Trekking Poles?

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 glenn0010 06 Jan 2022

So I love trail running from 5 km to ultras.

Also love mountineering and winter climbing

It seems everyone now is using trekking poles which leads me to belive there must be something to them. Are the really that good?

I've never tried them but am hesitant to get them. 3 reasons. 1, It's extra things to carry, more faff, more weight. 2, When mountineering and winter climbing I find that an Ice axe is pretty good to walk with and I think does the job. 3, Being quite snobby about not using walking poles.

If anyone has been in my shoes, can you shed some light about pros and cons?

Cheers

1
 PaulJepson 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Pros- on steep uphills you can dig them in and they're like an extra set of legs. They make going up steep slopes a lot easier. You get into a good rhythm and you lose a lot less progress than you would without.

For fording rivers they will make you much less likely to take a swim.

Downhill with a heavy pack, they will take a big load off your knees.

Cons- I'd probably rather not have them on the flat.

They're a bit annoying to strap to your pack and climb with.

They're a bit annoying to adjust length of. If you're going uphill, you probably want them about 10-15cm shorter than when you're going downhill.

In summary, I think a majority of people would use them if they took the initial chance to get used to using them.

1
scotthldr 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve been looking into acquiring a pair of poles to help alleviate pressure of my knees whilst walking through snow on lower slopes. I used to use them many years ago but got rid due to some of the reasons you mentioned, like more faff, more weight and somehow they used to get in the way just at the wrong time. However nowadays the poles are considerably lighter in weight with some Alu ones coming in under 500g a pair, Carbon ones will be even lighter. They collapse down to a more packable size and some will even fit inside your pack rather than attached to the outside. One thing you mention and I’m pretty sure your well aware  of is, poles are no substitute for an Ice axe.

I’m looking at the MSR Dynalock Explorer ones which as I said above I will use for approaches on lower gradient slopes before packing away and changing onto the axe.

 jasonC abroad 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I was in the same boat as you (points 1 and 3), but off the back of another thread on this forum I brought some Pacer Poles but could not really get on them.  I think they caused me to extend my stride and I ended up getting a pain in one of my feet, so I stopped using them and my foot has healed up.  It's highly likely that I was not using them correctly but I don't think I'm going to try again.

I do wonder when I see people using them what benefit they have, there seems to be no standard way to use them.  I've seen people using them as if they were sking, ie moving both forward together, other people using them out in front of their body and not really swinging their arms, it seems a little unnatural of walking.

I used a single one and and on another occasion a wooden walking stick on the Everest Base camp walk and found them to be really useful on the descents.

In reply to glenn0010:

When I was younger and fitter I used to laugh at people using poles (30 years ago it wasn't that common). Now I think they are great on rough terrain, even more so if carrying a pack. Without them, on proper rough terrain I can spend a lot of time and energy just ensuring I have a secure foot placement and balancing. With poles, if you trust them I think I can double my speed on some terrain. 

On good, not steep paths they don't offer me much benefit, and once the ground gets scrambly they can get in the way.

So for me it depends where I'm walking.

 oldie 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Might be worth a look a recent UIAA article. EdIt it may be from 2008.

https://www.theuiaa.org/uiaa/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-hiking-s... 

They think that their use may adversely affect our ability to balance and that it may rduce stimuli important for maintaining cartilage and muscle (haven't looked up their evidence for this). Overall IIRC its much more positive than a paper they produced  years ago which I think said that they were only of use to the old, ill or disabled and I'm too vain to admit to any of those.

I've been impressed with how several of my friends have found poles useful. They often seem to prefer collapsible carbon poles for packing and lightness though breakages seem more frequent with these.

I bought a single Leki pole years ago, sometimes carry it though hardly ever use it, although friends have found it useful eg on icy downhills.

2
 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

The idea that they're only for the old or injured or that they will make you weaker or your balance poorer is hogwash.

For winter climbing they offer massive advantages on uneven snowy ground. Running it's less clear cut. The faster you're moving the less useful they are and remember to check if they're allowed in each race as it varies a lot, sometimes on the whims of the organiser.

 Ridge 06 Jan 2022
In reply to scotthldr:

> However nowadays the poles are considerably lighter in weight with some Alu ones coming in under 500g a pair.

Harrier are doing Aluminium Z-Poles at that weight for £31 a pair.

