Review: Komperdell Carbon FXP.4 Splitboard pole
Price
£145.95 (shop around)
Gender
For everyone
Brand // Manufacturer
Komperdell
What we liked
Super easy, self-deploying folding pole.
Super light 248g.
Super strong.
Perfect size fit for avibag.
3 year free service
What we didn’t
Minor quibble: could be shorter when extended for some riders.
The Verdict
THE SHORT READ…
THE SHORT READ…
In summer, you’ll usually find me grinding out trails and ultra-marathons in the mountains. When a 100 km race casually throws in 6,500 metres of ascent, you quickly become what’s affectionately known as a weight weenie — someone mildly (read: obsessively) fixated on the lightest, most functional kit possible.
Come winter, I swap running shoes for a splitboard. And let me tell you, nothing kills the vibe faster than that creeping realisation: why does my bag weigh like I’ve packed a small car? So yeah — finding the right poles matters.
After a fair bit of market digging, I realised a lot of poles out there are… overcooked. Too many features, too much weight, not enough actual benefit. Then there’s Komperdell — an Austrian brand that does one thing and does it properly: poles. No distractions, no fluff. Just very, very good poles.
This season I’ve been testing their Carbon FXP.4 poles, and honestly? I’m sold. Light, reliable, and none of the usual nonsense. I’m genuinely over the moon with them.
Would I recommend them? Absolutely. These bad boys are the real deal.
More details below…
THE LONG READ …
WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A TOURING POLE:
Lightness
Weight is king. Why carry more than you need up (or down) a mountain?
What’s 100 g between friends?
Easy. It adds up.
Ten small choices and you’re hauling an unnecessary kilo.
Lighter kit reduces the energy you burn.
Burning less energy means needing less food and water (1 litre water = 1kg)
Less food and water means a lighter pack again.
That feedback loop compounds into real efficiency.
So lighter gear doesn’t just feel better — it saves weight again and again. On multi-day tours, that affect snowballs fast. Being fuelled better and less tired means more wavelength for better mountain decisions.
The Carbon FXP.4 sits right in the sweet spot: seriously light, but not flimsy. 248g each.
Stiffness
This was the whole reason I started the hunt.
I need proper torsional strength — for flicking risers, bracing on steep skin tracks, and those less-than-graceful moments when you’re chest-deep in snow trying to recover some dignity. Add in avi kit and winter layers, and you’re easily hauling 10–14 kg. At that point, your poles aren’t just accessories — they’re load-bearing equipment.
Happy to report: these deliver.
They feel solid and confidence-inspiring, with none of that nervous flex you get when you really lean on lesser poles. You can properly load them without that split-second doubt of is this about to give?
Case in point — we were recently boot packing a few hundred metres up a 45° couloir. I choked down on the shafts, using the tips in firm snow, and felt completely steady the whole way up. Comfortable enough, in fact, that the ice axe stayed on my pack.
Not something I’d usually risk — but that probably tells you everything you need to know.
Fold length
My Ortovox Litric 38L pack has external pole carry straps, so I measured them before choosing anything.
43 cm.
Komperdell’s folded length?
Also 43 cm.
Badabing.
The FXP.4 breaks down into three sections, sitting clean and tight on the outside of the pack — no flapping, no snagging, no awkward angles.
Self-Deploying Fold design
This deserves its own moment.
Every time I’ve deployed these on tour, I’ve caught myself smiling. Unclip them and they snap into place with a genuinely satisfying click. Solid. Reassuring. Done.
Packing them away is just as clean: a small press point on each section, fold them down, the basket nests neatly between the shafts, and the Velcro strap locks the bundle.
It’s elegant. And in the cold, when your fingers are stupid, elegant matters [note: I’m yet to try them in serious minus C temperatures].
Grip & adjustability
The extended grip allows adjustment from roughly 120 cm to 140 cm, with a nicely rubberised surface and a well-shaped profile. Even with damp gloves or sweaty hands, it stays secure.
There are multiple natural hand positions depending on terrain and angle, which is gold on long days or multi-day tours. Changing grips reduces fatigue, hot spots, and that creeping forearm pump you only notice when it’s too late.
Straps are easy to adjust and glove-friendly. Ergonomics across the board feel well thought through.
Price
They’re not cheap — but they’re very clearly worth it.
This is a premium pole: light, strong, beautifully finished, functional, and genuinely good-looking. More importantly, they feel like a piece of kit you buy once and rely on for years.
Ranging from £100 to £160 on the inter webs.
3-Year Service — No Questions Asked
This is where Komperdell really rock.
They back their poles with a seriously generous three-year repair and service promise. Break something? Damage it doing something mildly questionable in the mountains? No drama — they’ll sort it.
And the best bit? No receipt needed. None of that digging through emails or trying to prove your life story. You just send them in, and they take care of it.
Honestly, it’s kind of unheard of.
In a world where most brands are quietly hoping you’ll just buy another pair, this level of confidence says everything.
SUMMARY…
The Carbon FXP.4 Expedition poles have earned a permanent place in my winter setup. They solve the exact problem I went looking to fix, without compromising the weight-focused system I care about so much.
Light. Stiff. Packable. Thoughtfully designed.
I’m excited to have them in my kit arsenal this season — and I’ve got a strong feeling they’ll still be there many seasons from now.