My pole experience ( not for the faint hearted or those short of time)

[Rob Goes Walking]

After one too many steep grassy descents (on the Nantille Ridge) I decided that poles had their place. 

I now use them in the situations where I expect steep or slippery conditions where an ice axe wouldn't be more appropriate. 

That's interesting, I aborted one of my walks because it was a slippery wet steep grassy descent and I slipped over with plenty of similar ground in front of me. I wouldn't have thought poles would be much help, good to know they are.

[Jim Parkin]

That's interesting, I aborted one of my walks because it was a slippery wet steep grassy descent and I slipped over with plenty of similar ground in front of me. I wouldn't have thought poles would be much help, good to know they are.

It's the same for steep rocky descents.  I extend my poles more than for the flat and tend to keep them in front, and thus below me.  If I slow down, it can feel a lot more secure.   

[richardh1905]

I tried out a trekking camera monopod that I inherited on a 5 mile walk across the clifftops this morning; I seem to get on with a single more rigid pole a lot better than dual walking poles for some reason. I also like it because it has quick release clamps for adjusting the length; very convenient. And it's great for telephoto shots in the wind - what it was designed for, after all.

[happyhiker]

My first experience with poles was doing the Coledale Round in the Lakes. For anyone who does not know it, there are a lot of ups and downs. I had no poles and was ok until about two thirds of the way round when I started getting knee pains. A friend in our party offered me his poles to try. I was so impressed, I bought some as soon as I could and have used them on steep downhills ever since.


As I have aged, I have found they avoid back ache on steep ascents too.


As far as the downhill knees are concerned, logically, they are taking the combined weight of you and your pack. With lots of walking and age, it is the cartilages which start to go and distribution of the weight through poles, as long as you use them properly, saves some of this pressure on the joints, so reducing any pain. Lots of young Alpine guides use them to avoid problems in later life.

[tenmilesplus]

We used to take poles on every walk but found they were not always useful so now we still take them but they don't always make it out of the boot..
 They are a tool the same as any other, if we are doing a local walk of any distance the poles stay at home, if we are going on holiday to a totally different terrain then we take them just in case but the Lake District and Peak District and Wales we always take them out. We have been caught out with slippery and lose surfaces many time before and it can be enough to spoil a generally great day. My Wife favours the 'descend on your backside' method when there is a chance of a slide, I would rather use a pole or adopt a zigzag method to cope with the chance of slipping. Since we have been taking poles as tools we have given ourselves option to use it or carry it, they don't weigh much in the scheme of things and when they are strapped to your pack you don't notice them anyway..