Backpacker in Yosemite told me to ditch my trekking poles for river crossings

I had shin splints for three days after crossing the Merced River with poles strapped to my pack because I slipped on a rock, so should I just use a single hiking stick instead for balance?

2 comments

2 Comments

carter.hugo10d ago

You mentioned you strapped your poles to your pack and then slipped. Man, that's rough. I remember one time I was crossing a creek in the Sierras and I had my poles in my hands but I was holding them too close together. I ended up stabbing myself in the thigh trying to catch my balance. Totally stupid. I actually find that using a single pole is way better for river crossings because you can keep one hand free to grab rocks or branches if you need to. But honestly, the real trick is to take your time and keep your feet flat. Shin splints are no joke, I get them from running on concrete sometimes. Hope your legs are feeling better by now.

faith_torres839d ago

You used to just strap poles away for creek crossings too but that single pole idea makes a lot of sense actually. Keeping one hand free to grab something stable would have saved me a few clumsy falls for sure. I’m definitely going to try that method next time I hit the water.