Anyone who knows me knows that the regular near-accidents with walking sticks on my mountain tours annoy me, as I believe that walking sticks limit the balance of most participants.

In my opinion, the participants, who often use walking sticks, are usually the most insecure.

Now there are also a few examples where this is not the case, i.e. where participants are safe on the mountain despite hiking poles.

Here I found interesting arguments against the continuous use of walking sticks:

http://www.alpin.de/sicher-am-berg/6045/artikel_so_setzen_sie_wanderstoecke_richtig_ein.html

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"....Experts like the doctor Dieter Lechner warn: "The constant help through the stick changes the feeling of balance on the one hand.

On the other hand, the joint structures and muscles are not given enough opportunity to adapt and train to the stresses." That is why doctors recommend healthy, young to middle-aged people in less extreme terrain to do without poles more often.

The UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) recommends the use of mountain poles "only" in old age, in cases of massive obesity, spinal and joint damage, when carrying heavy backpacks and in snow, wetness and darkness".

Why it should make sense to use it in the dark is not quite clear to me, my opinion:

  • Where it is quite straight, also on snowshoe tours, gladly with stick, if one masters the technique.
  • Where it's steep, where you need your hands, where you have to climb: Put those sticks away!
  • With the money for hiking poles you can become a member of the DAV for 1 year or pay for a sponsoring membership at Greenpeace or a membership in the FDP :-)

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator