Walking Poles

Hi Trevor
I have used poles for walking in Snowdonia, Scotland and the High Peaks
and have found them really beneficial. My partner Karen forgot hers
last week when we went for a stroll around the alport castles so we
used one each and still felt the benefit. Perhaps it's a matter of
choice. (Or perhaps you're much fitter than us - something I can
imagine with ease!) I am back to Snowdonia for a few days next weekend
and will definitely be taking them with me.

Trevor Appleton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Having been very wary of getting these things but eventually took advice
here a bought a pair of Black Diamond.

Unfortunately my previous view that they were an extra burden to cart along
on a tour were confirmed in a recent 8 day trek in the Jotunheimen and I
gave up on them.

Photos to follow

Previous trip:

http://weather.4dinternet.co.uk/weather/4dGeiteryggen/Geiteryggen2005.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/trevorappleton/jotunheimen2004/

Trevor
East Yorkshire
.

Thanks for the photos.
I would never be without walking poles in my car boot.
Only rarely do they get carried along with us.
:-)

I believe they are good for driving cattle out of your way, but I
experimented with an outstretched arm the other day when head to head
with a determined beast, and it moved.
--
Gordon Harris

JimP said:

I have used poles for walking in Snowdonia, Scotland and the High Peaks
and have found them really beneficial. My partner Karen forgot hers
last week when we went for a stroll around the alport castles so we
used one each and still felt the benefit. Perhaps it's a matter of
choice. (Or perhaps you're much fitter than us - something I can
imagine with ease!)

Not so much a fitness thing as a "how are your knees feeling thing" IME.
On a /long/ day I like to have poles along, on a short day the faff of
having my hands full all of the time detracts from the day while my
knees are quite happy with the job involved.

All else being equal I much prefer not to have them, as I'd sooner have
the map in my hand.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Sometimes can't even feel my knees Pete...

Wouldn't take them either for a day hike (unless it was really steep)
but I think they might be useful next week in Snowdonia as my friend
hasn't seena hill before so I might be carrying him back!

It's personal choise isn't it.

If you aren't carrying much and it's not over difficult terrain, I'd
leave mine at home too.

Peter Clinch said:

JimP said:

I have used poles for walking in Snowdonia, Scotland and the High Peaks
and have found them really beneficial. My partner Karen forgot hers
last week when we went for a stroll around the alport castles so we
used one each and still felt the benefit. Perhaps it's a matter of
choice. (Or perhaps you're much fitter than us - something I can
imagine with ease!)

Not so much a fitness thing as a "how are your knees feeling thing" IME.
On a /long/ day I like to have poles along, on a short day the faff of
having my hands full all of the time detracts from the day while my
knees are quite happy with the job involved.

All else being equal I much prefer not to have them, as I'd sooner have
the map in my hand.

Pete.

I like having them available, for balance on rough descents, probing in
boggy areas and stream crossings, assistance from the arm muscles for
steep ascents and nettle and bramble clearance on rural rambles. But I
also like to be able to stow them on the pack, without stopping or
taking it off, so as to have hands free on easier terrain or when
scrambling. Fortunately a friend devised a way of doing just that.

http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/Walking/Pole_position/pole_position.htm

JimP said:

It's personal choise isn't it.

As with everything, but they can be a good choice and can be a bad choice!

Most people I see with them are waving them uneffectually at the ground
and not getting any weight onto them. I'd say a wiser choice would be
to save your money... If you like the feeling of a staff you can get
one for much less than a "proper" walking pole, and if all you're doing
is waving it at the ground it'll do just as much good!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

"Alan Dicey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
.. But I

Quoted message said:

also like to be able to stow them on the pack, without stopping or taking
it off, so as to have hands free on easier terrain or when scrambling.
Fortunately a friend devised a way of doing just that.

Blimey, with a bit of tarting up and some fancy packaging you could flog
that. £5.99 I'd say.

Roy.

"Peter Clinch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Most people I see with them are waving them uneffectually at the ground

Best one I saw was someone dragging the pole (just one) behind.

