Look out, world of walking poles – Alain’s here to shake things up. Les Baton’s d’Alain (French for ‘Alain’s poles’) are eye-catchingly bright hiking and skiing poles designed and made in the shadow of Mont Blanc in Chamonix in the French Alps by mountain guide Alain Desez. The handle itself has a slight grip extension for on-the-fly adjustment and, as you’d expect, it’s ergonomically shaped for comfort. The shafts are made from light but strong carbon fibre and the tip/spike is tungsten carbide. The handle is actually made from a faux cork that does a remarkable impression of the real thing, both in look and feel. Many veteran hill-users won’t be seen without their poles. After a lifetime of knee abuse from ascending and descending countless mountain paths, they become a valuable bit of equipment, particularly on those paths that have consistently large drops between each step. The poles consist of five sections which compress and fold into three sections with a tidy length of 40cm. The lower four sections are joined by a tough plastic-coated cable with the top two sections retracting inside the handle. So far no difference from the Micro Vario Carbon; but this is where it all changes. The handles, called Aergon Thermo Long Grip by Leki, are super comfortable to use. I find cork handles, which are ubiquitous on a lot of brands these days, quite irritating and abrasive over time. The foam construction on the Vario Carbon allows use without gloves and the long section with added grips means you can vary the pole height instinctively depending on your body position, without the need to stop and adjust the length.

The poles come with two sizes of baskets, one for snow and a smaller one for regular hiking. They’re easy to screw on and off. This is an excellent pair of carbon poles that should be durable and long lasting. In fact, they’re one of the best trekking poles out there and proved a close contender for best buy – though they’re not the cheapest option. BUY NOW: MSRGEAR.COM

Value

Leki decided to use a short Flex Tip results in precise pole placements and perfect grip in nearly and terrain. There is no exact science about the absolutely correct pole length and as you become used to using them you’ll want to experiment with the length. But to get you started stand nice and upright and hold the poles (correctly) with the tips on the floor. Your elbows should now be at an angle of about 90°. When you adjust the length please ensure that the overall length is divided equally between the sections. Avoid having one section all the way out and one section all the way in.

On the plus side, the Aergon grips were comfortable to handle and were reasonably lightweight. Leki also extended the material down the shaft a bit to give you hand placement options if you’re on undulating terrain and don’t want to necessarily adjust pole length. Versatility (9 out of 10)

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The pole is suited to a variety of weather conditions with the foam grips performing well in both warm and cold weather and with included snow baskets, the pole can be used in light snow. Talířky v lehčím upraveném designu, zaručující výbornou podporu na měkkém povrchu. Kompatibilní s hroty Flex Tip. Nordic walking poles: Poles designed specifically for Nordic walking tend to be fixed-length without folding mechanisms, and combine extreme lightness with super-strength to support your weight. Specialist walking pole maker Leki has a great guide to selecting the length of your Nordic walking pole.

The ergonomically-shaped handle features a basic, but still comfortable foam, and there’s a smooth webbing strap. There’s not too much to shout about in this department to be honest. Adjustable length: Size really matters. You should be able to hold your elbow at a 90-degree angle when holding the pole by its hand grip. Either make sure you choose the right length for your height (specialist retailer Alpinetrek has an interactive guide to help you) or buy a fully adjustable pole. Not only can you adjust it to suit your height, but also for different needs – for example, downhill stretches need a longer pole than uphill treks. If you’re planning on taking these poles over a long distance, you’ll certainly appreciate that lower gram count.” Leki make some of the best trekking poles in the business. They’ve been leaders in the market since 1970 and now make dedicated poles for all manner of outdoor sports, from skiing and trekking to trail running and Nordic walking. How much can I say about a pair of poles? They’re just poles right? Well, quite a bit where there’s good design and functionality.

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Skládací hole od LEKI vynikají minimálními rozměry po složení a ultra lehkostí. Ať už se chystáte na přístup k ferratě, na trail running nebo menší pěší túry. Mechanismus vyvinutý společností LEKI vyniká extrémně rychlým nastavením a upevněním také v silných rukavicích při vlhku, ledu a sněhu. Šroub má bezpečností funkci s možností nastavení. 30% menší, 25% lehčí, přes 20% více opory

Once you give trekking poles a go for the first time, you’ll soon realise the difference they make. They’re ideal for helping you manage heavier loads, whilst also offering stability and balance over some of the more technical sections of a walk.Other important design features to consider are the hand grips. Most are made from foam, cork or rubber. Look for ergonomic grips that feel comfortable in the hand, with a good strap or sling. They have a good range of adjustment from 110cm to 130cm, and are very easy to assemble and fold away. They also feature extended grips, which makes it easy to choke down on a sharp ascent without having to change the pole length. The rounded top handle also nestles nicely into the palm if using the poles for braking and balance on steep downhill trails. There’s a comfortable hold as well thanks to the anatomically shaped grip which has a good bit of softness to it. All-in-all, we’d say the Hikemaster is the ideal combination of size and weight for long treks into the mountains.