Telescopic vs Folding - whats your preference for touring?

[media310]

What is it that you look for in a good set of poles for AT touring or splitboarding?


Been really digging these Atomic BCT Mountaineering Poles as of late.

[SkiingQuinHat]

My experience with telescopic ones is they can compact when you put real pressure on them (ie right when you would rather they didn’t). I am a ski tourer so this may be more on an issue for a skier than boarder. I would not buy the again

[nickel]

I don't use telescopic poles. Regular 120s.

[MultiVerse]

Fixed length for me too. I used adjustable for years but rarely adjusted them.

[bean]

Fixed. Rarely need to collapse a pole unless it's a whippet.

[TahoeJ]

I have rarely ever had to adjust my poles... but when I did, I was really glad that I could. Still, 97% of the time it's not necessary, although the extra grip part down the pole is often very handy for side-hill touring in deeper skin tracks.

[Peruvian]

^ I do love and rely on the extra grip part, and always choose poles with that. also I cut the straps off cuz they annoy me and are useless / dangerous if used imo.

My K2 collapsible poles have a foam second grip which is much nicer than the rubber version on my old BD poles.

I also change the length of my poles - long for the up, shirt for the down.

[kalisto]

I don't understand how people do any significant touring with fixed poles. Do you go long, then hold them on the shaft for the down? or go short and it just sucks on flats be it skinning or skiing?

... or do you go long/hold them normally and just ski backseat...?

Can anyone enlighten me?

[GeezerSteve]

To be fair, fixed poles are fine for some yo yo tours. I always tour with adjustable poles and I adjust length on every tour, some more than others. It's very basic stuff: option of 155cm poles for low angle exits; one long pole and one short pole for traverses; shorter poles for soft skinning; medium poles for firm skinning. 155cm pole is also nice for probing crevasse bridges on glacier tours.

[kalisto]

I'm 178 as well, 115cm when skiing, then 125+ when skinning. Just consistently see people skiing with poles that are way too long, either people who don't know better, or ex-racers who are used to long poles and don't know what to do with them on steeps.

[MultiVerse]

To be fair, fixed poles are fine for some yo yo tours.

Fixed length works just fine even for far ranging 10k days. I skate ski with 160cm poles and tour with 125cm poles. While it's not quite as efficient to skate with 125cm poles, if you're on touring skis there's not a big difference in glide anyway.

The downside to adjusting poles for flats in the Wasatch is that flats are often preceded or followed with luge runs where taking the time to adjust is not worth the hassle.

[nickel]

It's not a damn rocket appliance. I'm 185cm and use 120cm poles. I palm the tops a fair bit on long flats. On sidehills I choke up on one and palm the top of the other. I would normally choose 115 for the down but I don't find the extra 5cm to be an unreasonable compromise. Occasionally on flat exits I pine for longer poles but it's so far down the priority list of things to spend money on that it's not even worth thinking about. I often only use one on the way up for balance like a walking stick anyways, the other being balanced or twirled or used as a scoop for eating snow.

Those of you talking about pre-made Lower grips for choking up need to spend a few moments with some cordelette and splicing tape. Just make your own. :eyeroll:

[GPP33]

I rock BD telescoping poles that get adjusted on every up/down. Never once had em slip but the measurements are wearing off making it difficult to see how long they are, usually about 125-130 for up and flat and 115 for down. I could probably make a 120-125 work for both but why when we have the option to adjust?

[Skidog]

... or do you go long/hold them normally and just ski backseat...?

?

So you can't do anything but ski backseat if you don't have poles? Sounds like poor forms the problem.



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[Angle Parking]

We have lots of flat approches around here, also lots of relatively flat and long traverses at our local hill. Adjusting my poles to a cross-country skiing type length is invaluable. It makes me so much faster and more efficient. I find myself adjusting my telescopic poles (BD Traverse) multiple times a day, even for ski resort skiing. Problem is i end up dropping 100 and some dollars on new poles every 2 seasons or so. Durability issues tend to arise with such frequent changing of length but the $ is worth it for the advantages that telescopic poles give me.

[kalisto]

no poles vs too long poles are two very different things. unless you have them and don't use them? in which case... use whatever length you want.

that said, if you have poles that are way too long, and you actually try pole planting with them... well, I know what usually happens.