I got a pair to experiment with for running, but Mrs Ridge saw them and has taken ownership. Seem very good for the price.

 mbh 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

About twenty years ago I got  a really bad cruciate ligament (I think) pain in one leg behind the knee. I am very ignorant of anatomy so I might be wrong about the detail there, but the pain was very real. Without sticks, descending was so painful that I would often resort to bum-shuffles.  With them, I could do so easily while upright, since they took the pressure off the leg. I found the same, just with one stick, about ten years ago when I fell over on a W3000 attempt and jarred my leg but needed to carry on. 

More recently, my wife with her not so long ago broken ankle found them to be a godsend on monumentally muddy terrain. They made her much more confident about putting her foot down.

However, before that, I had found them to be of no use when I 'ran' 10 miles or so on boggy, squishy Dartmoor terrain where nothing was terribly steep. They were just an encumbrance that I carried the whole way (then forgot and left behind in the car park at the end, having discarded them on arrival. Grr!). It was dry though, so maybe at other times if I had had to balance precariously on slippery rocks when trying to cross water they might have helped me avoid a dunking.

 PaulJepson 06 Jan 2022
In reply to jasonC abroad:

> I do wonder when I see people using them what benefit they have, there seems to be no standard way to use them.  I've seen people using them as if they were sking, ie moving both forward together, other people using them out in front of their body and not really swinging their arms, it seems a little unnatural of walking.

I think it often depends on the terrain. Steady uphill and I use them alternating with stride (imagine how you pump your arms when you run; right arm forward as your left leg is forward). Downhill then it'll often be more sporadic, as you're generally looking for things to push against them with to take the shock out of your knees. On the flat I don't find them very useful, so will either alternate them again if the ground is rocky (where they are still a bit useful and have stopped me eating shit on multiple occasions) or if it's flat and easy terrain I kind of just swing them forward in pairs. In the latter scenario they are virtually useless to me but I can't be bothered to pack them away and swinging them like this means the ground is carrying their weight more than I am. 

The trick for me was learning to hang the straps- I barely grasp the pole at all and my hands will be relaxed. The only effort my hand will be making is flicking the pole forward; all the weight/push will be through my wrists in the loop.

I don't know how I would like running with poles; I haven't done much fell-running and have never used them for that. I've only ever really used them in winter and/or when carrying heavier loads in the pack. 

 yorkshireman 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

> If anyone has been in my shoes, can you shed some light about pros and cons?

Same as you - been trail running about 12 years up to big ultra distance and only started using poles about 4-5 years ago after being initially resistant. I've found a lot of Brits sneer at the use of poles on the continent (where the takeup has been traditionally far greater) but maybe that's changing. I also find that like a lot of things, people that don't use them tend to dismiss them without having properly tried them so post-rationalise. Maybe the same with those that do use them (eg. me, so I'll try my best to be balanced).

Don't use 'trekking poles' for running. Get some proper dedicated running poles. I use the Black Diamond Carbon Z which are collapsible and light (although as I've proven can snap if shoved down a hole when traversing ice-covered rocks). You can't adjust the length but I've sized them to be optimal for big uphills.

Make sure you have a good way of stowing them - I use the underarm side loops on my Salomon pack to store one each side but there are lots of different systems.

I only use them for long races or if I'm doing a long slow epic training run. In my general training I feel that I'd rather have the extra effort to make myself stronger. However you need to train with them enough before a race if you're using them as they work the arms and shoulders.

I did the UTMB last year and aside from the first 10km, I don't think I put them away at all. If you're tackling continental sized climbs that can go on for a couple of hours I find them really helpful. However on a 100 miler in the UK Jurassic Coast which had 5000m of elevation, but constantly up and down with no sustained climbing, I didn't bother with poles at all. 

> 1, It's extra things to carry, more faff, more weight.

Good poles are feather light, collapsible and easily stowable and if used properly I'd argue save you more energy than you burn carrying them. However it takes practice and organisation.

> 2, When mountineering and winter climbing I find that an Ice axe is pretty good to walk with and I think does the job.

Surely that's heavier than dedicated poles, and not as well suited for the efficient, nordic-style uphill power movement where poles come into their own.

> 3, Being quite snobby about not using walking poles.

Not much I can do about that. 

