How many poles?

[Jurassien]

..........does it take to change a lightbulb?.......(runs for cover).

Here's one pair I don't use very often, but works well in spring and summer crust:

On a less flippant note, I still have one of those Ramer poles - the other one is broken. They saved my neck once in 1986 when descending from the summit of the Strahlhorn (4190m) on very hard Spring snow. I took a tumble and both bindings (also Ramer) released and I was left dangling, held by the poles alone, directly above a very large open crevasse. Fortunately, I was able to get back in the bindings, while hanging on precariously to one pole. I liked the idea so much that I purchased the modern equivalent from Grivel. They have retractable steel picks and are correspondingly heavy. I would only take them in April or May - quite reassuring on a dodgy descent.

For nordic touring I use the Black Diamond telescopic poles and am very pleased with them. They will extend to my shoulder height (155cm), but I only ever go to full length when travelling on long lakes. Most of the time I have them between 120 and 130cm - as I'm usually going up or down, rather than along the flats.

[randoskier]

My Nordic touring poles are Black Diamond 2-section poles mounted with 120mm baskets (4.7"). My wife uses the same. On multi-day tours we carry (for a spare) one 3-section BD pole with one of their lame "powder baskets" on it.

[bauerb]

my aluminum skimo race poles will also snap in half easily, but they do it in a sneaky way: they bend making you think you can bend them back, but when you do, they simply snap at the kink. Carbon poles just snap in half without any pretext . when I ski tele at a resort I use BD adjustable poles...I never adjust them, its just what I own...they would be extremely hard to break

[mca80]

Thanks, this has all been helpful, and it seems like consensus in this and other threads is BD telescoping poles are great. Where does one get large deep snow baskets? And I presume most people here prefer the composite baskets vs leather? The leather is great, but not very durable.

[mca80]

By the way, those poles in the photo...what are those wild grips for?

[Johnny]

Wow. What do you like about poles? I know they have different stiffness etc, but what else is there besides that?

Yep different materials... Each of them with different uses, colors, sizes, rebound, style, diameter, weight, sound, basket sizes and styles etc... Each pole has a different usage...

Black Diamond adjustable poles. Never have broken one. Looks very mountaineer too. Orange.

Adjustable poles (and very especially the Black Diamond ones), are the worst poles ever. They are totally deprived of feeling, it's like skiing with a dead stick. No feel at all, they actually kill the feeling. But sadly, they are an XCD skier's must, we just cannot live without them. We have to learn to live with them. I hate them, but I need them.

when I ski tele at a resort I use BD adjustable poles...I never adjust them, its just what I own...

Jesus... This is so terribly sad... Can I send you a pair of real poles by mail? It will change your entire life...

[bauerb]

@Johnny can you send me some of these? my adjustable BD poles are super heavy and a little short for my skate races...

$429 for poles !!!

[mca80]

@Johnny what do you recommend for future pole purchases? Right now I have swix mountain touring 135, I am 5'4", and about 10% of my skiing is on tracks, 10% turns either resort or tiny hills backcountry, and 80% just xc rolling terrain in the backcountry. The swix plant firmly, the leather baskets can handle a variety of snow, but being a cyclist for decades riding steel frames precisely for their flexibility and durability I don't trust the longevity of carbon. Although for a pole if you want stiffness when planting that's probably better than aluminium, although more brittle. I will say even though I dont care for my current short grip setup on the swix fixed poles for downhill, just some silicone tape, I do like their feel more than alloy adjustable poles for all pursuits.

[Johnny]

Johnny can you send me some of these? my adjustable BD poles are super heavy and a little short for my skate races..

WOW!
180cm adjustable poles?!?!? FREAKING AWESOME! I absolutely NEEED them!!!!

Thanks for the tips! I sure will look for them in the pole bin!
(Oops, after reading more carefully to buy them, it seems like they are not adjustable...
That would have been a dream come true...)

@Johnny what do you recommend for future pole purchases?

My best recommendation would be to start experimenting with sizes. Grab another pair of Asnes adustable poles and start from there. See and note what sizes fits you best for all the different kind of skiing you do. Then start noticing the grip, the handle, the return of force and the feeling when you plant them. (I switch handles, straps and baskets on different poles all the time... ) And then start shopping around...

As Bauerb mentioned, ski swaps are simply your best friends ever... I sure could not live without ski swaps...

[mca80]

Thanks for the advice!