How To Climb Up & Down

Sometimes a hill is too steep to skate up efficiently and unstrapping your front foot to walk up is just a drag. In times like these, it's best turn you board so it’s across the fall line and use your toe edge to climb up or down. This tutorial will show you exactly how to do that so you can get around easier on the hill.

If you're looking to dial down all the snowboard fundamentals, make sure to check out our Learn To Ride series.

(Narrating: Duncan Mainland. Riding: Mike Barton. Film/Edit: Vince Emond. Filmed At: Whistler Blackcomb)

Fall Line

The fall line is the most direct route down a slope, imagine your rolled a ball down the mountain, it’s the route a ball would take.

The blue line indicates the fall line and if you look closely, you can see the ball rolling down beside it.

This is important to remember when trying to climb up or down because if your board isn’t at 90º to the fall line, you’ll notice it wants to slide to one side or the other.

Climbing Up

Lift up your board and pivot it until it’s at 90º and it’s not trying to get away from you. Now take a big step forward with your back foot, then step with your snowboard. Remember to dig your toe edge into the snow across the fall line.

Mikey B locking in that toe edge to climb up.

Your board feels a little heavy when you’re learning to ride, so make sure you lift it nice and high so the tail doesn't drag in the snow.

Keep repeating these steps until you’re at the top, or as high as you’re willing to go.

Climbing Down

You can use a similar technique to go down small hills you’ve deemed too steep to slide down with just one foot in. Pivot so you’re facing down the hill with your heel edge dug into the snow across the fall line.

This is also a great technique if you encounter some variable or steep terrain.

Start by stepping your board down the hill digging the heel edge in across fall line. Follow by bringing your free foot down just behind your snowboard. Now keep repeating this until you’re at the bottom or a spot you're comfortable riding down from.

If you loved that tutorial make sure you check out the next one in this Learn To Ride series, How To Traverse.

Alex McCann
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding!