Hiking essential! The humble pole!

The best, the most exquisite mode of transport is a walking stick; and one of the finest things in life is going on a journey with it”

There are several reasons to use hiking poles when out walking or trekking. Hiking poles help you move across terrain quicker, provide additional support and reduce the amount of effort required thus allowing you to achieve more during your adventures.

When used correctly, the poles can significantly increase your pace, heart rate and oxygen levels without feeling like you are expending excessive energy. The workload will be spread across different muscle groups, not just your legs!

Poles also offer increased support and stability on unfamiliar ground and uneven surfaces. The extra two points of contact with the ground will increase your confidence, especially if you are feeling a fatigued towards the end of your walk.

Another great benefit of using poles is that they improve posture, especially important if you are carrying a load. Hiking poles will make you more conscious of being upright. There is a tendency to slump forward whilst going uphill which shifts your centre of gravity and actually increases the chances of slipping or stumbling on uneven ground. (we have both been saved by our beloved poles several times).The poles will help you keep your body position more upright so you can use your arms and shoulders to propel yourself up the trail easier.

 There is no definitive right or wrong way to use walking poles but there are ways that can help you use them more effectively. A lot of hikers use their poles by bending their arms at the elbow and placing the pole tip slightly in front to use the pole as support. A more effective way is to keep your arm in a fairly neutral position (which is with a very slight bend) and use the shoulders to propel yourself forward.

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Walking Downhill

Position the poles slightly in front of you, this will lessen the impact of the fall of the hill. Shorten your stride to take some of the impact stress from the knee joints, especially important if you are carrying a backpack. If the terrain is very steep, icy or muddy, one useful technique is to walk down sideways or switchback.

Walking Uphill

You should be using the poles to push off not help pull yourself up hill, so shorten your poles. Try to keep them reasonably close to your body to improve efficiency too.

Two poles are better than one but one is better then none! 

 Relax and enjoy the rhythm!