Black diamond trail ergo trekking poles - Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles

I bought these poles to replace a pair of Leki Cristallo poles that I left in the back of a van that I hitched a ride to the hostel in at the end of my AT section hike in Nov. '17 (long story). They are a couple of ounces lighter than the Lekis, mostly due to the slightly smaller outside diameter of the tubing used. This results in a slightly less stiff pole, which, strangely, results in a noticeable difference in the vibration felt through the handles ( more with the BD poles). This may be due to the fact that the ground was frozen and bare on my test hike. The angled handles felt fairly comfortable, though smaller than the Lekis, and seem to be designed with skiing and snowshoeing in mind in addition to hiking. The baskets are smaller and may be less likely to get caught between roots and rocks, but the pike, or tip section, is longer, which may make this a moot point (again, good for back country skiing - nice baskets included). I found the locking mechanism's handle a bit smaller than the Lekis, but had no trouble operating them with light gloves. Heavier gloves have not been tried by me, but I think Lekis' more prominent handle might have the advantage in that case. The flat top on the cork handles is going to take some getting used to, as I tend to hike with the straps choked up tightly and my palms on the top of the grip. As a back country ski grip, the flare leading to the flat top might be an asset, preventing the hand from slipping off, but as a cross-country skier, who double-poles whenever possible, I prefer pushing off the top of the grip. For this, the Leki grips are far superior. With time, I may grow accustomed to the otherwise fine BD cork grips. If not, I will return to my familiar brand.