Splitboard guides in Europe: guides, courses and camps
A good splitboard guide understands more than avalanche conditions and where to find the best descent. Long flats, counter climbs, firm traverses and tight kick turns affect a splitboard group differently from a ski-touring party. That is the focus of this directory: European mountain guides, snowboard guides and schools that explicitly offer splitboarding rather than merely including “snowboard” in a long list of activities.
Research updated on 20 October 2026. We verify the published offer and qualifications, but we do not rate the quality of an individual guiding day. Dates, prices, languages and the guide assigned to you may change. Confirm these details directly before booking.
Which splitboard guides and courses can you find in Europe?
| Country | Provider | Area | Published profile | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | SNOWBORN – Markus Moser | Austrian Alps, private objectives by arrangement | state-certified Tyrolean ski and snowboard guide, snowboard instructor and instructor trainer | private splitboard guiding, technique, freeride and alpine education |
| Germany | Freeride Guide | Bavarian Alps, Karwendel, Rofan | state-certified mountain guides or VDBS freeride guides | day tours, beginners, rental equipment |
| Germany / Alps | Splitboards Europe | mainly Austria and Switzerland | mountain and ski-touring guide team, large demo fleet | camps, equipment comparisons, beginner to advanced |
| Austria | MT Experts | Saalbach, Kitzsteinhorn, Fieberbrunn, Gastein, Hohe Tauern | state-certified mountain and snowboard guides | private tours, technique, freeride |
| Austria | Klaus Gruber | Lungau and Obertauern | mountain and ski guide | custom day tours |
| Austria / Norway | Backyard Austria | Zillertal and northern Norway | Jürgen Haider, state-certified snowboard guide | snowboard-specific guiding, boat trips |
| Switzerland | Dani Perret | Engelberg, Jungfrau region | UIAGM mountain guide | basic, big mountain, glacier and couloir camps |
| Switzerland | Engelberg Mountain Guide | Engelberg valley | trained mountain guides and aspirants | day course, private course, rentals |
| Switzerland | Independent Snowboarding | Verbier 4 Vallées | ISTA snowboard instructor; mountain guide on selected formats | riding technique, introduction, camps |
| France | Jean-Pat Comba | Southern Alps, Hautes-Alpes | high-mountain guide and splitboard pioneer | private days and courses |
| France | Chamonix Experience | Chamonix, Vallée Blanche, Courmayeur | UIAGM guides with snowboard/splitboard focus | private days and steeper alpine objectives |
| Spain | All Radical | Pyrenees | qualified high-mountain guides; UIAGM experts stated by provider | one- or four-day Level 1 course |
| Spain | Guías de Tena | Pyrenees | mountain-guide team with splitboard curriculum | training through to glaciers and steep terrain |
Why is SNOWBORN listed first among the European splitboard guides?
SNOWBORN is Markus Moser’s guiding and coaching practice. He leads private splitboard days in the Austrian Alps and combines ascent skills, line choice, freeride coaching and alpine decision-making. The offer ranges from skins, transitions and kick turns through private tours to glacier and expedition objectives and dedicated safety days.
Moser states that he is a state-certified Tyrolean ski and snowboard guide, snowboard instructor and instructor trainer with the Tyrolean Ski Instructors Association. SNOWBORN lists twelve years of guiding and twenty years of teaching experience. Its defining strength for riders is that splitboard guiding and snowboard coaching form the core of the service rather than being an adaptation of a general ski-touring product.
We know Markus personally and can warmly recommend him from our own experience. His many years of splitboard practice, his ability to work with different riding levels and his responsible approach to alpine decisions make him one of our preferred contacts for private tours and coaching.
Direct offer: SNOWBORN – splitboard guiding with Markus Moser
Which providers are useful for starting in Germany?
Freeride Guide: day tours with rental options
Freeride Guide runs day tours from Lenggries into the Bavarian Alps, Karwendel or Rofan. The company states that tours are led by state-certified mountain guides or VDBS-certified freeride guides. An avalanche kit is included and a complete splitboard setup can be added. You need controlled riding in varied snow and fitness for three to four hours of ascent; previous touring experience is not required.
Direct offer: Splitboard day tours with Freeride Guide
Splitboards Europe: camps, demo fleet and touring
Splitboards Europe runs beginner and advanced camps as well as the CTM testival. Its main advantage is a large independent demo fleet, allowing you to compare shapes, sizes and binding systems before touring on your preferred setup. The company describes a team of mountain and ski-touring guides. This is a useful format when choosing equipment is as important as the guided day itself.
Direct offer: Splitboard camps at Splitboards Europe
Who offers dedicated splitboard guiding in Austria?
MT Experts: a local team for several Austrian regions
MT Experts explicitly lists state-certified mountain and snowboard guides. Its areas include Saalbach, Kitzsteinhorn, Fieberbrunn, Gastein, the Hohe Tauern and Pitztal. Programmes range from a first ascent to more demanding backcountry days and combine route choice, splitboard handling, riding technique and risk management. Ask who will guide your group and whether that person guides on a splitboard.
Direct offer: Splitboard guiding with MT Experts
Klaus Gruber: private tours around Lungau and Obertauern
Mountain and ski guide Klaus Gruber offers splitboard tours with roughly 400 to 1,000 vertical metres, adapted to the group and conditions. Guests should be able to ride controlled turns off piste in varied snow. Equipment rental is organised separately; his page points to an option in Obertauern.
