Explore It!

Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Carbon trekking poles

• Pros: Extremely versatile; FlickLocks easier to use than twist-lock poles; Numbers along shaft ensure same-length poles
• Cons: Wrist strap doesn’t cinch small enough; Grip tape below foam grip easily scratches other surfaces; Price
• Bottom Line: Though more expensive than many competitors, the Contour Elliptic Carbon trekking poles are great for summer trekking, winter snowshoeing and even downhill skiing.
• Weight: 1 lb 3 oz per pair
• MSRP: $150

Black Diamond’s Web site

I’ve never been a fan of trekking poles until a 3-day, 19-mile backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains. Until then I always saw them as cumbersome and useless.
But whether you’re on a grueling backpack trip or have bad knees or ankles and need some extra stability, a trekking pole is the adventurer’s crutch.
Leki and Black Diamond make some of the most trusted trekking poles available. And while they both have pros and cons among their product lines, Black Diamond utilizes the FlickLock system to secure pole length instead of the traditional twist-to-tighten design.
The FlickLock system is similar to a standard consumer tripod making it easy to operate while wearing bulky gloves or mittens.
One pole, the Contour Elliptic Carbon pole, not only utilizes the FlickLock system, but also incorporates carbon fiber in the top third of it and features an elliptical-shaped shaft which, according to Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond, makes it stronger.
The Contour Elliptic Carbons come with marks on the shaft to eliminate the guesswork when trying to get poles the same length, and they have a very comfortable foam grip and hand strap – albeit the strap doesn’t cinch tight enough for use when not wearing gloves.
Beneath the foam grip is an abrasive tape-like surface that’s designed to help you grip the pole while ascending or descending a hill without adjusting its length. Although, in my opinion, it just scratches rings and chews up the other pole when the two are held together.
The lightweight pole is extremely durable – even when fully extended to 55 inches – and the elliptical design easily cuts through powder and even some crusty snow when snowshoeing.
Being designed for year-round use, it’s great that the poles come with both summer (small) and winter (large) baskets. They are tough to change, but they stay put making the trade-off worth it in my mind.
While there isn’t an anti-shock technology incorporated into the company’s high-end poles, they don’t vibrate nearly as much as other ones I’ve used, and I’d easily recommend them to a friend.