Gear

Chris, if you see this.....

I had a notion that you did, and I've just seen it confirmed in your trip report in April TGO, that you use Pacerpoles rather than traditional poles when nordic ski touring. Can you say why? What's better about them for you? I understand the principles for walking and have used a pair a few times, but how does it translate for skiing? Can you get the power from them? What about downhill? What adjustment for length would you make from a traditional ski-touring pole length?

Also I noticed you use the 2-piece carbon poles. Any reason for 2 piece rather than 3, or is it just what you have? 

Thanks if you get chance to answer this. 

Matt, I've been using Pacerpoles for ski touring for a couple of years now and am just back from another ski tour in Yellowstone with them. As with walking I find the handle more comfortable than a traditional grip with straps. Because of the natural wrist position I find I can more easily get power from them than with a traditional pole (for years I used Swix Mountain Poles and then LifeLink Variant Composite poles, both excellent but not as good as Pacerpoles). I also often ski without using the pole straps - anywhere that catching a pole could wrench your arm if using straps such as downhill in trees - and here the Pacerpoles are much better than traditional poles as straps aren't needed anyway. Downhill I use them like any other pole, shortening the length for long descents. Overall I have the length a little shorter than with a traditional pole - the pole tip touches the snow when I hold the pole with my arm bent at right angles at the elbow. However I do adjust the length regularly - longer for skating, shorter for downhills and long ascents. 

Overall I guess I am now so used to Pacerpoles, walking and skiing, that they feel natural and other poles don't.  

I use the 2-piece poles for skiing on the basis that they should be stronger than 3-piece ones and the packed length is unimportant. When walking I prefer the 3-piece as they pack shorter for carrying on the pack. 

I like the LifeLink poles because of the breakway straps, which once probably saved me from a dislocated shoulder, though I did end up with a badly bruised arm. I was skiing from Kjeldebu to Finse in Norway in heavy rain and the snow was wet and sludgy. On a gentle downhill run I caught a basket on something and was jerked backwards before the straps came away. Luckily it was the last day of the tour as I couldn't do much with my right arm for several days afterwards. What I don't like about my LifeLink poles is that they have hardened steel rather than tungsten tips and these can skid a bit on ice.

I hope there's plenty of snow in Norway. 

Yes, mine have the same tips, but I've got used to the way they behave. I think the newer Lifelink models have the more standard tungsten tips.

Skiing in heavy rain, lol, it just shouldn't happen! But I have numerous memories of it too....

I'm hoping the snow is good too. I've not seen a webcam. We're going to Kvitavatn (I last went there in '99) and it's usually ok at this time of year.

Yes. I've seen LifeLink poles with tungsten tips. The best tips I've ever found on ski poles were the angled tungsten ones on the Swix Mountain Poles.

That day to Finse was the wettest I've ever skied in - nine hours of steady rain. Skiing in rain is more common in Scotland. Mind you, the wettest ski tour I've been on was in Greenland one spring when we camped in drizzle and thick mist on the ice cap for four days then retreated to the coast where the snow had gone and it was raining. We only got ten miles from our start point on that trip and the highest peak we climbed was lower than our highest camp!

I don't know Kvitavatn. March is often the best month for skiing in Norway. Not too cold, not too windy, reasonable daylight and masses of snow.  

Matt, one thing to maybe look for more info on is the degree of protection the carbon poles have from scoring by metal edges.  Carbon is subject to stress fracture if it's given a head-start with a small crack, and running a sharp steel edge along it is a really good way to manage that.  While carbon is extensivley used in track poles, track skis don't have metal edges and so it's less of a problem, and the problems of a failed pole are less than on tour.  I've had a carbon track pole die a couple of years ago, it just snapped for no obvious reason so I've no idea when the real damage was done.  Can't imagine that happening with a Swix Mountain.

It's the tips, excellent powder basket and total bombproofness which have me using Swix Mountains when I'm touring.  Not tried the Pacers so I can't compare, but I'd behappier with metal than carbon for touring.

 (Have fun: we'll be off to "do" Hardangvidda at the end of the month...)

Pete. 

Peter, fair comment. My LifeLink shafts are carbon and they've survived 10 years of touring and downhilling on metal edged skis, and taken a fair few scrapes in that time, so they do seem pretty robust. My touring mates use them too and nobody's had one break yet, touch-wood!I must admit though I'd had thoughts about not damaging my shiny new Pacerpoles with a ski edge!

When we tour hut to hut we at least carry a pole splint taken from a tent so that we'd have a chance of splicing a snapped pole back together, or if the group is 4 or 5 then we may take 1 spare telescopic pole between us. This trip is day touring from a base though so it'd be easy to replace a pole if we had any problems. That's partly why I'm considering it as an opportunity to maybe try the Pacerpoles.

Enjoy the Hardangervidda.... hoping your hills are white and your skies are blue!

What I mean about "degree of protection" is what degree of stuff you have over the carbon.  It's possible that the Lifelinks, being made for serious skiing, have a thicker layer over the top.  My broken Exels certainly did not have that, and suffered.

Since Pacers aren't made specifically with skiing in mind they may or may not stand up to such abuse: I don't know, but I would have words with Pacer to see what they think.

Pete. 

I've been using carbon fibre Pacerpoles for skiing for two years now without problem. Just had a look at them and they are scratched extensively for a foot or so above the basket where I've knocked them against the skis (somtimes deliberately to remove snow).

Also, I did manage to snap the end off a Swix Mountain Pole about an inch above the basket by knocking it against the skis. The pole was over ten years old and had been used hundreds of times and it didn't change my opinion that Swix Mountains are probably the strongest poles available. It just showed they're not indestructible.

The Swix powder baskets are good. I fitted similar ones to the Pacerpoles. 

Imperial Dave wrote (see)

slightly left of centre but has anyone tried Luxurylite carbon walking staffs????

Frum wrote (see)

Imperial Dave wrote (see)

slightly left of centre but has anyone tried Luxurylite carbon walking staffs????

You'd get nicked for using them here.  There's a knifeblade in the middle, sort of swordstick style.