Hey there! I'm guessing the answer is probably not, since I see these are out of stock literally everywhere - but any idea when BD will have more stock of these?
Thanks!
Greg
Black Diamond Whippet Pole
We are forever indebted to Andrew McLean, designer of the Whippet. With dozens (hundreds?) of known uses, the iconic pole is a staple of ski mountaineering. The latest iteration features a totally removeable Whippet head, allowing you to adapt to the changing conditions at a moment’s notice. Using an easy-to-operate threaded wedge system to securely pair the reinforced pole and Whippet head into one, the removable head offers massively increased versatility at no extra cost to safety and security compared to the previous model.
Designed as a self-arrest device, the Whippet is moderately capable of stopping a slide in progress. It’s better at preventing them, with the plunging pick offering purchase in consolidated snow. It can also hook on rocks and roots to give grip in mixed terrain. While not the lightest pole, it’s often enough security to forgo carrying a proper ice axe, reducing overall weight.
Not sure if your day of high speed meadow skipping is going to evolve into steep skiing? Maybe the snow isn’t stable enough to support your steep skiing plans and you’re skiing fast, low angle snow instead? Either way, skiing fast with a Whippet feels a bit too much like running with scissors and skiing steeps with no pointy self-arrest devices is even more terrifying. When you don’t need it just toss it in the pack next to your snacks, when you need it it’ll thread on at a moment’s notice. Better safe than sorry and you will thank the new Whippet for its versatility and application in any terrain.
- Three aluminum sections are adjustable between 100 and 140 centimeters in length and collapses all the way down to 70cm.
- Pick is made from stainless steel and has a wing to grab more snow when plunged.
- Comes with locking 3/4 baskets which can be changed without fuss but will lock in the proper orientation for spin-free performance.
- FlickLock Pro telescoping lock prevents collapse while maintaining a low profile.
* Please note that unlike most poles, these are sold individually.
Update 2018/19: The aluminum Whippet is now a three-piece (it was previously two) and the axe head is removeable.
Update 2019/20: Updated FlickLock Pro construction uses aluminum, and its small adjustment lever has an easier to use design. BD also added indexed baskets, meaning they put a tab on the basket which fits into a groove on the base, holding the basket in place and eliminating spinning baskets. As a heads-up, this update means that BD's new indexed baskets will NOT fit older 18/19 and prior poles, which don't have the necessary groove to accommodate the notch on the basket. Older BD baskets do fit onto the new poles, but you'll just have to keep suffering with spinning baskets.
| Specifications | |
| Lengths (cm) | Adjustable 97-140, collapsed at 70cm |
|
Weight |
454g |
| Weight (pair) | 908g |
| Sections | 3 |
| Grip | Dual-density plastic/rubber |
| Basket & Tip | Indexed 3/4 powder basket, carbide tip |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
|
|
Aluminum upper and lowers, stainless steel pick |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Skiing, splitboarding |
| Notes | Security/self-arrest capability for when steep |
| Bottom Line | Essential ski mountaineering tool |
| Compare to other Adjustable Ski Poles | |
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Questions & Reviews
4/10/2022
4/11/2022
Thanks for reaching out, Greg. We are hopeful that we'll receive more this year but don't have a definitive timeline. Please send an email to help@skimo.co if you wish to be notified when they arrive!
Answer this question:
I will bring this on the majority of spring tours. I have arrested on it only a few times but find it gives peace of mind and worth the minor weight penalty. Definitely make more use of this than my lightweight ice axe.
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I loved the idea of the whippet and was pretty stoked when I got one a few years ago. I do think it's sometimes the right tool for climbing (although the fact that you can't plunge with it unless you remove the powder basket limits it's usefulness even there), but I feel like on the descent (which is when the fact that it's a ski pole rather than just an axe should really shine) I don't think there are many circumstances where it will help you arrest. If the snow is soft, you're obviously better off trying to dig in with your skis as the whippet pick is small and will just cut through soft snow. If the snow is hard but you still have skis on, it's very difficult to get enough weight on the pick for it to dig in well - and I again feel like you're better off trying to dig in your edges than use your whippet (the caveat being that if you're already moving fast down a steep slope this will just make you tomahawk rather than slide).
