Luke,
Im glad we have a bit of a discussion on the pole,
Yes as stated the pole is telescopic in my experience this is best but i agree maybe not for everyone!
Also the bottom section of the pole is not Glass Fibre but a completely different material as with the rest of the pole.
The Gooseneck is made from the highest quality Ali available in the world! (yes the world not the universe that we know of

) its a two part so all will become clear in a couple of weeks.
We are curently finishing the full technical data sheet for the poles and will forward out to those that require.
The clamps in the picture are slightly different to the finished item which are designed to remove strain on the connection between the pole surface and the clamping mechanism.
I hope this helps your input.
rgds, stuart