Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard Test on Togwotee Pass | Photo Mike Hardaker Mountain Weekly News
Why aren’t all splitboards made with this sort of shape? The Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard is the sort of board any resort rider can jump on and instantly fall in love with splitboarding. It’s really that simple when you jump on a splitboard like the Jones Mountain Twin.
Jones Mountain Twin Shape
Weird shapes in the backcountry can be fun yet at the same time are very condition dependent. Take that fat powder board split out on a cold morning with frozen snow and you might not be so stoked. Same can be said for attempting to maneuver a big surf inspired splitboard through tight trees, do remember you’re not Laird Hamilton shooting the Malibu Pier on a SUP…
A true twin or directional board with a similar tip and tail profile will be easier to ride. If the snow’s going to be super deep, simply put your bindings in the backseat. Unlike some splitboards the Jones Mountain Twin does not come built on a setback stance according to the specs below.
While the Jones Mountain Twin is not classified as a true twin splitboard it surely looks like one.
Sizing
This leads me to believe this is actually a “true twin tip snowboard”. Perhaps Jones is marketing it as a Directional All Mountain Board to generate more interest within the splitboard community… Splitboarders tend to laugh at boards like this? They must have drank the punch thinking splitboarding should be different than snowboarding.
One thing to keep in mind with splitboarding is everyone is not Jeremy Jones, most of us don’t use ice axes or crampons for that matter. It’s easy to think of splitboarding as big mountain riding when most of the time it’s not. So to ride a board that is unlike what you would normally feel comfortable on at a ski resort is simply a recipe for disaster.
One thing that has turned people off from splitboarding is how the board looks when the two skis are connected. Early splits, especially the hand-cut ones would have a noticeable gap between the board. New manufacturing has taken a lot of that space away. Jones has teamed up with Karakoram by utilizing their Karakoram Clips which really help bring the board together, locking everything into place securely.
Splitboarding should be easy, effortless and efficient both on the way up and on the way down.
Touring
Camber underfoot is key when it comes to applying pressure on the skin track. Jeremy Jones and the crew at Jones Snowboards have figured this out, they are splitboarders after all. When it comes to going uphill the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard can hold it’s own against any other board out there. You won’t have to worry about sliding out backwards as the camber keeps you in place. Especially when paired with with the Jones / POMOCA skin combos that are available for all Jones splitboards. It’s a pretty darn foolproof system.
Jones even took things a step farther by adding notches in the tip and tail of their splitboards which help keep your splitboard skins in place while touring. Another great innovation from actual splitboarders.
The Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard is available in 3 sizes 157, 160 and 161. I actually ended up on the 157 which normally would not be my pick sizewise as I’m normally in the 161-163 splitboard range. However, this board still kept me afloat, was easy on the skin track and super fun when it came to making the backcountry a giant video game.
Jones Snowboards Mountain Twin Splitboard Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Effortless and efficient splitboarding experience
- True twin tip snowboard for easier riding
- Reasonably priced compared to other splitboards
Cons:
- Not built on a setback stance
- Laughed at by some splitboarders
- May not be comfortable for all terrains
Overall Impression
Although there are more popular splitboards available from Jones Snowboards and other brands in the industry. The Mountain Twin Splitboard continues to fly under the radar. This is the sort of splitboard that when paired with the Karakoram Prime Connect or Union Expedition Bindings could easy be ridden inbounds without sacrificing performance.
Splitboarding takes some time to figure out the kinks, especially if you’re board is sized considerably different from what you would ride at the resort. Would you feel comfortable riding your favorite tight tree / technical chute line on a snowboard that was sized up 4-5cm or more? With the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard you can ride with confidence in a variety of snow conditions. Best of all you can send pillows and jumps for days on this board while appreciating a more freestyle friendly approach to splitboard designs.
Last but not least, the Jones Mountain Twin Split ($849.95) made our list of best splitboards of the year with a retail price about $200-$300 under the other splitboards on the list. Throw that extra cash towards some new bindings and get stoked with the Jones Mountain Twin Splitboard.
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Related Splitboards We Tested
Hey Mike,
thanks for the awesome website articles and Youtube videos, loving the content and learning heaps! I finally took the leap and just got myself a 160 Mountain Twin on sales here in Australia, and am looking to get some bindings. I’m looking at the Spark Surges or the Nitro Verticals. Saw your Youtube video on bindings and seems you rate the Verticals pretty highly despite trashing a pair haha. Any advice on which to get?
Cheers,
Rich.
Rich,
Great question. The Nitros will offer more play and flexibility where as the Spark Surge Binding is on the stiffer side, infact it’s one of the stiffest split bindings on the market.
That Jones is going to be sick with either binding.
Hey Matt,
I have really found your articles helpful as I get into splitboarding.
I ride a Rossignol Magtech 156 and am 158 lbs in the shower. I’m thinking the Mountain Twin might be the board for me. I just moved to the Frontrange in Colorado and that’s where I’ll ride, I’m not particularly aggressive, I’m a strong intermediate, but I ride any conditions! I want a board that is strong in touring, I don’t want to hold my ski pals up so fast to transition (maybe karakoram bindings) and solid in the downhill. This board sounds like it does all that. Anything I’m missing? Any other boards I should consider?
Thanks
David
David,
Thanks for reaching out. Its a solid board all around. I would size up 2-5cm from your current board. Toss in the POMOCA Skins and you have a solid board for the up and down.
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for your reply. Out of curiosity, how would this setup work on a multi day 10th Mountain Hut Trail trip, say with the Spark Arc bindings and POMOCO skins? Or, is this more of a straight up, straight down, day use setup? Just curious, that’s a bucket list trip for me!
David
David,
Sounds like a perfect board for the 10th Mountain Huts. I stayed in one near Vail Pass before, very cool area.
Mike
Hi Mike, What type of skins do you recommend for this board?
Doug,
For what year Jones Mountain Twin? The new ones come with skins that have the quick connect system. They are Pomoca and are super reliable.
Mike
Awesome, thanks Mike! I wasn’t sure because in this article you said you rode the 157, which is typically smaller than what you ride so wasn’t sure if the board rode bigger. Definitely gonna check out the Sparks.
Hi Mike,
Big fan of what you do here. I am 6’2″, ~200 lbs. Do you think the 160 Mountain Twin Split is enough board for me? It sounds like it rides bigger.
Thanks!
Hey Trent,
Thanks for reaching out. What size board are you riding inbounds? The 160 may be a bit small. There is also the 161 Wide which would work better.
I typically ride a 161W Lib Tech Attack Banana. Also any suggestions for interface system and bindings with this board. Will definitely get the fitting Nomad skins with it.
I have a 161W Lib Tech Attack Banana that I typically ride. Also, any suggestions on interface system and bindings for this board? I plan on getting the fitting Nomad skins already.
Cheers!
Normally we would size up 1-3 cm for the splitboards. Although you can surely ride splitboards that are the size of your resort boards. Spark’s seemed to work best with this board. You can check out the Surge Binding which are built to be a little stiffer and stronger. For something Lighter the Arc’s are great.
Awesome, Thanks! I was just wondering because in the article you mentioned riding a 157 when you typically ride bigger so wasn’t sure if this was because the board rode a lot bigger or what.
Cheers!
Hey Trent,
Good point you’re making. They had a limited size run to send me so I ended up on the smaller size which actually performed better than I would have expected. I was under the impression the shorter length would not tour well or ride Powder as well as a bigger board. Everything seemed to work well here, that being said the next size up would have been even better… Let me know what you end up with, this is a great time of the year to buy a board or two…
Hey Mike,
The vendor I was looking at the Mountain Twin split only had a 160 so instead I went with the Jones Explorer Split 164W. Figured with the weight of my pack I’d want something this big. Still a playful board, but will hopefully get a true twin split in the future. Thanks for the help!
Cheers!
So judging from the header photo, even with the Karakoram clips the two planks slide lengthwise, tending to loosen the tip and tail hooks, and resulting in clatter and perhaps poorer torsional stability. Should I stick to my Voile clips and hooks 🙂 ?
Matti,
I guess the clips are adjustable. Some people love Voile, while others are on the Spark train and others find Karaoram to work best. I have been considering tinkering with something myself or asking the fabrication shop in town what they recommend. I do notice with the K clips you can pull the board apart and put it back together when the clips are locked down?
So, is it a true twin or directional twin? If the stance is the same on the nose and tail (not set back). is the tail stiffer than the nose? the camber profile is CAMROCK,” A unique rocker/camber flex pattern defined by evenly balanced tip and tail rocker and camber between the bindings. CAMROCK improves freestyle finesse by keeping your tips playful while maintaining the power and pop of camber underfoot”. just curious because I am in the market for a true twin split.
It’s a directional twin, -20mm setback.
Feels almost like a true twin.