Idahoskier420
Member
For those that don't know a whippet is an ice axe blade mounted on a Black Diamond ski pole grip.
Anyone have a preference? Is a whippet worth the price?
Anyone have a preference? Is a whippet worth the price?
BD Whippet vs. traditional ice axe
- Thread starter Idahoskier420
- Start date
VD.
Active member
I always prefer a real axe. Just buy a straight shafted traditional mountaineering axe (eg. BD Raven or Grivel Air Tech Evo) in a slightly shorter length (say 55cm) than you would if you were using it for mountaineering. Alternatively if you have technical axes, just ski with one.
NinetyFour
Active member
Curious, is the blade/pick fixed to the handle of the whippet or is it removable?
NinetyFour
Active member
13366513:Aenigma said:
Idahoskier420
Member
thanks for the feedback
ShredMasterPlus
Active member
^^ I just rock axes myself but one of my good partners rocks the whippet.
It's obviously not an ice axe and doesn't replace them but if you understand its limits its quite useful. small weight gain and you can all of a sudden have too axes. been on plenty of boot packs where the snow is too hard to plunge yer shaft and your just using the pointy bits. quite nice to have the extra hand if you didn't have too axes, balancing while you get your next hold in is a bit lively I've found. Not to sure how well I would trust it in glacier ice but for refrozen solar ice it works a giffy!
It's obviously not an ice axe and doesn't replace them but if you understand its limits its quite useful. small weight gain and you can all of a sudden have too axes. been on plenty of boot packs where the snow is too hard to plunge yer shaft and your just using the pointy bits. quite nice to have the extra hand if you didn't have too axes, balancing while you get your next hold in is a bit lively I've found. Not to sure how well I would trust it in glacier ice but for refrozen solar ice it works a giffy!
Literature
Active member
A Whippet is an essential tool in any ski mountaineer's kit, but they are more helpful in some situations than others.
BD whippets are fixed to the grip/shaft of the ski pole. Worth noting that it comes in a metal version that's two sections, and a carbon, three section one that is easier to stow. Given the beating they take, I'd be hesitant to mess with the carbon one.
The other existent option is a Petal/Charlet Moser thing that is retractable. Haven't used it.
BD recently recalled a bunch of Whippets, so if you own one, double check--the reason was that the picks were snapping on people. Sort of important. A buddy was doing some mixed down climbing with one the other day and had this happen--good thing he had a tool in a bomber placement too.
The most obvious part of Whippet is the weight savings--you can take one combo tool instead of both a pole and an axe.
Whippets are great to give extra purchase on the up. Obviously you can't plunge them, but in many snow types, a full plunge isn't practical or efficient--whereas the easy placement of a Whippet is fast. For really steep shit, I'm a fan of leashing both my axe and Whippet to a lightweight harness--you won't drop anything, and if there's spindrift or you need to stop, you can make and instant ice axe anchor.
On the down, I like that the Whippet gives some security in sketchy spots AT LOW SPEED. I've done minor self arrests with it before, but once you're sailing, forget it. That's my argument about knifing yourself too--in places where you need self arrest capability, puncturing yourself isn't the big concern in a fall. Skiing with an axe, whether glacier or ice tool, is ungainly, and puts me less as ease.
Keeping your tools on hand is really key too. The Whippet has a hand strap. I'm blown away by the number of people who ski with an axe without any sort of leash--again, in a fall, getting sliced is not the big concern. I've had non ski related falls where I dropped my axe, pulled it back via a leash, and successfully stopped. If you accidentally drop your axe while skiing, you're extra hosed because you can't arrest or build an anchor with it.
Obviously, there's many schools of thought here. I'd be curious to hear other folks' thoughts.
BD whippets are fixed to the grip/shaft of the ski pole. Worth noting that it comes in a metal version that's two sections, and a carbon, three section one that is easier to stow. Given the beating they take, I'd be hesitant to mess with the carbon one.
The other existent option is a Petal/Charlet Moser thing that is retractable. Haven't used it.
BD recently recalled a bunch of Whippets, so if you own one, double check--the reason was that the picks were snapping on people. Sort of important. A buddy was doing some mixed down climbing with one the other day and had this happen--good thing he had a tool in a bomber placement too.
The most obvious part of Whippet is the weight savings--you can take one combo tool instead of both a pole and an axe.
Whippets are great to give extra purchase on the up. Obviously you can't plunge them, but in many snow types, a full plunge isn't practical or efficient--whereas the easy placement of a Whippet is fast. For really steep shit, I'm a fan of leashing both my axe and Whippet to a lightweight harness--you won't drop anything, and if there's spindrift or you need to stop, you can make and instant ice axe anchor.
On the down, I like that the Whippet gives some security in sketchy spots AT LOW SPEED. I've done minor self arrests with it before, but once you're sailing, forget it. That's my argument about knifing yourself too--in places where you need self arrest capability, puncturing yourself isn't the big concern in a fall. Skiing with an axe, whether glacier or ice tool, is ungainly, and puts me less as ease.
Keeping your tools on hand is really key too. The Whippet has a hand strap. I'm blown away by the number of people who ski with an axe without any sort of leash--again, in a fall, getting sliced is not the big concern. I've had non ski related falls where I dropped my axe, pulled it back via a leash, and successfully stopped. If you accidentally drop your axe while skiing, you're extra hosed because you can't arrest or build an anchor with it.
Obviously, there's many schools of thought here. I'd be curious to hear other folks' thoughts.
ChasingFlakes
Member
13382928:Literature said:
/thread. Also a whippet can be used as a quick out of life is you are hurtling 100kph towards all that exposure below! Yay! skiing can be saucy
.skiperisher.
Member
The whippet is very handy and combo'd with an ice axe keeps you with three points of contact on steep climbs. Saves having to carry two axes in most situations