Black Diamond Whippet Self-Arrest Ski Pole - 2007 BCS

Anybody remember 'The Animal'? It was a toy truck that when the going got tough it had claws that would pop out of the tires and it would climb anything. Tag line was 'Can anything stop The Animal'. Sorry for the tangent there, but that's how I feel using the Whippets. When the climbing gets steep, sketchy, icy or rocky these poles are a lifesaver. I've hooked trees, plugged em into moss, mud and rock. It's also nice in steep chutes to jam the picks in the snow and clip your pack, skis or other gear into the straps so you don't drop anything.

I don't think they should be called 'self arrest poles', I think they are more of a climbing tool. I've taken some big long nasty falls and while attacking the slope for all I was worth the poles didn't arrest me. It seems your only chance is right at the moment of loosing control and the snow must be firm enough, but not too firm. Nice to have even then, but don't count on stopping yourself.

These really are a must have for ski mountaineering.

I've been skiing with Whippets since they first came out - actually, even before they came out as I designed them for BD many years ago (no, I don't get commissions or royalties on them!). I love using them because they are always there and you never know when you are going to have a small slip which could turn into a big slide. With Whippets, you can instantly plug them into the snow to stop a fall, or at least get your feet back underneath you. I use them as a pair - one in each hand. Another nice aspect of Whippets, especially for ski mountaineering is that they work well for ascending - I'm constantly using them in 4wd mode when booting up a chute and they greatly enhance your traction.

All this talk about how you only get one... listen folks, the preeminent ski mountaineers out there now-a-days all use Whippets, and for a reason, they work. I have used the Whippet on all of my steep skiing mission over the past five years. I particularly love them for the ascents, when you may be climbing steep snow and need to get a little extra "ummph" on the pull up. They give you piece of mind on the way down, although thankfully I have not had to use them while skiing. You may only need one, but it will be completely worth the investment.

the whippet is great. last weekend on mount rainier it saved a friend of mine from a long and nasty fall in the dark of night. i have been just skiing with one but will likely get another one. a few days ago i used it on early morning steep slopes - works like a charm bc you can dig it in and get you skis righted. the very first day i used it i lost the top cap for it however. that could attach a bit better. i like very light gear but this kind of needs a bit of girth because it's an ice axe afterall... so really no complaints.

Nice steep skiing tool. Although they are a little heavier than your average pole they make up for it in peace of mind when skiing or hiking in "no-fall" zones. They are super helpful when booting up steep, firm snow on all fours. I normally will use one whippet and one regular ski pole. I only take two whippets when I am headed to the super-duper gnar.

This is a crucial piece to own for the ski mountaineer or a steep skiing backcountry adventureer. To have an axe readily available while in motion in more challenging terrain is an incredible asset to your safety. The whippet has saved me in several moving snow scenarios as it is extremely reliable and solid in its purchase to bed surfaces- it will work in self-arrest scenarios. It is also extremely handy in uphill challenges for the occasional section of ice or steeper terrain. It also hooks rock features well and can be a nice tool for reach in scrambling. This is a pole that could save your life as well as enhance your climb any day out in the real deal backcountry. Features include a really nice & comfortable hand grip, collapsable shaft for travel, and nice sharp axe head (with cover).

It is worth the cost to be able to go into "4x4" or "3x4" mode when you need to when hiking steep chalky couloirs alone! It really helps give you three good points of contact--a seriously excellent ski tool.

I waited until this was on sale before I bought it, but it is definitely worth it at retail price. A pole and axe combo in one, this is a necessary tool for anyone doing any sort of steep backcountry ascents. The pole is surprisingly well balanced when climbing and skiing. The axe portion on top provides excellent grip and support while climbing, and digs in fairly well. I haven't been in a situation where I've had to use it to self-arrest, and imagine it would be pretty hard to use it in that situation, but it's nice to know I have it just in case. Flick-lock adjustment is really easy and seamless to adjust with or without gloves on. Great tool for the up and down of ski mountaineering. Glad I purchased it and have it in the quiver of tools.

The whippet is a handy tool to have by your side at all times in the backcountry. It may not be necessary in mellow terrain, but you never know when it might be needed. Perfect for a little extra help in climbing that last leg of a big peak! Be safe and enjoy.

This is the most awesome tool for ski mountaineers who ski in no-fall terrain. The only thing I wish it had would be a lockback mechanism like a knife...Have at it BD!!! There is no other way to ski comfortably with the confidence that you can pole plant and self arrest at any time.

Such a versatile tool for so many pursuits.

