Watch your step and walking pole placement

[Lee Jackson]

Watch your step!!!
My walking pole got stuck in between cobblestones and I went down hard with my arm meeting the curb.
Many people along the coastal route were have the same thing happen I watched a few almost fall. Tip of walking pole sticking between boards on boardwalk and between cobblestones.

This is my camino souvenir!

 

[BarbyLivie]

Ouch!

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

As Barby says, "Ouch!!!" 30 min of ice and 30 min of cold alternate as often as possible. So glad it was only soft tissue.

I have heard many complaints about poles from, "they are constantly, tap, tap, tapping all day long, getting stuck, sliding, all sorts of things. If I may, when I bought my sticks, they came with snow baskets and treaded rubber feet. For use on the Camino in May / June, the rubber feet are installed. Because of this, they are quiet, do not get stuck into anything and, a little bonus, they have been allowed through TSA every time, including Toronto, Montreal, Dublin, London, Paris and Santiago. Yes, I was allowed to walk them onto and off of every plane.

 

[Hiawatha]

A timely and pertinent reminder Lee , one consolation is that bruises heal faster than breaks
Whilst walking through the Lerderderg Gorge near Melbourne some years ago I saw a horrendous injury caused by much the same circumstance . Walking along the dry river bed a bush walker's Carbon fibre pole stuck between two boulders , it snapped as it twisted under the walkers weight and subsequently impaled them as they fell onto the jagged stump . Fortunately the damage was limited to flesh rather than organs . I have used alloy poles ever since !