Black Diamond Traverse Ski Poles

During my 10+ years of backcountry skiing and adventure racing, I have used every kind of adjustable ski/trekking pole on the market in the mountain rock and snow, desert sand, jungle mud swamps. Where the screw-lock verions with their failure-prone internal components have seized up or slipped, the BD Flick-Lock mechanism with its patented cam endures.

Last year whilst skiing with a ridiculously heavy pack on I bent a lower shaft. I bend it back into place with my superhuman strength and survived. It was about $15 at the local shop for a new one, and I still have the "customized" one as a spare. Lightweight, durable and very easily adjusted poles, just realize they are a "lightweight" design.

Light weight durable poles that are ideal for the backcountry. Easy & strong fliplock adjustment for use on the fly. Comfortable hand grips, as well as strength in flex, and strong, light pole baskets. Also highly recommend purchasing the whippet attachment for these poles, which has a seamless fit and is a must have addition for any ski mountaineer or off-piste explorer. Have used these poles for a multitude of backcountry adventures, as well as for expedition skiing and they have performed perfectly and saved a considerable amount of weight.

Not sure what one can say about poles...been using mine for a season now...they're not broken, and work as needed...this rating system should really be a binary for something so simple (all or nothing...they either work or they don't)

Owned for one season. Used about 20 times and no damage yet after some good spills (I usually replace poles every 1-2 seasons because of damage... I guess I have a knack for breaking poles). Also works well with snow saw (sold separate). You can't beat the product for the price.

I've been using these for over 2 years now and they've served me fantastically -- in-bounds and backcountry. The flicklock design never gets stuck, making adjustments quick and easy. They're quite durable too -- it took an out of control, un-braked tele ski traveling around 60 mph to bend it. Thankfully, BD keeps spare parts around, so they're easy to repair too. These poles provide excellent bang for your buck...highly suggested.

Has worked great for me for over two years and countless amount of vert in the Wasatach. Have held up great for the price. I would recommend these to anyone getting out touring.

Took poles to Mt. Rainier. Hard to travel with as bottom half barely fits into a LARGE duffel bag and is so tight that it tries to poke through. Suggest shortening by 11-2 inches on the bottom shaft. No problems with the top shaft - they could increase that by an inch or two to make up for the difference. Other than that - these poles are great - and really took a beating - Overall - I love them - you will too.

These poles are great for touring. I extend them out an extra 15 centimeters when I'm skinning up. Just beware, they are not as strong as a single-shaft aluminum pole - but that is understandable given the extension option. It's not a knock on the quality of the pole.

I am a new at cross country skiing and these poles are perfect! At the tops of hills I used the as a "parking" brake, going down the hills I used them as source of emergency balance! They flexed but never bent, very impressive considering what I put them through even if one of them did bend I would buy them again. And as the name describes them when transversing a mountain side you can adjust the length of the poles as needed for the up or down side. Thanks, GunnyE

These poles are such a deal for the money and get the job done. I'm a multi-sport athlete so I can use these poles for two types of skiing and for snowshoeing since I can adjust them easily. They were tight at first but some easy adjustments were made and now they are rocking. Awesome poles, BD makes great gear as usual!

I skied over 85 days last year with these Black Diamond poles. That included BC, park, tele, alpine, trees, moguls, anything. These babies held up admirably under all conditions. They took quite a beating and came out fine. They are super easy to adjust when touring. I use mine 10cm shorter when tele skiing than alpine skiing. This is my go-to pole for both! Simple and effective.

I had been happy with the black diamond poles I bought my wife so I finally decided to buy a pair for myself... I chose the Traverse Flicklocks because they would work w/ my BlackDiamond snow saw... However the first trip one of the poles bent while skiing.... Now the pole will not collapse... I have never had a pole bend before...

Switched to the flicklocks because I grew tired of taking my gloves off to adjust the twistlocks on a previous pair of bc poles. The flicklock is a huge improvement, easy to adjust with gloves on cold days.

The flick-lock mechanism does not slip at all and is easy to adjust. They feel fairly light, and have help up to my abuse so far.

These FlickLock poles are great. I have had no problem with the poles and have been using them all this season. They are easy to adjust and stay locked. The poles seem to being holding up well to the abuse of an east coast winter. You’re not going to get a better pole for this price.

Great poles! Have not had any issues with the flicklocks. Highly recommend!

these are great poles that work perfectly for backcountry travel. especially for their price, a great buy,

If your looking for an entry level (cheap) adjustable pole. Get the Traverse FlickLock. It's burly, and for the price you won't get anything better.

Just bought these puppies, as I have given my old Leki poles a deserved retirement. I really like Black Diamond products, so I wasn't surprised with the quality of the FlickLock - it really cements the pole in place, so there is no slippage at all (unlike my Lekis). My complaint is around the powder basket - it just doesn't seem to want to stay on. I am this close to breaking out the duct tape - even though I ski every other weekend. I am dreading the day I lose it.

These poles feel light and are well constructed. I enjoy being able to use them for Alpine skiing, Telemark, Nordic touring and snowshoeing because of their adjustability. I read other reviews of poles and felt like the twist lock type poles tended to collapse pretty easily, which would be very annoying. I have not had that problem with these poles on the last 8 days out using them skiing. I am very satisfied.

If you are hiking at night or trying to get around the camp site at night, this headlamp does its job well. I like how light beam can be adjusted from straight to scatter with 3 different light strength levels. The quick flash option works nice when you just want to quickly locate something in the dark. While it works well for camping, etc., it isn't suited for activities like running, climbing, etc. You'll probably need something with strong output for those activities.

These would even be great for running around in the park and then getting into the steeps. Good for whatever and adjust in seconds....I love how I can compact them all the way down and throw them in the car.

The flick lock holds well and the poles have a nice swing weight to them. Leave the carbon poles for the fancy boys - poles get worked in the backcounty.

Nice price get the job done pole. Don't fold down to a very small size but I was able to manage. Using a split snowboard and putting them on my pack I looked like a radio soldier.

They work, great price! They are great. They’re still straight and working perfectly after 25 days of use. Dan

These poles are extremely affordable and are very durable. I have been completely satisfied. These poles are great for off piste hiking or resort access OB. The flick-lock is bombproof and provides easy, fast adjustment. To test it out, I locked the pole and then put all of my weight on it and it did not slip at all! By far the best locking mechanism on the market!

Excellent pole to use along with a whippet pole. The weight matches the (unarmed) whippet pole well and makes for a nice symmetric swing weight when skiing. My only complaint is that the angled points on the '3/4 baskets' get caught easily and frequently on underbrush if you find yourself bushwhacking a bit on the approaches or exits.

These poles are great! For backcountry and piste, they perform the same. Alpine and telemark poles that you can strap onto your bag. I am very pleased with these poles and would recommend them to everyone.

In the Sierras, land of wet snow, it is nice to have an adjustable pole at a very reasonable price. Skinning up hill I lengthen them, and then coming down I shorten them. The Flicklock is sturdy and certain in holding its position. I made all of my adjustments with a thick pair of gloves on. The grips are easy on the hands, and accommodate a number of hand positions. I removed my gloves for part of my tour and had no hand discomfort. The straps were easy to adjust with gloves on and were soft to the bare hand. Changing baskets was a breeze. Recommend purchasing the powder baskets at the same time as the poles. They also look nice, and with the reasonable price, I will not be whining and complaining when I eventually break them. A great product at a great price.

I purchased the poles for my wife, who absolutely loves them. They pack well and work great!

These are the cheapest/best poles for the budget. Completely satisfied.

If you ski AT or Telemark, you need 2-piece poles because they're stiffer and lighter + the traverse is loooooonger (up to 145cm) - which is useful when you're high up on skis/AT bindings/boots (I'm 6' tall). Also the new grip is... well... grippier and the wrist loops comfier. Excellent value for 50 bucks !!

I'm extremely fond of these. They are indeed cheap, which is always nice, and work great and don't weigh much. Do make sure you keep the flicklock thingys closed when transporting, as when they're open the screws tend to self unscrew from your car's vibration and you'll find you've got non-locking poles when you arrive at your destination.

The flicklock traverse is an excellent choice for the bc skier on a budget, or the occasional out of bounds seeker. Easy to adjust with gloves on, the flicklock holds without slipping. If one can tolerate the hard plastic grips and dosn't need the exceptional adjustability of the expedition these are for you. A good pole at a reasonable price.