As the title implies, I did not want to love these....yet bought one pole to see what the deal was. I'm now considering buying a second pole since the 1st works so good for what it is intended to do...and more. Simply put: The use of the whippet was very intuititive and I found myself using it the first day out on a booter up a steep pitch.

The whippet is a must have for any steep skiing. When the snow is hard you will be happy to have a whippet with you for both the ascent and the descents. They are a great tool when you dont want to bring a full ax with.

great product, great for ski mountaineering, I used to ski down steep chutes with either an ice axe in one hand or an ice axe/pole combination which was just plain sucky. Now I use this, which is great. keep in mind you only get ONE when you buy this, and personally that is all I have ever needed. Also, keep track of the orange protection or it will tear holes in your stuff very fast

Touring, nothing is better than one of these and a mountaineer's axe. I carry one of these and one of my regular touring poles everyday, including inbounds. How many times have you been in a situation where you just wished you had a little more grip....something to assist hiking/bootpacking.
Come late spring, booting up hardpack lines 2 of these are fantastic. Punch into icy slopes while you hold your poles normally.
As others have said, they don't collapse like a 3 piece touring pole but I've taken the bottom section of my 3 piece Komperdell poles and they fit in the upper section to give you a 3 piece collapsable pole which fits excellently for snowboard pack, otherwise the 2 piece stock is fairly long.

wont leave home without one. These are a bit overpriced but worth it. essential for any steep climb or traverse in sketch conditions.

I bought this whippet for a friend. They have made several refinements from the early models. The pole is better, and the head has a lot less sharp edges in the area where your hand goes. The grip is also a lot nicer and it comes with one of the sleek new BD pick covers.

This item is the best. Everyone else carries the weight of an axe, and has to put it somewhere on their pack when not in use. This pole/axe is usable at ALL times. It got a lot of attention from others on the mountain. And it's priced the same as the Raven axe. I highly recomend this item.

Some may prefer it to have 3 sections, to colapse smaller than it's present 39", but it's fine for me as is. Another great design from BD.

Sure, they cost more for one than most poles do for two, but they work quite well. I think they are better for preventing a fall than for stopping one. They work very well on the climb up and give a bit of comfort on a steep skin on hard snow. They are not a replacement for an ice ax on very steep climbing. When the conditions are right they are great. If the snow is not going to be hard enough that they will help, leave them at home, or take the pick off. I think the likelihood of a stabbing is small, but why take a chance if a whippet won't help anyway? They really stand up to the abuse the ski alpinism can deliver. I do wish they collapsed shorter though.

Great tool, has saved me a few potentially nasty falls. I usually just use one and a regular pole. Works for thwacking alders, in snow, ice, rock, and mud.

You maybe know that Black Diamond sells the lower carbon fiber pole from their BD Adjustable Probe Ski Poles for $11 apiece (as of March '09). These fit into the upper part of the current (mfr'd. after fall, 2007) BD Whippets with no adapter needed. That way you'll have a pair of BD Adjustable Probe Whippets. Make sure you ask Black Diamond for the lower carbon fiber sections as a male and female pair so they will screw together to make a probe. One note of caution: When you replace the 115-140 Whippet lower aluminum section with a 115-140 Adjustable Probe Ski Pole lower section you will have a pole that is about 4" longer when you compare length at the shortest and longest adjustments. That is, the range is bumped up about 4". If this is a problem (pole becomes too long, then you can opt for the shorter 100 - 125 cm lower Adjustable Probe Ski Pole section from Black Diamond, also for $11 each. These lower sections are not sold by backcountry.com (I wish they were)--just Black Diamond mail order--but you should definitely get your Whippets from bc.com. They just knocked $10 off the price and you can't beat that, plus they're the greatest retailers anywhere.

I hope this is clear. I really got confused writing it, but I'm sure I got it right. As others have said, a dedicated primary probe should always be in your pack.

I usually go backcountry with expedition poles. Now I take one exp pole and the whippet when I plan to go to the steep and exposed. I don't feel much difference in the weight between the pole and the whippet.
Bad: It's kind of scary to ski down with it but that's part of the deal. I cover it with the protector when skiing on the safe zone.
Remember you get one whippet for the price, not a pair, and it includes the protector.

Great for climbing and skiing in no-fall terrain or on hard snow above exposure. Im kind of a ninny when it comes to walking on knife-edge ridges and the like, so having a whippet in hand to me is sort of like having the tattered stuffed pink elephant is for my 2 year old. Most of the time the comfort is just knowing its there rather than anything its doing. That said, having something to reach and grab with while climbing steep stuff is nice. One star off for being silly expensive.

Another smart product from Black Diamond. If you need 'em, you'll be glad to have 'em. An essential for ski mountaineering and a smart idea for regular mountaineering too.

Can you blame climbers for wanting this to work so they can ditch the boots/crampons/axe? I got this in advance of a trip to the Cascades, for routes that may include snowfield/glaciers as well as 5.9 climbing. I'm sure they will work well enough in a low speed self arrest situation but the collapsed length will be difficult (ok, completely impractical) to climb with.

Yeah, I know every retail description of these emphasize how great these are for skiing and say zero about climbing. And yeah, I know I should have taken a closer look at the specs, esp the collapsed length. It's 97–140 cm, 38–55 inches on BD's site, but that's if you take the whole thing apart, so Backcountry's specs are a bit more realistic, since traveling with them in two pieces risks bending the lower section.I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes this would collapse to a more manageable/packable length. I am sure I'm not the only person who wants to climb alpine routes while ditching the boots/crampons/ice axe. So I called BD & asked if this was possible. The answer is "yes, but it will def be more wobbly". I was told that it is compatible w/ the lower half of the Enduro Carbon fiber poles, (and of course not the BD poles I already own- trail compact) which will run $26 incl s/h directly from BD. I might cannibalize some of my other poles in an attempt to make this work. There are other products on the market that fit the needs of a climber, but at this point they're sold out in most places...

I'd give these 4.5 stars but since it's designed for skiing & the other 17 reviewers gave it a 5, including some genuine Powderwhores, I'll have to go w/ the flow & give it a 5.

when you are skiing a 45+ deg couloir that you wish was a lot softer, a whippet adds a level of security. i also use them when climbing a line i am not feeling anxious on. i dont think they replace an ax - i almost always carry a lightweight ax too... but only use it when things get real steep. the whippet is a great addition to you gear wardrobe, and it can be handy in a real pinch.

Also - if you want em a little shorter when collapsed, contact BD about picking up some different lower sections for the pole. They work well for splitboarders who want to put em on their packs (or you could just ski!)

Still haven't been able to get the pick off, but don't really need to. A friend suggested another good use for the Whippet I bought: ice safety on lakes and rivers. I ski and snowshoe out there a lot, and the river currents make the ice depth variable. In case of breaking through, it's great to know the toothed pick is there to reach out to firmer ice and help get out of a hole. No substitute for caution, but one more useful reason to take it along.

I bought two Whippets for a ski descent of Rainier. They worked great, both up and down. I had an ice axe along too but never used it.

Got a single Whippet for my dominant (left) hand in remembrance of a long nasty fall last Spring skiing season. It came in very handy this season to recover from a couple of slips while skinning steep icy slopes, and in providing a third point of contact while side-slipping down through steep notches. It's a bit scary when skiing fast, so I keep the tip in the protector when the sliding risk is lower.

I found it very useful either for trekking or skiing. Do not use it instead of your ice axe on regular mountaineering trips. It is not designed for that and will not work.

The lower section is way too long for me (I am a short guy), I would never use it at the longest setting. You can save some collapsed length if you cut the upper end of the lower section to the length fitting the longest pole you would ever need.

In my opinion one of such pole is sufficient for a safe BC skiing trip. You don't need two.

The whippet is a must have for any steep skiing. When the snow is hard you will be happy to have a whippet with you for both the ascent and the descents. They are a great tool when you don't want to bring a full ax with.

Just had my first trip with this, and will never head to the steeps with out it ever again. I was happy at how well it worked with a small ice axe while front pointing up a steep chute through the red bank on Mt. Shasta.

This is not a replacement for an ice axe on real climbs, but it is adequate for most ski tours, and is a great second tool when you find yourself on something steeper and icier then planned.

I think I've arrested myself a couple of times with my whippets while trying to skin up something that was firm and a little too steep for skinning (not like I was going to fall into the abyss but I was definitely headed for a good long slide). When you're booting up something steep, these things are the ticket -- you can charge. You know there's a good adventure on tap when the whippets come out of the garage.

This have an excellent guarantee

this is an amazing tool, a little added sense of security when you need it most. fun to take out, great for both the up and the down. get one, they are awesome.

This ski pole is AWESOME! But don't be fooled, it's not a "pair", you have to buy one at a time... and for 90 bucks, it's ALMOST not worth it. These poles are durable and reliable and the self arrest handles make joeys steer clear from you at the mountain! Great for the backcountry, and a great space maker around the lifts!