trip report
A Chess Match on the Glaciers
February 22, 2024
Splitboarding in New Zealand with Nathaniel Murphy and Beau Fredlund
Story and photos by Beau Fredlund
When the pandemic wrapped its way around the world in March of 2020, many of us recalibrated what we found important in life. Family, friends, good health and the great outdoors were obviously at the top of the list for many people, but the pandemic also made it clear how much I value the opportunity to travel.
Traveling internationally once a year is something I’ve always found to be inspiring and worthwhile. Through travel you are able to gain knowledge about the bigger picture. Traveling allows you to learn about new cultures and environments, reconnect with old friends, and have experiences that help reset your thought process.
When pandemic travel restrictions eased off in the summer of 2022 I was excited to revisit the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The Southern Alps are the land of the long white cloud, where young, glaciated mountains rise over 3000 meters right out of the Tasman Sea.
These mountains have become a home away from home for me as I love the aesthetics of their rugged terrain. I invited my good friend and Jones Ambassador Nathaniel Murphy to join me on the trip with the pitch that we would search out some epic adventures on the high glaciers and have a look at some exciting new routes.
If you study a map of the world it's easy to see how remote and isolated the islands of New Zealand are. The massive expanses of ocean that surround the islands on all sides create powerful storms that often come with gale force winds and heavy precipitation. The wind, snow and rime create challenging mountain climbing, beautiful glaciation, and a very wild place to snowboard.
Throughout the trip we faced highs, lows, starlight and storm, but the bottom line is that Murph and I both made it home safe and sound. The conditions in the Southern Alps that winter were challenging to say the least, forcing us to make very calculated movements on the peaks and glaciers.
The magic line we had come for, which is an incredibly elegant glaciated ridge/ spine perched in a spectacular location, was unfortunately not in condition. We put in some serious efforts to ride this dragon of a line, but from our careful assessments, it simply wasn’t the year.
It sure was a rich experience making the most of our opportunity to check it out however. From most angles the line looks ridiculous for snowboarding, but from the right vantage point, it’s like a symphony, serenading you to draw a set of wildly exposed turns…
Sometimes it’s well worth it even just to have a look at the line and imagine riding it. To be right there in that remote and spectacularly wild, glacial amphitheater, that mountain energy and inspiration sticks with you
