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Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking and Ski Poles

I have been testing the Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking poles from Black Diamond for some months now, from hot summer treks to sub zero winter days and can say, hand on heart that these are some of the best poles that I have ever used.

At £99.99 SRP they are very much towards the top end of the market, price wise, but the phrase you get what you pay for, certainly applies in this case.

From the moment that you pick them up, it is clear that a lot of thought has gone into their design, making them very easy to adjust and personalise to your exact fit.. The moulded cork handles and the wide padded wrist straps make using them a pleasure, even when carrying a fully loaded pack.

I am on the tall side at 6’3” and often I find that I am on the very end of a pole’s adjustment, but not with these poles, which have ample length and are ideal for tall people.

The Alpine Carbon Cork poles are fitted with flck locks which can be operated one handed and do not freeze in cold conditions, unlike some poles that use a twist mechanism to open and lock the poles.

On a recent trek into the mountains in heavy snow and with temperatures of -12 Celcius, the locks performed perfectly, allowing me to stow my poles fully closed down on my rucksack and then to open them out when I needed them. These locks are brilliant when you are traversing a slope, as you need to shorten one pole to compensate for the slope and it takes just a few seconds to open the flick lock, slide the shaft and lock them up again, secure in the knowledge, that once locked they stay locked.

The poles are made of carbon fibre which is a natural shock absorber and have moulded cork handles which fit naturally into the palm of your hand. Carbon fibre is a very high tech material, which is often used to build Formula One cars because it is very strong and light weight.

The Alpine Carbon Cork poles, are 3 section and weigh in at 492 gms per pair. They can be closed down to just 63.5cm (25 inches) in length, making them easy to stow on any size of pack.

The poles come with metal walking tips as standard, but are also supplied with snow baskets, which push on and take seconds to fit. As we have had snow and ice in this part of Snowdonia since late December the snow baskets have proved really useful when walking in the hills in deep snow and ice and what’s more they have stayed put! In Norway I used these for cross country skiing and although a bit on the short side they performed well.

In conclusion these are the best poles that I have tested. They are strong and easy to adjust even when wearing thick gloves, do not freeze up, are long enough even for tall people and the cork grips and padded wrist straps are very comfortable to use. In hot weather the cork grips are dry to the touch and comfortable to use on long hikes. If you are looking for a new set of poles then I recommend that you take a close look at the Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles from Black Diamond, you won’t be disappointed. - Dawn Smith

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Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking and Ski Poles

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