Clinopoles
More than
an inclinometer
How to use your Clinopoles
Line-of-sight inclinometry:
Video: Use | PoleClinometer.com
To evaluate your ascent/descent route: from the top
or from the bottom.
Sighting up or down, find the degree line that looks straight
when aligned with the slope.
Looking for alternative route options on the way:
sight adjacent slopes from the side.
To determine how far an avalanche could reach, look uphill to
the highest obvious triggering zone (alpha angle, 18 degree line marked red), for example when arriving in touring terrain, noting the limit of true ”avalanche country”, and choosing a camping site.
In any case, just DANGLE IT! Your pole must HANG FREELY from a loose grip for an accurate vertical reference.
Contact inclinometry
Video: https://youtu.be/2p2AOun4muk
-To determine the slope angle in your present position and check how close (or how far into) the risk zone you have proceeded.
-How to do it:
Swing the tip of the horizontal pole up the slope in fall line: the steepest
section. Try to set it on the snow so that the tip is just on the surface.
In very fluffy powder snow you can ask your buddy to align their skis in
fall line and parallel to snow surface, and measure the angle of the skis.
Confirm that it is horizontal: check that the bubble is between the
indicator lines of the vial.
Take a light two-finger pinch of the top of the vertical pole handle,
so it hangs freely.
Position the vertical pole at the reference line of the horizontal pole.
Lower the freely hanging vertical pole until the tip touches the snow surface.
Read the slope angle from the degree scale, and check your risk.
One important thing: do inclinometry often. When hiking uphill, once every 20-30 minutes, and
always when the slope angle appears to change. This will delay your hike by 20 to 40 seconds
on a 1000 m (3000 ft) vertical ascent.
-Optional: measuring slopes steeper than 45 degrees: On your horizontal pole, mark the same degree scale as on your vertical pole, but from 45 degrees at the reference line down towards the tip the degrees go up; 40 degrees becomes 50 etc.
Lower the vertical pole to 45 degrees, then keep it on this height and slide it along the horizontal pole until its tip touches the snow surface. Check the horizontal pole position and read the angle on the degree scale on the horizontal pole.
Risk check:
Before the trek, find out what is the avalanche danger for the day. On the trek, check only the indicator wedge for the day's avy danger.
Danger grade 2 – moderate – refer to the yellow indicator: your reasonably safe slope angle is below 35 to 40 degrees.
Danger grade 3 – considerable – refer to the orange indicator: your reasonably safe slope angle is below 30 to 35 degrees.
Danger grade 4 – high – refer to the red indicator: your reasonably safe slope angle is below 25 to 30 degrees.
The low tip of the wedge indicates recommended maximal steepness of "Afterski" method,
top broad end of the wedge refers to "Elementary Reduction Method". Between these angles you are
in area of increasing risk. Above the indicator wedge the risk increases exponentially.
When you want to diminish your risk, use the line-of-sight PoleClinometer® to find adjacent mellower slopes.
Continue on the indicated risk zones ONLY if you know what you are doing, and master the many
varied avalanche danger mitigation techniques. If you are not sure, just turn around and enjoy the ride.
For instance:
At the upper limit of the Elementary Reduction method your risk to trigger a fatal avalanche is comparable to that of driving in highway traffic. Going steeper than this increases the risk exponentially, and can be likened to being negligent of traffic signs or the condition of your vehicle, driving dangerously: speeding, passing with poor visibility of the road ahead, drinking and driving.etc.
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User Experiences
" I could easily perform reliable measurements. This was useful in previously unknown terrain, where it was obligatory to check carefully where to go."
“Use of the poles was easy and fast once I got the hold of it. Clinopoles gave me a fantastic way to keep up presence and continuous vigilance on the mountain. They incited constructive discussions in my group, too.”
“Measurements were easy and quick. A problem with the poles was wind; the vertical pole swinging makes measurement difficult; at times in high wind I was not happy with the measuring accuracy.”
“I have always regarded different inclinometers awkward to use, and have not used them much. (In this study) …as I expected, the eye gets keener, the more often you measure the slope. Clinopoles are just the right tool for me to improve slope my estimation skills.”
“The poles are remarkably easy to use, the only thing to remember is to check the level.
Disclaimer
Clinopoles are NOT a substitute for an avalanche course or studying a textbook; rather they should be regarded as an excellent companion in terrain assesment AFTER you have attained basic avalanche education.
Clinopoles are very easy to use, so even a first-timer can detect whether the slope is capable to release an avalanche in the day’s conditions, or is it reasonably safe to travel. Clinopoles will probably help you avoid most self-triggered avalanches.
However, using Clinopoles cannot give you 100% guarantee of avoiding avalanches. They cannot protect you from avalanches coming from above: naturally released, remotely triggered by yourself, or triggered by someone else above you.
Besides avalanches, backcountry activities provide numerous other risks, e.g falls or collisions, tree wells, rock, cornice or serac falls, rapid weather changes with temperature, wind and visibility extremes, getting lost or veering off a safe route, unexpected snowpack changes e.g. icy chutes or wet slush, snow-covered obstacles, creeks or crevasses. Any of these may cause serious injury or death.
So even if you can avoid triggering an avalanche, please be careful and take along human companions in addition to your clinopoles.