ski poles question

Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.
My aim is go go fully equipped this time with skis. boots & poles, of
which I have just bought a 2nd hand pair of boots from ebay.
My question is this......
Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)
Please excuse the intrusion or if the question is silly at all, or
posted to the wrong group(s)

Any replies most welcome

TIA

Rich

If they are adjustable sure. Do they have interchangeable baskets?

millt wrote:
Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.
My aim is go go fully equipped this time with skis. boots & poles, of
which I have just bought a 2nd hand pair of boots from ebay.
My question is this......
Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)
Please excuse the intrusion or if the question is silly at all, or
posted to the wrong group(s)

Five issues.
Baskets - you need snow baskets.
Tips - ice/snow tips may be different than rock/dirt tips.
Handles - you'll want ski type handles (with straps.)
Length - proper length for skiing is different than walking, so they
need to be adjustable.
Weight/weight distribution - you'll want low swing weight.

So yes, if the above is available you can use walking poles. But why
bother - adequate dedicated ski poles are dirt-cheap or free if you just
look around. Really.

BTW, the chances that you bought a properly fitting ski boot on e-bay
are nil. If you are going to acquire a ski kit, start with a good pair
of boots properly fitted by a real boot fitter expert as the foundation
of your kit. See previous posts in r.s.a for details - boot fitting is a
recurring theme.

millt wrote:
Hi all,

Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)

Rich

In addition to needing baskets, they should have metal or carbide tips,
not the "rubber" tips used on Nordic Walking poles.

Since you appear to be starting, adjustable treking poles will let you
dial in the proper length if they will extend long enough. I use Black
Diamond Traverse poles for BC ski touring, but they are marginally long
enough being marked to 145 cm, but can be extended to about 148 cm. I
use 150 cm poles on prepared track. In contrast while treking, my
trecking poles are set to about 120 or 125 cm.

Rule of thumb on classic length is somewhere between arm pit height to
as high as the top bone of you shoulder. The shorter seems be feel
better on steep climbs and the longer feels better double pooling and
on flatter terrain.

Edgar

millt wrote:

Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.


since you cross posted to alpine as well as nordic, are you talking
about cross country or alpine?
it isn't clear from your epost

My aim is go go fully equipped this time with skis. boots & poles, of
which I have just bought a 2nd hand pair of boots from ebay.


maybe walking the house, they are ok.
after 45km, it may be different.

feet are irreplaceable and miserable ones with poor boots can certainly
do you in for now and for a long time.
I agree, spend the money for the boots at a good shop with good boots.

make do with the poles perhaps but make sure the foundation is solid!

My question is this......
Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)
Please excuse the intrusion or if the question is silly at all, or
posted to the wrong group(s)

Any replies most welcome

TIA

Rich

klh wrote:


millt wrote:

Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.


since you cross posted to alpine as well as nordic, are you talking
about cross country or alpine?
it isn't clear from your epost

You're right - I assumed Alpine. I doubt if an adjustable walking pole
will extend long enough for nordic and retain structural integrity...

millt wrote:
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.
My aim is go go fully equipped this time with skis. boots & poles, of
which I have just bought a 2nd hand pair of boots from ebay.
My question is this......
Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)
Please excuse the intrusion or if the question is silly at all, or
posted to the wrong group(s)

You'll need different poles for nordic (aka crosss-country) than for
alpine (aka downhill). Neither are very expensive, but you need to buy
the right kind in the right length. You can find new poles for under
$20US, or perfectly fine used ones at garage sales for a buck. Our local
re-use center has several barrels of dollar poles. In this case,
there's no good reason to cheap out and try to use your walking poles -
just buy equipment that's made for the task.

So what kind of skiing did you do? Downhill or XC? - you'll get much
more applicable advice if you clue us in on that little secret.

//Walt

lal_truckee wrote:
klh wrote:


millt wrote:

Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.


since you cross posted to alpine as well as nordic, are you talking
about cross country or alpine?
it isn't clear from your epost

You're right - I assumed Alpine. I doubt if an adjustable walking pole
will extend long enough for nordic and retain structural integrity...

I assumed alpine because of the Kaprun reference and because who needs
a learn to ski course for nordic?.... well maybe the jumping bit.

Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:

I assumed alpine because of the Kaprun reference and because who needs
a learn to ski course for nordic?.

Um... I did. Still do, actually.

//Walt

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:13:07 +0100, millt wrote:

Hi all,
just got back from Kaprun in Austria, where me & my partner went
skiing for the 1st time & very much enjoyed it.
We did a learn to ski course & both got on very well indeed, & will be
going back either later this year of early next year.
My aim is go go fully equipped this time with skis. boots & poles, of
which I have just bought a 2nd hand pair of boots from ebay.
My question is this......
Could I use walking poles instead of ski poles? ( I'm a keen walker &
so already have walking poles)
Please excuse the intrusion or if the question is silly at all, or
posted to the wrong group(s)

Assuming you are talking alpine skiing, then as others have said, you
*can* use adjustable hiking poles.

I did, this January, in the Dolomites, and had no real problems, apart
from managing to lose both baskets at different times, and not easy to
find replacements.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Philosophy: unintelligible answers to insoluble problems
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom