For me big difference between the BD nForce and the Petzl Ascension ascenders is that with the nForce you can pull back on the cam release trigger with either the index finger or thumb of the grasping hand while with the nForce you can only pull back with your thumb, and I found this to involve more stretch and to be uncomfortable with the Ascension. The nForce has a longer cam (more contact area). The Ascension does have a slot up the center of the cam which is supposed to allow mud and ice to exit the contact area between the cam and the rope, but I have never used the Ascension so I don't know how well this works. Also, the nForce has shorter, straight (90-degree) teeth (over a larger area with what BD says is pressed against the rope with 30% more force, when under load, due to the the unique cam action.). The Ascension relies on teeth that are angled downward. Have not tried the nForce with gloves but they are roomier fit. I found the easier trigger action of the nForce to be my main deciding factor.

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 got a pair of K2 Cinch CTX's this week. They have a design problem is serious if you attempt to use the highback rotation feature (as per the included K2 instruction sheet) to rotate the highbacks from their out-of-the-box positions. It results in the highbacks being unable to fully pivot all the way back to their riding positions (i.e. the bottom highback will jam against the heel hoop so that the plastic forward lean block cannot freely swing all the way back to its resting position on the heel hoop). There are three hole choices on the outer (lateral) and two hole choices for the inner (medial) sides of each binding. The jamming occurs in three of the six possible combinations: 1) when using the middle of the three lateral holes while using the hole closer to the heel of the two medial holes, 2 & 3) when using the heel-most of the three lateral holes regardless of which of the two medial holes you use. Combinations 2 & 3 result in a more severe jamming than Combination 1. This design defect and the resulting jamming caused one of the two plastic cable guides to fracture and caused the plastic insulation to shear off the cable on my new Cinch's. I did not even ride them. I called and spoke to K2 Snowboard tech advisors Gershon and Doug, both of whom said that they had never tried to use the Cinch highback rotation feature. Gershon told me that he had never heard of a cable guide breaking and the cable stripping on a Cinch. I suggested that he look at Backcountry.com review for the K2 Cinch CTS by QuinnL ("A Big Disapointment") where he states, "The back binds up etc." and that, "The cable near the attachment on the high back was sheered through the plastic to the metal" or to look at the review for the K2 Cinch CTL by Eric The Paintball Guy ("Nice..., But Then Again Not.") where he states, "Then I noticed that the plastic housing that guides the cable was cracking on the left side and the nylon strap holding the cable in place on the right was tearing." These plus this review constitute three of thirteen reviews (almost 25%) at for all three Cinch models (CTL, CTS and CTX) pointing to the same problem. I suspect that both of these K2 Cinch owners attempted to rotate the highbacks, as I did, per the K2 instructions. Most riders don't use this feature and so they won't experience the resulting damage. Otherwise I am sure there would be more such complaints. I should also point out that the highback jamming defeats the cable tension settings useless because it makes the highback cable lever hard to close and hard to open. The jamming will also cause cosmetic damage to the bottom of the highback as it is forced into the heel cup. I've been a fan and supporter of K2 Skis. On this one they have really let me (and all of us) down. I'm returning my Cinch CTX's to this sitewith the hope that they will take the time to confirm or refute what I am convinced is a product defect. I hope that K2 will address this problem in a stand-up way.

I demo'd this ski at Alta last year. First run on them they were on my "must have" list. I bought them soon after. They absolutely made me a better skier the moment I got on them and I was tearing up black runs for the first time. I'd been on a recreational K2 (Escape 3500). They hold extremely well on everything including steep ice. I LOVE these skis. If you like K2's and are ready for a higher-end ski then demo some K2 Crossfires. They are great skis.