hill—especially in the deep powder and with two people on a sled. The secret is to spend time in the morning building a good up-track. This is ideally done with all four riders going downhill in the same track and using the terrain to your advantage; too steep will mean a lot of stucks on the way up.
Once the up-track has been created, it’s time to tandem. The most efficient way is putting one rider in front while the driver stands behind. This keeps the weight forward and allows the rider to ride the sled normally, making sidehilling and other manoeuvres easier.
Unfortunately, most dudes do not want to ride this way and so the most popular way is to side-by-side tandem. The person on the right controls the throttle and the person on the left controls the brake and both use their other hand to hang onto the mountain strap, shifting their weight to match the terrain. If the two riders are different in ability and weight, then it can make for a much more difficult time tandem riding, but practice makes perfect.
Accessories for sled-skiing
One of the ways to make sled-skiing or sled-snowboarding super efficient is to have a proper ski or snowboard rack. Cheetah Factory Racing (CFR) has been making ski and snowboard racks for sleds for 13 years and they lead the industry.
The company’s CFR Double D Rack bolts to the tunnel of the sled, and either ski or snowboard attachments—which can be taken off or put on in seconds—are added to the side to carry two pairs of skis or two snowboards. The middle of the rack can accommodate a 10-litre jerry can or CFR’s own patented waterproof Dime Bag, which can carry a ton of sledding and skiing essentials.
Most new sled tunnels are not designed to carry much weight, and a fully loaded rack flying through whoops can easily bend your tunnel. I mount my Double D Rack towards the back of the tunnel to allow for more room between the ski tips and the foot wells of the sled. However, I mount aluminum rails underneath my tunnel, which takes up the load easily and prevents any damage from occurring. Slowing down through the deep whoops is key, though.
I prefer to sled when there is super deep powder. A few days later, when the areas are tracked out, is the perfect time to load up the skis and hit the sweet ski spots. This also makes it easier to get around since you can use previous sled tracks to build an efficient up-track. It is all about using the terrain and having a blast with your buddies. Enjoy!
For more information on how to sled-ski, check out Dave Norona's video on YouTube.