Oh and I was very nearly disembowelled in the public lavs in Sedbergh by a
chap backing out doing up his flies and paying no attention to the pointy
bits sticking out from under his arm as I raced in "in extremis".

I used to think brollies in town were a menace....

Roy.

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 13:02:34 +0100, Peter Clinch
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<poles>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's personal choise isn't it.

As with everything, but they can be a good choice and can be a bad choice!

Most people I see with them are waving them uneffectually at the ground
and not getting any weight onto them.

I used my poles (well, just one actually) on my last big walk and
found that it was very handy to use as a prop when going up and down
steep rocky steps. I do like to have my map to hand - so find two
poles awkward, but one was handy in places.

However, I ended up with blisters at the base of my 1st and 2nd
fingers. This was while I was doing Ben Nevis/Scafell Pike/Snowdon
and, IIRC, I put a plaster on my hand before starting Snowdon as the
rubbing had got quite bad. My poles are Aldi specials with a
faux-cork handle. I don't remember this problem with my Leki Sport
poles ..... but I hardly used them. (One Leki Sport pole broke which
is why I bought the Aldi ones.)

Judith

"Peter Clinch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm guessing here, but it's possible you're gripping the grip too much
rather than letting the strap take all the real weight.

Now I might be talking out of turn here, but I wouldn't mind betting that
most people on the hill using trekking poles have no idea how to use or
adjust the straps. I bet they're mostly used to allow the poles to dangle
from the wrists when not ineffectually dabbing at the ground or whilst
having a pee.

Of course, Peter's pole pages demonstrate the correct technique admirably.

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles2.htm

Roy.

Roy said:

Now I might be talking out of turn here, but I wouldn't mind betting that
most people on the hill using trekking poles have no idea how to use or
adjust the straps.

From what I see the majority either don't know or don't care. It is
very rare IME to see poles being used with the straps taking the weight.
You're not /obliged/ to use them that way, of course, but if you don't
you'd probably be better off with a T or J grip like a standard walking
stick (or something like the Pacerpole grip), as it's easier to lean
your weight onto than a vertical grip like a ski pole's used without a
strap.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

I've been using standard Lekis for years and I think they're great. I've
seen soooo many people just swinging them aimlessly and not pushing any
weight onto them at all. I'm certain mine have saved my knees from many
a pounding on a long descent. I've even mastered scrambling with them
still attached to my wrists!

Jay

Roy said:

"Peter Clinch" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm guessing here, but it's possible you're gripping the grip too much
rather than letting the strap take all the real weight.

Now I might be talking out of turn here, but I wouldn't mind betting that
most people on the hill using trekking poles have no idea how to use or
adjust the straps. I bet they're mostly used to allow the poles to dangle
from the wrists when not ineffectually dabbing at the ground or whilst
having a pee.

Of course, Peter's pole pages demonstrate the correct technique admirably.

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles2.htm

Roy.

On 25/8/05 12:20, in article [email hidden],

Jay said:

I've been using standard Lekis for years and I think they're great. I've
seen soooo many people just swinging them aimlessly and not pushing any
weight onto them at all. I'm certain mine have saved my knees from many
a pounding on a long descent. I've even mastered scrambling with them
still attached to my wrists!

Yep. For some people they seem to be more of a fashion accesory!

The ability of the straps to take weight is very important. Even when
trekking and carrying quite a bit of weight I've never had pole blisters.

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

To mail simply put back the dots ...

In message <BF337080.455E2%andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk>

Andy Howell andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk said:

On 25/8/05 12:20, in article [email hidden],

Jay said:

I've been using standard Lekis for years and I think they're great.
I've seen soooo many people just swinging them aimlessly and not
pushing any weight onto them at all. I'm certain mine have saved my
knees from many a pounding on a long descent. I've even mastered
scrambling with them still attached to my wrists!

Yep. For some people they seem to be more of a fashion accesory!

The ability of the straps to take weight is very important. Even when
trekking and carrying quite a bit of weight I've never had pole
blisters.

