Gear of the Week | Black Diamond Compactor Ski Poles

As a splitboarder, you are more likely to be on the red list of endangered species among ski tourers, although it is certainly more common to encounter a splitboarder or snowboarder with short skis or snowshoes than to spot a mountain eagle.

Nonetheless, it is a fact that many snowboarders turn their backs on snowboards when touring, as skis simply offer many advantages uphill. Whether skis or snowboards win on the descent is, of course, open to debate. One thing is undisputed: snowboarding in deep snow is a special experience! Of course, this experience is also sought after by people who like to go uphill. To help snowboarders climb the mountain better, easier, faster, safer and more fun, the industry offers a wide range of innovations.

One of these splitboard-friendly innovations are the compact Black Diamond Compactor Ski Poles. The poles are manufactured with the so-called Z-Pole technology, which allows you to split the pole into 3 parts. The result looks like a three-part nunchaku and you can imagine yourself fighting bad guys Bruce Lee style. The 3 parts are connected by a rubber band and are so compact that they can be stowed in any normal touring rucksack.

Before you go down the mountain, you first have to climb it and this is where the Compactor Ski Poles make quite a good impression. When assembled, they feel very stable. The poles are equipped with 100 mm Compact Powder Discs, which provide sufficient support in deep snow. The plates can be assembled compactly thanks to a material recess. The poles have a rubber grip extension that can be gripped comfortably, even without gloves, and offers a good grip. The poles can be adjusted in height by 20 cm with the Flip Lock Pro module in three easy steps (open, adjust, close). This can certainly be advantageous for longer traverses, especially if you don't trust the splitboard edge so much on steep ascents and like to use your upper body more.

On arrival at the summit, the poles can be assembled very quickly. The poles have also proved their worth in ice and cold conditions during assembly and disassembly. Thanks to their compact shape, you can either stow them in your backpack or conventionally on the outside of your backpack. If there are longer pushing sections on the way back, the poles are more likely to be attached to the outside. On wild forest descents, however, it is advantageous to pack them in the backpack, as branches and bushes then have less surface to attack. Airbag backpacks are also not potentially hindered by the poles when inflating.

The poles can be easily stowed in the backpack on mountain lift-supported freeride days, but on long pulls where you would otherwise have to "scooch" (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w7sVSMbjyM) or push out in one footer, you can use your own poles to save energy. If you're often out and about with skiers, you'll also save yourself the beer you owe the "pole donors" - cheers!