Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork £145
These premium trekking poles are designed for all-season use, with a three-piece construction made from 100% carbon fibre.
They’re probably the stiffest carbon poles here, but at just 250g per pole they’re light. The handle has a natural cork grip with a lower section made from EVA foam rubber and a soft, rubberised top. This sits comfortably in the palm if you change grip when descending, while the foam extension also makes it easy to choke down on the pole when climbing.
The fabric strap is very comfy and supportive. Adjustment is via Black Diamond’s FlickLock Pro technology, with all locking components made from robust forged aluminium.
The replaceable tips are made from hardened tungsten carbide, with small baskets made from soft plastic. Only one set is supplied with the poles, but they are compatible with Black Diamond’s larger alpine and snow baskets.
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IF WE’RE BEING FUSSY...
They aren’t the most compact. The FlickLock Pro mechanism isn’t our favourite system either
– the collars aren’t attached to the shafts, so they can come loose, and they’re only adjustable via a small (supplied) Allen key, which makes finetuning on the trail tricky.
■ SHAFTS Carbon fibre
■ COLLAPSED LENGTH 61cm
■ ADJUSTMENT 100-130cm
■ WEIGHT PER PAIR 500g
Verdict
Stiff but lightweight all-season carbon fibre poles with very comfortable grips and wrist straps.