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Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Black Diamond Traverse Ski Poles > Owner Review by Andrea MurlandBlack
Diamond Traverse Ski Poles Tester Information
I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, and spent 2 months backpacking in the Alps. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on 2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, but don’t have a lot of experience with winter in the backcountry yet. Elevation is typically 500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk, Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t consider myself a lightweight backpacker. Product Information
Description The Black Diamond Traverse Ski Pole is a two-section aluminum pole. The upper section is 16 mm (0.63 in) in diameter, and the lower section 14 mm (0.55 in) in diameter. The poles adjust in length using Black Diamond’s FlickLock Pro system, and the lower section of the poles have markings for length in 5 cm (2 in) increments. My poles from 2008 have the older-style FlickLock system, which is made from plastic, as opposed to the newer stainless steel design. Both the older and newer style work the same way, and the pole length is adjusted by flipping the cam lever open, adjusting to the desired length, and then flipping the cam lever back into the closed position. The Traverse poles have a moulded dual-density plastic grip and a webbing strap. The length of the strap can be adjusted with a plastic ladder-lock buckle. The orange sections of the grip are hard plastic, and the black sections feel a bit softer, but are still quite hard. 6.5 cm (2.6 in) below the grip is a rubber grip extension, which extends 12 cm (4.7 in) down the pole. This extension is textured and allows me to grip the pole securely below the handle if I need a shorter pole for a brief period. The poles come with a 10 cm (4 in) diameter replaceable powder basket. The tip of the poles is concave. The Black Diamond logo is moulded into the plastic of the handles, the FlickLock cam lever, and the powder basket, as well as printed on the shaft of the pole.The Traverse poles are one of the types of poles that work with Black Diamond’s FlickLock Snow Saw, which attaches a saw to the lower section of the pole. My thoughts on that have been documented in my review about the saw on this site. Field Conditions I bought my Traverse poles in late 2008, one of the first pieces of winter backcountry kit I bought. They have been used since then for day and overnight trips snowshoeing, hiking, and skiing. They spend most of their time from October to May in the back of my car, always ready for an impromptu excursion or Search & Rescue call. I have used them on about five overnight trips, plus a week-long hut-based trip, and about fifty day trips. They have been used in sunshine, rain, and snow, in temperatures from about -30 C (-22 F) to about 15 C (59 F).
Review 
Summary
Read more reviews of Black Diamond gear Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Black Diamond Traverse Ski Poles > Owner Review by Andrea Murland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
My Traverse poles are great winter poles. I usually set them at about
115 cm (45 in) for skiing, and a bit shorter for snowshoeing or hiking.
When collapsed, the poles are 94 cm (37 in) long, so still a bit long
to comfortably attach to a pack. However, they fit nicely in the back
of my car, are easier to maneuver with around helicopters, and I can
manage with them on my pack in a pinch. The FlickLock mechanism is easy
to operate and the poles extend and collapse smoothly. The tips are
sharp enough to go into crusty snow, and bite into ice enough to
provide some grip. The powder baskets are big enough to prevent the
pole from disappearing into the snow unless the snowpack is especially
rotten or I find an area with a surface crust and then a cavity
underneath. I find the handles to be comfortable to hold either around
the grip or with the top of the pole in my palm. I don’t usually use
the strap, and have it folded over the top of the handle so that it
sits in front of my palm, between my hand and the handle. I find this a
bit uncomfortable if I have bare hands, but most of my use with these
poles is in temperatures when I’m wearing gloves, and even with thin
gloves the strap doesn’t bother me. The grip extension below the handle
is wonderful. When traversing, I almost always have my palm on the top
of my downhill pole, and hold onto the grip extension on the uphill
pole, and then switch hand position when I switch traversing direction.
I have never had a pole slip in my hand when using the grip extension.
I’m using it at a kick-turn while skinning in the picture on the right
above. About
the only thing that I don’t love about these poles is the weight. Black
Diamond describes them as their “workhorse” poles, and they are
noticeable heavier than my regular ski-hill poles. I guess my arms need
a workout too! I have never had the poles bend or had any concern about
them breaking while skiing or hiking, and I drag my poles when I ski
(see bottom picture).