Of course if you're stepping out into the backcountry you'll have everything you need to perform an avalanche rescue (partner, transceiver, shovel probe, information). Because if you don't, you're a complete idiot.


Most peoples' first taste of the backcountry comes from ducking the rope at their home ski hill. This is a great way to escape the mogul-infested resort. You'll likely experience some of the best shredding of your life in the magical zone known as the "slackcountry".
Bootpacking
As far as travel's concerned, the slackcountry can usually be enjoyed by following the traverses and pre-established bootpacks surrounding the resort. As long as a few hearty souls have put in the trail before you, you can follow the stairmasters in and out of the goods. If you're breaking trail, take turns within your group at the front of the pack. Sometimes you won,t even have to hike and a properly executed traverse will deposit you atop fields of fresh.
Cons:
If you get off route and you find yourself wallowing in a nipple deep, early season snowpack, you can get seriously fucked. Progress can be near impossible and painfully slow. Skiers can always stay on top of the snow and move along steadily, even if they have to sidestep uphill. Snowboarders don't have the same luxury. This same disadvantage can really screw you if you're at the bottom of a run and you have to respond to an emergency above you.






Okay, everything's tracked in the immediate slackcountry. You want to venture into zones untrammeled by other shredders. Maybe there's a drainage accessed from the ski hill that no one's gotten to yet or perhaps you want to take a crack at a road-accessed mountain pass. Bootpacking will earn you nothing but frustration in such an area, if you can even get there.
Snowshoes
I'm going to come right out and say it. Most of the time these awkward little contraptions suck ass. But in the right situation, they can be the weapon of choice. If you're doing short little hikes with multiple changeovers, they can be alright. And if it hasn't snowed in while and the snowpack is somewhat consolidated, they're pretty badass. When you're with a group of skiers, you can follow their skin trail. Watch out though, backcountry etiquette dictates that the snowshoe-impaired should make their own trail. Use your judgment on this one. When buying, renting or borrowing snowshoes, make sure they have sharp, pointy teeth. I've gotten to some good runs with the MSR ones.
Cons:
In the early season, when the snowpack's unconsolidated, snowshoes are only slightly better than bootpacking. Some of the smaller pairs aren't too bad but you end up being forced to ride with them on your back on the way down.
The little bastards don't glide. So it's difficult to lock into a steady rhythm, especially on long valley approaches.






Sometimes, it takes a couple days of toiling with the above options before you're ready to throw down on the Cadillac of snowboard accessed backcountry. If you're looking to get to some remote areas and you know that you'll be spending a lot more time going up than you will be going down, you need a splitboard.
The Splitboard
Aside from the changeover, a splitboard eliminates any disadvantage that a snowboarder might encounter in the backcountry. Skiing might not be your first choice on the way down, but it's oh so natural on the way up. It feels so good, you won't even notice the six hour climb. The set-up's comfortable and you can make steady progress in virtually any snow condition. At the end of the day, much to everyone's amusement, you can turn your board into skis and beeline out of the notoriously long drainages of Roger's Pass.
Once you start using your splitboard on a regular basis, you'll find yourself feasting on the kind of riding that people pay $1000 a day for.
Cons:
You only really notice in crappy conditions, but snowboards lose out on the performance side of things after they've been cut in half. The changeovers can cause a bit of grief, especially if you're dealing with wet snow that jams up your moving bits.






Approach Skis
This mode of travel didn't even occur to me until I thought I was finished this article. People have been known to lug around a short pair of skis, straps skins on them and fasten the little deathsticks to their packs on the way down. For obvious reasons, this option isn't all that popular.

Poles
Whether you're snowshoeing or splitboarding, you'll want a pair of these. The collapsible ones aren't too bad but their tendency to screw you over in a variety of different ways can add costly minutes to your changeover. A regular set can be cumbersome on your backpack, but they're reliable. You can just make like ACMG-certified guide Scott Newsome and shred with them in your hands. Admittedly, none of these options are all that great.






These are all just suggestions. You really need to get out there on your own and figure out what works for you. As long as you're laying tracks in virgin pow, it doesn't matter how you got there.
I'll be posting an article in the next little while on specific splitboard selection. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to e-mail me at mikeynix@uvic.ca.
Happy Shredding