 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022
In reply to PaulJepson:

> I don't know how I would like running with poles; I haven't done much fell-running and have never used them for that. 

They're illegal in all FRA and Scottish hill races. Trail races and other hill races vary. 

 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022

>  Surely that's heavier than dedicated poles, and not as well suited for the efficient, nordic-style uphill power movement where poles come into their own.

They're very different tools for very different jobs.

An ice axe offers nothing like the advantage of poles and you'll only really have it out on steep ground in case you need to arrest. On steep slopes up to grade I terrain one axe and one pole works very well but remember not to use the pole wrist loop so you can chuck it away if necessary.

Post edited at 10:11
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 cousin nick 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I'm in the same position as you - lifelong hillwalker, mountaineer, runner.  I've never really felt the need for poles and generally dislike having things in my hands, particularly when running.  My wife uses poles regularly and one thing that I've noticed is that it can at times slow her down - in addition to looking for foot placements she's also looking for pole placements, particularly on steep descents. BUT, she's much happier with poles in this scenario, so I guess as ever, its down to personal preference.

So (and to contradict myself) just before Christmas I did a solo 60km ultra as a fundraiser: Coast to coast across Cornwall over the highest tors of Bodmin Moor and at night (started 10pm).  The forecast was strong easterly winds, and I also knew from recce of the route that there were a few herds of cows on the moor. At the last minute I decided to take a single pole - primarily as anti-cow defence (though quite what protection would be afforded by a metre or so of lightweight aluminium is uncertain!).  Anyway, in the strong wind that was primarily trying to blow me over from the left on my N to S run, I found the pole immensely useful on the open moor. I didn't need it on later road sections and eventually stashed it in a hedge to collect later, rather than carry it further.

I still don't think I'll fully convert to using poles all the time, but will likely assess routes, terrain and weather (and cows?) before deciding.

N

 Basemetal 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Have a look at the (informative) Pacerpole website, I think they still do a month's trial offer [edit: it's 6 weeks return for refund, having just checked]. Yesterday in 'Sneachda's half snowed boulder field and coming down Fiacaill a Choire Chais in the dark (slippy, bouldery , snowy, tech axe no help) they let me walk without difficulty. I'd climbed with them on my pack, no problem.

Why Pacer poles? That angled handle and ergonomic grip means no wrist ache, and no tight grip (or strap) required. When 'shock loading' the pole, your hand is usually a handrail position and your whole arm comfortably engaged as suspension. It also makes precise positioning of the tips much easier. Yes, there's a small weight penalty over other poles -but I think they tip the benefit/faff balance way over to the good side. And in use the weight is often more help than hindrance. The alloy ones are tough as nails too (7 winter seasons + all round use. I've had other poles, but I don't think I will again...

Post edited at 10:39
 Qwertilot 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I always used something when doing multi day walks, not that often for day walks - if a bit more recently.

I've quite often carried them unused on long/off path walks though. They've always struck me as one of the most practical bit of safety gear you can have in terms of getting off the hill if you sprain/pull something.

 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022
In reply to Qwertilot:

> They've always struck me as one of the most practical bit of safety gear you can have in terms of getting off the hill if you sprain/pull something.

​​​​​​Superb for river crossings too. That's actually one place where adjustable poles are useful, put them up to full length and vault across!

 girlymonkey 06 Jan 2022
In reply to oldie:

> Might be worth a look a recent UIAA article. EdIt it may be from 2008.

> They think that their use may adversely affect our ability to balance and that it may rduce stimuli important for maintaining cartilage and muscle (haven't looked up their evidence for this). 

Anecdotally, I would say this is correct. I guide groups in the hills and when I ask people to put their poles away on ground on which i feel the poles are more of a hazard (boulder fields mostly), people often really struggle. They have very little balance and proprioception. Of course, maybe they never had balance and proprioception in the first place and that's why they started using poles?

I find poles more of a hindrance. They stop me using my arms in a natural way and I find I hunch forward and drop my head more. I have a light pair which I often carry for river crossings or to give someone who is injured for some assistance. I almost never use them myself.

