How many poles?

[TallGrass]

By the way, those poles in the photo...what are those wild grips for?

Here's one pair I don't use very often, but works well in spring and summer crust:

They look like the gran-daddy to the BD Whippet. This one has a cover guard. I think an earlier version (or maybe it was the Grivel Condor) could be folded in/out like a locking knife blade -- in on approach, out for steep descents. Think of it like having your ice axe on your pole for easy self-ventilation... cardiac-arrest... self-arrest (whew, that took a couple tries).

https://www.backcountryskiingcanada.com/Black-Diamond-Whippet-Self-Arrest-Ski-Pole-Review

https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/grivel-condor-pole-review

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/product/whippet-pole/





Then there's the Whippet II