MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon Backcountry Poles

The pick for snowshoeing, winter mountaineering and ski touring approaches. Kevlar-reinforced carbon fiber shafts fold to just 36.2 cm in the 100-120 cm size, the anodized aluminum DynaLock lever is built to last, and both winter and summer baskets come in the box, so one pair covers all four seasons. A lower grip lets you choke down when sidehilling across a snow slope. The drawbacks are cost and weight: reviewers call them expensive and heavy for carbon. For summer hill days alone, a lighter pole makes more sense.