3
 Trangia 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I have been using them intermittently for the last 30 plus years.  I find they are a great help on long steep ascents, particularly when carrying a pack, and, as some have said, they are like an extra pair of legs. In descent they are a great balance aid on rough paths/boulder fields, and slippery terrain. As my eyesight is not as good as it was when I was younger, they give me more confidence on steep ground, and help absorb more of the shock on aging less flexible knee joints

Where they really have come into their own over the last couple of years, is during wet lockdown walks in the surrounding countryside where there is a lot of slippery mud, particularly on side sloping paths, and slippery descents on wet chalk, and more than once have helped stop me sliding into and tearing my clothing on barbed wire fencing. They are also useful for testing the depth of liquid mud and puddles!

They do take a bit of getting used to. I have friends who say that they like their hands to be free, but when I ask them why?, they can't really say! It's rare when you are in a situation where they impede you rather than help you. If you are using them correctly ie most of the time not putting your hands through the straps, particularly in descent or avalanche risk terrain you can discard them instantly by just letting go if you are in a situation where they would put you at risk. 

Give them a try but persevere for a while and don't give up too quickly!

 TobyA 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

It's now 30 years (yikes! :-o ) since I got my first single pole from a trekking/climbing "shop" in Thamel, Kathmandu. I got a pair for it when I started at uni the next year and was starting to regularly go climbing in the Highlands. I've used them for most mountain and hill activities since. Have you ever tried cross country skiing? Of course your feet aren't skis, but it shows how much forward propulsion you get from using your poles to push you forward, not just for balance. People still seem to laugh at it here, but when I was first living in Finland what has become known as "Nordic Walking", but what IIRC translate literally from Finnish as "stick walking" was a craze there, but unlike other fitness crazes it kept going, helped I'm sure by most people having cross country ski gear and doing that since childhood. It definitely seemed that fitness walking with poles got lots of particularly older women out doing exercise, and using poles for propulsion undoubtedly is more exercise than just walking. I think I walk a bit faster on non techy ground using my poles like that. And then they, of course, help hugely on the walk in to winter climbs when you are wading through deeper snow, falling into holes and dips you can see below the snow. I hardly ever run, so never used them for that.

 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022
In reply to girlymonkey:

> Of course, maybe they never had balance and proprioception in the first place and that's why they started using poles?

 I think that's far more likely than use of poles reducing those abilities.

Post edited at 11:22
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 girlymonkey 06 Jan 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

Maybe. I don't know how much studying has gone into the effects of this. The BMC also thinks it is valid:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/hill-skills-using-trekking-poles

"If you use poles all of the time you’ll lose the ability to balance naturally as you step up, walk over uneven ground or boulder hop. So if you are only taking a short walk with a light pack then leave the poles behind or save them for the steep descents. Youngsters need to develop this skill, called proprioception, before they walk any distance using poles."

I once broke my nose with a walking pole when it slipped (I couldn't see rock which was just under a thin layer of very wet mud and grass) and I had weight on it and so faceplanted it. I was at the top of a mountain with a very bloody and sore nose and a very bad headache, still had pretty much the whole mountain to descend! This has probably coloured my opinion on pole use!! 

5
 Forest Dump 06 Jan 2022
In reply to PaulJepson:

This technique seems to work for me.

Surely, on the running side of things it strikes me that their used to make rhe non running bit as efficient and non fatiguing on the legs as possible?

 Tringa 06 Jan 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

I posted this back in November about Mrs Tringa's experience with Pacer Poles.

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/gear/pacer_poles-741291?v=1#x9548105

Everyone is different and some folks don't get on with them but she, and more so me, was surprised how much they helped.

Dave

 DaveHK 06 Jan 2022
In reply to girlymonkey:

> Maybe. I don't know how much studying has gone into the effects of this. 

I expect the answer to that is absolutely none of any value. It's a bit of a pointless criticism anyway because nobody uses poles all the time and people who are concerned about their balance would be better served by doing balance exercises somewhere safe.

 girlymonkey 06 Jan 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

Well some people do use poles all the time, even when they are definitely a hazard and should be stowed away. I see it all the time. 

I don't mind if people prefer to use them in general, but the lack of confidence without them on more difficult ground is a problem at times. Granted, probably less of a problem in general on a climbing forum!

2
 oldie 06 Jan 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

>  I think that's far more likely than use of poles reducing those abilities.  <

Yet the bmc article and the paper produced by a UIAA commitee appear to disagree on this point.

