‘To bring the poles, or not to bring the poles’. That always used to be the question.

Until I started testing Grivel’s Trail Three Pole, I usually opted not to bring poles on ice climbing approaches. They tended to be clunky, heavy, unwieldy. If you weren’t descending the same route you ascended, you’d have to figure out how to holster them in your pack, where they’d awkwardly stick out and catch on things.

Now I bring poles for every approach. Always. They’ve even come with me on a couple bouldering excursions to the bemusement of my pebble-wrestling friends…

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