The short version
Carbon if you will carry them for hours, aluminium if you will abuse them. Carbon poles are noticeably lighter, and over a long climb that difference is felt in the shoulders rather than the hands. They also fail differently: aluminium bends and can often be limped home with, carbon snaps without warning. If your poles get wedged in rocks, dropped off ledges or checked as luggage, aluminium is the more forgiving material.
Common questions
Are poles allowed in my race?
Frequently there is a rule, and it is usually about carrying them from the start rather than picking them up mid-race, or about specific sections. Read your race's rules, because pole policies are enforced and vary from race to race.
Do poles actually help?
On steep climbs they let you bring the upper body into the work and reduce load on the legs, which is why they are near universal in mountain ultras. On flat runnable ground they mostly cost energy. Practise with them before racing, because using poles badly is tiring.
Folding or telescoping?
Folding Z-poles stow faster and smaller, which matters when you are putting them away mid-race. Telescoping poles adjust length, which matters if you share them or want a different length up and down.
At a glance
| Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ | Cascade Mountain Tech Aluminum Poles | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Lightest | Noticeably heavier |
| Failure mode | Snaps | Bends |
| Vibration damping | Better | More transmitted |
| Price | High | Low |
| Tolerance for being wedged in rocks | Poor | Good |
| Best for | Mountain races, long climbs | Training, rough handling, first poles |
Choose the Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ if…
You run mountain races with long sustained climbs and you are carrying the poles on your back for the flat sections. The weight saving is real over ten thousand feet of vertical, and folding Z-poles stow small enough to live in a vest pocket. Treat them as equipment rather than as tools: do not lever yourself off a rock with one.
Check Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ on Amazon
Choose the Cascade Mountain Tech Aluminum Poles if…
You are finding out whether you like poles at all, or you are hard on gear. Aluminium poles cost a fraction of the price, survive being jammed between rocks, and bend rather than snapping when they finally go. For training and for most non-mountain ultras the extra weight is not the thing limiting you.
Check Cascade Mountain Tech Aluminum Poles on Amazon
Full reviews of the carbon options
If you have settled on carbon, the two poles most ultrarunners end up choosing between are covered in full in our LEKI Ultratrail FX.One review and Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z review.
Related
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these products side by side. Confirm current specifications and prices before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.