What Our Gearhead(R) Experts Are Saying:"I brought the Expedition Carbon Pro Whippet Ski Pole on a steep couloir mission in the Wasatch, and having the whippet built in gave me real peace of mind on the exposed sections. The FlickLock adjustment let me shorten it fast for the skin track and lengthen it again for the descent, and the hidden screwdriver bit came in handy for a mid-tour binding fix. It's the kind of tool you don't think about until you really need it."The traverse narrows and the slope steepens, and this is exactly where the Expedition Carbon Pro Whippet Ski Pole from Black Diamond earns its keep. One pole in hand for balance, the other ready to self arrest if your feet slip out from under you on an exposed skin track, and suddenly that intimidating line feels manageable. This is a pole built for the moments when the terrain gets serious and margin for error gets thin. Every detail here supports that mission. The FlickLock Pro mechanism adjusts in seconds between a shortened uphill length and a longer descent setting, while the carbon shaft keeps the whole pole light without sacrificing the strength you need when you actually weight the whippet. Interchangeable carbide tips bite into ice and firm snow alike, and a hidden screwdriver and hex bit mean a loose binding screw doesn't have to end your day early.