The UIAA paper was a consensus by the 20 or so members of their medical commission. Presumably they were appropriately qualified.  However I don't know their evidence and assume it must be at least partly anecdotal and theoretical and a matter of opinion itself . 

To quote:   "Decreased sense of balance: Long-term use of sticks may reduce balance and coordinative ability of the subject. This disadvantage is becoming more and more evident and can lead to certain balancing problems, especially in difficult mountain areas, where the stick-user cannot use his hiking sticks (i.e. narrow ridges or climbing terrain). In fact, the most common type of hiking accident, a fall by tripping or stumbling, can actually be made a greater risk as a result. For these reasons such accidents occur even during the use of sticks."

Also : "Reduced physiological protection mechanisms: Strong pressure and strain stimuli are very important for the nutrition of the joint cartilage and also for training and maintaining the elasticity of the “breaking musculature”. Continuous use of hiking sticks decreases these physiologically important strain stimuli."

Post edited at 12:21
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 Rob Exile Ward 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I was snobby about them until we were climbing Mont Blanc - quite a few years ago now - and there were climbers considerably older than us skipping down the rough ground below the Grande Couloir, using their poles more or less like ski poles to slalom from one boulder to another.

I've been using them ever since, though  not all the time; I find them particularly helpful if I'm load carrying, as they help you stay more upright, and going down steepish ground. I think you need to use them carefully though - a bit like ski poles, you place each one  with care so you can rely on it, whether you're going up or down. Just waving them about, dabbing them down and hoping for the best doesn't cut it.

 65 06 Jan 2022
In reply to yorkshireman:

>  I've found a lot of Brits sneer at the use of poles on the continent (where the takeup has been traditionally far greater) but maybe that's changing.

I think this is less true now, though not entirely. I had a few days in the Karwendel some years ago. At around 40yo, I was definitely on of the youngest people out in the hills, and many people stopped me to ask why I wasn't using poles. They also came up a lot in Corsica, the UK contingent were the only ones sans poles, though if there's any scrambling to be done I think they are a liability. When I was in Austria, my then girlfriend (Bavarian) used poles and I was bricking it watching her do a very exposed section of ferrata with her poles dangling from her wrists clanking about and getting in the way of her feet. 

> Good poles are feather light, collapsible and easily stowable and if used properly I'd argue save you more energy than you burn carrying them. However it takes practice and organisation.

Totally agree, when I first did some biggish walks with them it struck me that in addition to tired legs, I felt like I'd had a bit of an upper body workout too.

Anyway thanks to DaveHK's recommendation, I've just ordered a pair of Mountain King carbon poles as I left my old and now missed BD poles in a lay-by in Glen Lyon in the summer.

 kathrync 06 Jan 2022
In reply to girlymonkey:

> I guide groups in the hills and when I ask people to put their poles away on ground on which i feel the poles are more of a hazard (boulder fields mostly), people often really struggle. They have very little balance and proprioception. Of course, maybe they never had balance and proprioception in the first place and that's why they started using poles?

This is certainly the case for me. For many years, I only used poles when carrying a heavy pack (e.g., multi-day hikes). However, multiple injuries to my right ankle (mostly from bouldering) means that my proprioceptive feedback from my right foot is very poor, and despite working extensively on it alone and with physios for several years, it's unlikely to come back. I started using poles regularly around two years ago, and found that they massively increased my confidence and speed downhill and on uneven terrain, and that going over on my right ankle is no longer a "normal" thing to happen to me on a day out in the mountains so I can enjoy it again.

 mbh 06 Jan 2022
In reply to kathrync:

What you say resonates very strongly with my wife's experience of using poles, as I observe it, since she broke her ankle four years ago.

 JamButty 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I'm another pole convert (BD Carbon Z's),  second best bit of kit I've bought in the last few years. (#1 Kahtoola microspikes!)

I do a bit of fell running (albeit with lots of walking!),  and find them great in the hills.

Recently did the Nantlle Ridge,  the poles were great on the initial steep ascent,  and on the flatish plateaus and also the downhills,  but I found them an absolute pain on the more rocky ridge sections where either they get stuck or you need your hands. 

They're also a pain in medium to long grass through fields.

I haven't found the best way of stowing them when I don't want them,  which creates a fair bit of faff.

Overall though I love em....