I'd disagree that it is essential to use the straps, but if you don't
you do need a firm grip. For many years I've been using poles for
walking and for ski-mountaineering and often do not use the straps
preferring to just tightly grip the handle. When ski-mountaineering your
often traversing slopes and so I have taped my pole with cycle handlebar
tape for about 1/3 of its length. This allows me to grip the top of the
downhill pole and a lower part of the uphill pole. Each time you do a
kick-turn the uphill and downhill grips need exchanging in position
which would be a real extra fuss if you also had your wrist straps in
place.

--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
<\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
"> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"

Mike Clark said:

I'd disagree that it is essential to use the straps, but if you don't
you do need a firm grip.

Though if you /never/ use them you might as well get a grip designed to
work without them.

Quoted message said:

When ski-mountaineering your
often traversing slopes and so I have taped my pole with cycle handlebar
tape for about 1/3 of its length. This allows me to grip the top of the
downhill pole and a lower part of the uphill pole. Each time you do a
kick-turn the uphill and downhill grips need exchanging in position
which would be a real extra fuss if you also had your wrist straps in
place.

Quite so. One natty idea I did see at the Braemar Telefest this year
was a chap who used offcuts of climbing skins for this. Served the same
purpose for a warmer, grippier grip point, but he had a pair of
emergency kicker skins always on hand as a bonus.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In message <[email hidden]>

Peter Clinch said:

Mike Clark wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

When ski-mountaineering your
often traversing slopes and so I have taped my pole with cycle handlebar
tape for about 1/3 of its length. This allows me to grip the top of the
downhill pole and a lower part of the uphill pole. Each time you do a
kick-turn the uphill and downhill grips need exchanging in position
which would be a real extra fuss if you also had your wrist straps in
place.

Quite so. One natty idea I did see at the Braemar Telefest this year
was a chap who used offcuts of climbing skins for this. Served the same
purpose for a warmer, grippier grip point, but he had a pair of
emergency kicker skins always on hand as a bonus.

A good idea which I might adopt. I usually also have some 'Duck Tape'
wound around part of the pole which again serves too purposes, (i) as a
grip and, (ii) as a source of emergency repair tape e.g. for
assisting the sticking of wet skins to skis.

--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark
<\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing,
"> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and
` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"

Peter Clinch said:

<Pole-caused blister>

Quoted message said:

I'm guessing here, but it's possible you're gripping the grip too much
rather than letting the strap take all the real weight. The strap
passes near to under the top of the first finger so /could/ cause a
problem there, but under the second shouldn't really be caused by the
strap, suggesting you're maybe gripping the handle too tight.

I think it is caused by a mix of things and you could be right about
the grip being too tight and the straps not being used enough. If I
were to "just walk", using two poles, then I would develop a style or
pattern and probably not get the blisters. However! I am never "just
walking"; I'm looking at my map, stepping over boulders, lifting my
feet high through tufty grass etc and never seem to walk for more than
5 minutes in a steady style.

On the whole I am not a pole person, but I take one when I am
expecting to be tired on steep downhill sections. I *did* find them
useful in the snow on my Winter Skills course as they helped me
transfer a lot of my weight to my upper body as I traipsed through
deep-ish snow.

Judith

Judith said:

I *did* find them
useful in the snow on my Winter Skills course as they helped me
transfer a lot of my weight to my upper body as I traipsed through
deep-ish snow.

Next step, add skis to spread your weight our more, reducing the
surface pressure so you don't post hole. And then progress to
skiing, which is a rather wonderful way of getting around snowy
terrain of the not fearsomely steep variety :-)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Judith said:

I *did* find them
useful in the snow on my Winter Skills course as they helped me
transfer a lot of my weight to my upper body as I traipsed through
deep-ish snow.

Next step, add skis to spread your weight our more, reducing the
surface pressure so you don't post hole. And then progress to
skiing, which is a rather wonderful way of getting around snowy
terrain of the not fearsomely steep variety :-)

Next find some decent snow. >:-)

Do you think we'll get any this winter?

--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"