Hi, I’m Matt with Backcountry Edge and this is the Black Diamond Trail Shock and Trail Shock Compact. Let’s start at the top and take a look at what this pole offers. The dual density foam grip here with the hardened, dimpled top surface allows ease of palming and a comfortable grip. The padded wrist strap is very comfortable and easy to get on and off. The shock in the pole is what Black Diamond calls their C.S.T. is unique in that on those extreme hard hits it doesn’t bottom out and on those light hits it still doesn’t have that rebound that sometimes is annoying with pole with shocks. Also, the location of this shock on the over-all pole is unique in that it helps to reduce the over-all swing weight of the pole by having the weight of the shock up here by your hand. As you can see the foam does extend down here to help accommodate when you’re on off camber or ah, steep, ascending a steep slope, you don’t have to re-adjust the length of your pole. The trail shocks features the traditional round, high strength aluminum pole shafts. At the bottom you’ll find the external locking mechanism which Black Diamond calls their Flicklocks. They lock securely and confidently so you rest assured that the pole is locked. On the inside of the poles once you extend out the shafts you’ll find graduated marking in centimeters to adjust for length. The Trail Shock extends out to 140cm. At the end you’ll see your carbide flex tip with a hard-pack basket. Now, the compact version of this pole is the exact same pole just smaller. It extends out to a full 125cm in length and features a smaller or compact grip that accommodates smaller hands.