The Technique of Travel : Page 112

Use of poles.—Ski poles are not just outriggers to help maintain balance. They should, rather, tend to make a quadruped of the tourer, distributing the work of traveling among all the large muscles. The legs, being the most powerfully muscled, must still do most of the work, but the arms can share much of it, often, with a judiciously placed thrust, sparing the skier a spasmodic attempt to regain traction. Try to use the poles so that they will bring into play those muscles of shoulder, arm, and chest used in the push-up. This is done by keeping arms and poles close to the body, pointing and driving the poles backward with a rhythmic follow-through, enhancing propulsion by properly timing the thrust.