Direct offer: Splitboard tours with Klaus Gruber
Backyard Austria: guided by a snowboard specialist
Jürgen Haider states that he has been a state-certified snowboard guide since 2012. He guides freeride and splitboard days in Zillertal and also organises small boat-based splitboard weeks in northern Norway. This is particularly relevant for riders who want line choice, pacing, flat sections and group management considered from a snowboarder’s perspective.
Direct offer: Backyard Austria splitboard guiding
Which splitboard specialists operate in Switzerland?
Dani Perret: from basic skills to glacier travel
UIAGM guide Dani Perret publishes a clearly graded programme: a basic camp, big-mountain camp, a glacier camp in the Jungfrau region and a couloir format. The requirements distinguish downhill technique, ascent skills and alpine experience, making it easier to select an appropriate course.
Direct offer: Splitboard camps with Dani Perret
Engelberg Mountain Guide: a focused touring and riding course
The Engelberg day course covers planning, avalanche reports, equipment, ascent technique, kick turns, crampons and off-piste riding. Its practice tour gains around 400 to 800 vertical metres. Private instruction and rental gear are available; the provider states that trained, experienced mountain guides or aspirants lead its tours.
Direct offer: Splitboard touring and riding course at Engelberg Mountain Guide
Independent Snowboarding: a snowboard-only school in Verbier
Independent ranges from a first splitboard day with transitions and skinning to two-day camps. Depending on the format, an ISTA-certified snowboard instructor or a mountain guide from Les Guides de Verbier is involved. Confirm the exact staffing before booking, particularly for glaciated or more technical objectives.
Direct offer: Splitboard lessons and camps at Independent
Where can you book splitboard guides in France?
Jean-Pat Comba: long-term specialisation in the Hautes-Alpes
Jean-Pat Comba describes himself as an early snowboarder and a pioneer of professional splitboard guiding. Based in Embrun, the high-mountain guide offers outings and courses in the Southern Alps. His public profile is one of the clearest options for riders wanting a mountain guide whose work centres on splitboarding.
Direct offer: Jean-Pat Comba’s splitboard programme
Chamonix Experience: private alpine objectives
Chamonix Experience offers private snowboard and splitboard days with fully qualified UIAGM mountain guides who are passionate about both disciplines. Possible areas include Grands Montets, Vallée Blanche, Courmayeur and the Toula Glacier. The flexible format can focus on learning or larger alpine descents, and English is explicitly offered.
Direct offer: Private splitboard guiding with Chamonix Experience
Which splitboard courses run in the Spanish Pyrenees?
All Radical: a structured introduction with a high-mountain guide
The Level 1 course covers ascent technique, transitions, off-piste descents and safety fundamentals. It is offered as a single day or a four-day programme from December to June, conditions permitting, with rental options. The provider states that qualified high-mountain guides and UIAGM experts are used; confirm the guide assigned to your date.
Direct offer: Level 1 splitboard course at All Radical
Guías de Tena: a broad alpine curriculum
Guías de Tena offers splitboard and ski-touring instruction from introductory technique and avalanche education to traverses, glaciers and steep slopes. Subjects include equipment, snow assessment, route choice, descent tactics and, on alpine courses, rope work. It is suited to riders who want to become more independent rather than simply follow a guide for one day.
Direct offer: Splitboard courses at Guías de Tena
What about Norway, Scotland and other European regions?
Northern Norway has many ski-touring agencies with IFMGA guides, but not all publicly confirm that the assigned guide is experienced with a splitboard group. Backyard Austria’s boat trips are one documented snowboard-specific option. The Arctic Splitboard Festival in Finnmark also works with professional local guides, although it is a festival package rather than an on-demand guide directory.
In Scotland, Snowsport Scotland lists several backcountry educators and explicitly covers splitboarding. Individual programmes change and some are primarily ski-oriented. Before booking, ask whether splitboards are accepted, whether the instructor has personal splitboard experience and whether the planned route includes long flats.
We will add more countries once a current service and its splitboard expertise can be verified from a reliable primary source. You are welcome to send us details of active providers.
How can you choose the right splitboard guide?
Qualifications differ between countries. IVBV, UIAGM and IFMGA are the German, French and English abbreviations for the same international mountain-guide standard. The IFMGA recommends checking the badge or membership card. A state-certified snowboard guide may bring particularly strong riding and splitboard group-management experience. Match the qualification to the terrain and confirm who will actually lead your day.
Ask before booking:
- Will the assigned guide travel on a splitboard or skis?
- Is the product a skills course, a guided tour or riding instruction?
- How much ascent, steep terrain, glacier travel and counter climbing is expected?
- Are splitboard, skins, crampons and avalanche equipment available or included?
- What off-piste riding level and fitness are required?
- In which languages can the guide explain safety decisions clearly?
- What is the group size, and are groups separated by splitboard experience?
When do you need a mountain guide rather than an instructor?
A qualified splitboard or snowboard instructor can be a good fit for transitions, skinning and kick turns in appropriate terrain. Once the objective involves glaciers, rope work, steep couloirs or complex high-alpine terrain, specifically ask for a suitably qualified mountain guide. A guide manages the decisions for that day; a good course also helps you plan more competently in the future.
Is equipment included with a guided splitboard tour?
It varies widely. Freeride Guide, Engelberg Mountain Guide, Independent and All Radical mention rental options or packages. Private mountain-guide fees often cover guiding only. Check board length, bindings, skins, crampons, poles and avalanche kit separately. You will almost always bring your own boots.