 Philip 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Alpkit have a lightweight pair on NY sale for ~£34. I bought some on the basis they might help protect my knees in the future and also my weak left ankle which twists easily.

 yorkshireman 06 Jan 2022
In reply to JamButty:

> They're also a pain in medium to long grass through fields.

Good point. I'm in the alps and find them a great help on steep climbs but on narrow single track with lots of overgrowth at the edges they can be a pain.

I also remember a marathon trail race with lots of ascent on an extremely exposed ridge. The poles were so light and the wind so strong that every time they lifted off the floor they were being blown all over the place making them useless.

Going back to the OP though - they're just another tool in the (long distance trail) runner's arsenal. Use as appropriate.

 Kryank 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I was hesitant before I bought a pair of Lekki poles a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t be without them now. 
 

I don’t use them for running, just for longer walks with a lot of ascent / Decent. I have a dodgy knee so that prompted me to get them, did a walk this summer with a few friends along the Pennine way from Edale to Marsden in a single day, I was the only one with poles and I faired far better than the others. I think over a long distance you really feel the difference, and the amount of times I have used them to Ford streams / rivers make them invaluable to fetch in my opinion, along with the ability to use them as a makeshift support / crutch if you or some one with you manages to twist or sprain something.

 CantClimbTom 06 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Before you purchase any trekking poles, please familiarise yourself with the code of conduct. Failure to comply will invalidate your warranty, additionally incorrect use may see you be barred from Ambleside, Betwy y Coed, Wells, and all premises owned by the National Trust

1) Trekking poles are Not to be used on muddy or rocky paths or open land as the tips will become dirty, tarmac only: or you are outside of warranty

2) They are to be used in crowded tourist honeypots at every opportunity

2) In the tourist spot above... when the pavement outside past times, tearooms, Edinburgh Woollen mill etc is particularly narrow you must start splaying the poles side to side to take up more width as you walk

3) When especially crowded or during bank holidays you must walk at half the speed of the normal flow of pedestrians and prevent overtaking

4) You must wear thick woollen walking socks pulled over the bottoms of your trousers

3
 Howard J 07 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I wish they'd been around when I was younger, maybe my knees would be in better shape now.  I find they make going uphill a lot easier as they provide additional drive.  Coming down is perhaps a bit slower with them, but they take the strain off the knees which you'll later be grateful for (and without them I'm now pretty slow anyway because my knees aren't so good).  On snow you have to decide when to switch to an axe, and it's easy to leave it too late.  They're a pain when scrambling, and can be difficult to stow in a way which won't catch on things. I think it's worth paying more to get poles which fold short enough to stow inside a rucksack and which can be easily and quickly reassembled.  Mine have extended grips so I don't have to adjust the length on steep ground, I just grip the pole lower down.

They need practice, and can be tricky on narrow paths. They're fairly pointless on the flat, so I often carry them at the trail or tucked into the crook of my elbow. Once or twice I've tripped over them, but I wouldn't be without them.  Overall I find the benefits far outweigh the occasional inconveniences.

You see a lot of people using them incorrectly, or at least badly.  They are the wrong length, or they're using the straps incorrectly, or they're just walking inefficiently.  They often don't come with proper instructions, and some of the advice on the internet is contradictory.

 petemeads 07 Jan 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

Regarding fell races abroad, UTMB and possibly most of the ultras, if you start with poles you must finish with them. I suppose this is to level the playing field a little, but the best/fastest runners seem to believe there is an advantage to poles on the uphill sections, sticking them in a quiver on their pack for the runnable descents.

I am hoping to do the Joss Naylor challenge this summer, and will take poles on the recces to try and assess the trade-off for this particular instance, given there will not be a lot of running...

 barry donovan 07 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

Helps if you have done any cross country skiing with the whole two beat diagonal thing so they plant mostly level or just behind you.  You get a lot of people holding their arms out in front with the poles looking like they are going out for a walk on their own.

super handy in deep snow with wide powder bails on ( change the bails back in the uk mud )

 Hutson 07 Jan 2022
In reply to glenn0010:

I've got some cheap Alpkit ones that fold small enough to stow away easily which is great. Mostly I use them to stop me falling over in mud, or when I have the dog on my back so falling over would be bad (she's missing a leg and gets tired sometimes). Also useful if I've got a camping load. My balance has always been a bit crap.


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