A Dozen Uses for the Black Diamond Whippet Self-Arrest Ski Pole

I’m a huge fan of my Whippet, made by Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.  For those not in the know, a Whippet is a ski pole with a self-arrest pick built into the hand grip.  It also sports easy length adjustment via the FlickLock mechanism, clearly marked 5 centimeter length adjustment intervals, and an ergonomic grip which doesn’t cause fatigue even on epic length days. At around $90 for one of these implements, you may wonder if this price is too high for a simple ski pole, essentially a one-use product.  I would argue that the uses are not limited to anywhere near single.  What I enjoy most about this essential piece of gear is its multi-functionality.  It’s as if Wenger, the company behind the Swiss Army Knife, thought this thing up.  To give credit where it’s due, this product is Andrew McLean’s invention.

The Black Diamond Whippet.

Sure, bringing it along on a backcountry ski descent makes a lot of sense, as, if the skier falls, they’ve got immediate recourse towards safety, ready in the palm of their hand.  Self-arrest poles are effective in enabling a skier who has fallen on a steep slope, to eventually stop that unintended descent.  Of course, they work even better if the skier plunges them into the slope immediately upon falling, which can often stop the tumble before it begins.

Anyone who has heard of a Whippet probably already knows all that.  But back to the multi-functionality: I use my Whippet in many ways, almost all of them a lot more frequently than for self-arresting.  For the record, I’ve only used a Whippet to self-arrest twice; once when an avalanche in Laurel Canyon ripped out at my feet, knocking me over and trying to drag me down the face and over a large cliff.  I planted the Whippet and stuck in place.  On the other occasion, I slipped on some bulletproof snow during an ascent, began sliding, and couldn’t self-arrest (stop) until I got the Whippet working for me.  It’s gotten to the point where, even in fresh, deep powder, where it’s less effective than on harder snow for stopping a fall, I bring one for use as my main pole.

It’s just so incredibly useful.  Here, I’ve compiled a dozen ways that I use a Whippet, not including its primary function:

1. Scraping snow out from beneath Dynafit toe pieces – If you use Dynafits, you know that snow and ice can build up here.  This occurs particularly on the ascent, tending to interfere with smooth binding operation just in time for the descent, which is the last place that you want this news.  I stand my ski on end, put the pick beneath the toe bar, and with a few quick scrapes, the problem is solved as the snow and ice fall out of the binding.

2. Removing ice from in between boot buckle adjustment slots – I always skin up with my boots loose, and then tighten them for a descent.  Often, particularly after boot packing, ice builds up on my buckle clasps, and I can’t get the buckle into a tighter slot.  The thin pick of the Whippet fits perfectly in this groove, and with a swipe or two, wipes the slot out cleanly.

Whippet cleaning buckle slots of snow and ice.

3. Hooking tree branches on the ascent for a lever up – Some sketchy and steep skin tracks, particularly above exposure, have a mandatory kick turn placed in an awkward spot.  In times like these, I look for a tree to loop with the business end of my pole, giving myself a firm hold on the mountain.  Other times, the skin track is so steep as it crosses a rollover, that hooking onto a tree is useful.

Whippet in use as a hook on a steep rollover.

4. Sawing snow – When I forget my snow saw at home and find myself digging a snow pit to check snow stability, the blade on the end of my grip doubles as an acceptable saw for isolating columns.  I’ve also used it to assist in cutting off small cornices for cornice drops, to test suspect slopes.

Whippet snow column isolation.

Whippet as improvised snow saw.

5. Protection against wild animal attack – I’ve perhaps overthought this scenario, but after time spent skiing in the mountains, with various four legged creatures out, I long ago came up with my defense plan.  That is to swing the blade in the direction of any aggressive teeth that come too close to me.  Thankfully, I’ve not had to do this, but having given the matter thought gives me a sense of preparation should a random animal attack occur.

6. As an anchor on sketchy, steep ascents – When I’m booting up steep snow and rock covered pitches, it’s very comforting having a strong blade to plunge into each handhold, giving extra grip.  With its machined teeth on the inside of the pick, the Whippet holds decently on the occasional rock which presents itself in the snow, too.

7. Bar wrapper opener – If you’re like me, you open your snack bar wrappers from the end, and promptly, tear off that piece, leaving no easy way to tear the smooth, tough material most wrappers are made of these days.  It’s then down to teeth, or another tear in the diminished end of the wrapper, to try the same thing again.  Or, you can pull off that bit of the wrapper like usual, stick the end of the Whippet in there, and easily tear even the toughest wrapper with its unyielding strength.  A Whippet never fails because its fingers are too cold, or too wet on a slippery package. It just gets the job done, quickly and easily.

8. Itch reducer – Let’s face it, backcountry skiing involves working hard to move uphill, sweating in the cold, often wearing a hat.  That’s a scenario just begging to set off our human itch sensors.  I use my Whippet blade, carefully, to scratch such itches through my hat all the time.  It works like a charm!

9. Skin scraper – In a pinch, having left behind my regular scraper, the curved inside of the Whippet pick is decent at removing glom that’s frozen onto my skins.  Removing this built up snow is essential to returning one’s gliding ability on the skin track. A more permanent treatment can be found here.

Cleaning unwanted, accumulated snow from skins with the pick.

10. Bottle opener – I’ve watched an incredibly ingenious friend open beer bottles with just about everything, and the Whippet is no exception.  If you’re trying to open a few brews back at the trailhead after a long day with your pals, forgetting your bottle opener is no reason to end the celebratory mood.  Just place the pick beneath the bottle cap sideways, and pry it off.

11. Boot scraper – Back when I used Fritschi’s, snow buildup on the bottom of my boots, particularly after hiking up a new boot track in sunny conditions, prevented me from stepping into my bindings at the top of the run.  Even using Dynafits now, I occasionally get enough buildup to prevent the toe pins from latching inwards.  A few scrapes, perhaps even a serious whack or two, from the blade of a Whippet, and even solid ice comes off.

12. Switching from fixed heel to free heel in Dynafits without taking off my skis – Many folks know about this clever Dynafit trick, but I’ve personally bent pole ends trying it with the tip of my ski poles.  I use the Whippet pick instead.

And there it is, a dozen uses for the Whippet besides its primary function.  In fact, I use this handy tool for so many things, I’m going to post another set of 12 uses!