Can anything stop the animal?

By Noah Howell Ranked #5 - Backcountry Ski Poles March 17, 2009

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.

View Details: Black Diamond Whippet Self-Arrest Ski Pole

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