[Angle Parking]

Too long poles for the way down inhibits proper form for sure. "That dudes poles are getting in his way," is a common critique made from the chairlift. Might not necessarily lead to backseating, but cumbersome swinging around of the poles with bowed out arms is also a frequent result. Or the good ol' double pole plant while always keeping the poles way in front since they are so darn long is another phenomena. Proper length poles for the way down is an under rated factor in good ski form.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

BD Expeditions are great but discontinued. Bought 5cm longer than my downhill poles. Choke up a little on the down and you can cane them on the flats. The extended grip is great for sidehills. Probably not perfect for anything but fuck it.

I'd really like to try or get some Black Crows Oxus poles- https://www.black-crows.com/oxus-ski-poles-yellow

[GoldMember]

It's not a damn rocket appliance. I'm 185cm and use 120cm poles. I palm the tops a fair bit on long flats. On sidehills I choke up on one and palm the top of the other.

This is my take, too. I'm 180cm and use a fixed 115 length. I don't really need longer poles for flats as I rarely am on much of anything flat. I also have some BD adjustables but never bothered adjusting them and don't like the swing weight when skiing them so now I just use my regular poles. I have duct tape wrapped below the grips to act as an extended grip for sidehill ups and for those equipment emergencies where duct tape is the universal solution for repair.

[PNWbrit]

I'd really like to try or get some Black Crows Oxus poles- https://www.black-crows.com/oxus-ski-poles-yellow

Why not the red ones?

[3PinGrin]

I'm 182cm and hate short poles for climbing / flats, maybe it's because I started many years ago on nordic gear. I can't even imagine the inefficiency of some of the short pole lengths mentioned. I also much prefer 2 section to 3 section poles for the simplicity.

145cm climbing/flats
130cm down

And media310, good on you for not posting a link and actually starting a good tech discussion.

[GeezerSteve]

Re skinning pole length: A few years ago someone (LeeLau? GregL?) posted about measuring HR on skin lap repeats, one with longer poles used for propulsion, one with shorter poles used only for balance, and one with a single pole for balance only. (I apologize in advance if I didn't quit get that right.) As I recall, based on this unscientific HR test, he concluded that -- for the conditions tested that day, including a skin track angle that did not require use of poles for propulsion -- it was most efficient to use poles chiefly for balance, i.e., not for propulsion, and that militated against longer poles and in favor of shorter poles. Of course, there are many variables, e.g., individual physiology, firmness of snow, skinning technique, angle of skin track, the occasional need to rely on pole propulsion to get over a bump or out of a hole, etc. I have done similar unscientific HR tests and came to the same conclusion, prompting me to often skin with a single pole when conditions permit.

I don't give a shit what other people use. A few of my touring buds use fixed poles or adjustable poles but seldom adjust them. IME adjustable poles are some benefit on almost all tours I do, and often a very significant benefit, e.g. tours with long traverses on steepish side slopes and/or with long double pole exits. (I'll add: For fat fishscales, adjustable poles are a no brainer.)

[LeeLau]

Good memory steve. I kind of amble along and glide my feet when skinning and just barely skim the ground with poles when climbing. On flats, a light touch for moving with skins is nice. For those long road or glacier approaches the good old BD Traverse alu uppers with carbon lowers get adjusted longer going from 115 to 130 or longer for skating or classic style. But it doesn't really kill me or make/break a day to use fixed length poles

[PNWbrit]

Re skinning pole length: A few years ago someone (LeeLau? GregL?) posted about measuring HR on skin lap repeats, one with longer poles used for propulsion, one with shorter poles used only for balance, and one with a single pole for balance only. (I apologize in advance if I didn't quit get that right.) As I recall, based on this unscientific HR test, he concluded that -- for the conditions tested that day, including a skin track angle that did not require use of poles for propulsion -- it was most efficient to use poles chiefly for balance, i.e., not for propulsion, and that militated against longer poles and in favor of shorter poles. Of course, there are many variables, e.g., individual physiology, firmness of snow, skinning technique, angle of skin track, the occasional need to rely on pole propulsion to get over a bump or out of a hole, etc. I have done similar unscientific HR tests and came to the same conclusion, prompting me to often skin with a single pole when conditions permit.

I don't give a shit what other people use. A few of my touring buds use fixed poles or adjustable poles but seldom adjust them. IME adjustable poles are some benefit on almost all tours I do, and often a very significant benefit, e.g. tours with long traverses on steepish side slopes and/or with long double pole exits. (I'll add: For fat fishscales, adjustable poles are a no brainer.)

^ yep.

[Angle Parking]

Cross country ski poles for classic technique are measured to the armpit, skate skiing poles are measured to the chine. There's are reason for this.