Since you can easily get a lightweight ski pole and axe that weigh less than a whippet these days, I don't think there are enough use cases where the whippet is the right tool to justify purchasing one anymore. Just get a Blacklight Pro pole and a Gully instead.
The one situation where I suspect the whippet might still be useful is relatively mellow spring skinning on a melt-freeze crust. It's tough to stop a slip with your edges when you have skins on and your heel detached, but an ice axe might not be long enough to plant on the slope without bending over.
Since you can easily get a lightweight ski pole and axe that weigh less than a whippet these days, I don't think there are enough use cases where the whippet is the right tool to justify purchasing one anymore. Just get a Blacklight Pro pole and a Gully instead.
The one situation where I suspect the whippet might still be useful is relatively mellow spring skinning on a melt-freeze crust. It's tough to stop a slip with your edges when you have skins on and your heel detached, but an ice axe might not be long enough to plant on the slope without bending over.
Comment on this review:
Been using multiple versions of the whippet for 15+ years. It's an absolute must-have for Wasatch ski mountaineering. Just this week it got me down a chute in one piece. Use it for climbing on every booter. My biggest worry when first buying was stabbing myself or tearing my outerwear and neither has happened over hundreds of ski days. If you don't have at least one already, not sure what you're doing on this site.
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8/15/2019
Do you still make or offer a version of the whippet with a non-removable picket?
8/15/2019
Alvin, BD does not offer that anymore.
Answer this question:
5/16/2019
Has anyone spent any considerable time with the new removable-axe-head whippets? Seems like a recipe for disaster to me; how secure is the attachment, is there some sort of lock-in-place mechanism or do you just screw the thing on and hope it doesn't slowly unscrew?
5/17/2019
Mbillie, Maybe some others can chime in who have more experience. BD came up with what they call a ClickLock mechanism. It is not just a screw on attachment and it does not seem like it can unthread on its own.
1/26/2022
Attachment is very secure when i put it on. It didn't slowly unscrew over the course of a long day while skinning and booting up 5k ft of vert. I personally keep the whippet head off after tours.
My friend also has used the whippet for the last 3 years, and just keeps the removable head on. He's never had an issue of it falling off, though he does need to tighten it a few times a season.
My friend also has used the whippet for the last 3 years, and just keeps the removable head on. He's never had an issue of it falling off, though he does need to tighten it a few times a season.
Answer this question:
12/11/2015
David
(used product regularly)
The secret for self arresting with this is not to fall.
The other trick I find is to only use the wrist loop on the whippet and let the other ski pole fall away. Its hard enough self arresting with any weigh on as it is, but if the free hand that normally is placed on the ice axe spike in a self arrest situation has a ski pole wrapped around it you are in trouble mate.
The other trick I find is to only use the wrist loop on the whippet and let the other ski pole fall away. Its hard enough self arresting with any weigh on as it is, but if the free hand that normally is placed on the ice axe spike in a self arrest situation has a ski pole wrapped around it you are in trouble mate.
Comment on this review:
I have never needed to self arrest with mine, thankfully, but they have performed well in practice scenarios. In practice scenarios it seemed like one whippet was easier to arrest on for me than two, although I know several people who prefer to carry one in each hand. Hardly an everyday tool for me, but in exposed situations definitely worth the fairly considerable cost for the peace of mind. I find one whippet, one regular pole and a mountaineering axe a nice combo for most situations.
Comment on this review:
The newer stainless steel whippet has a major design flaw, IMO: the notch at the pick is ridiculously sharp and several people have had them break off. I haven't had mine break and will be sending it in for recall (kudos, BD), but it's also good to know that the kinds of use in which they've broken amounts to using it as a mountaineering axe on short sections of ice, not basic snow/avy-bed self-arrest as they were designed for. Fortunately BD has acknowledged the problem and come up with a solution.
12/1/2014
Good news, the Whippets now shipping (post-recall) have been strengthened and no longer have that notch.
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