Leki Makalu Hiking Poles

About the product

The Leki Makalu trekking poles are your adventure sidekicks, designed to keep you steady at all times. These poles are built to handle everything from rocky scrambles to muddy paths. With a three-part telescopic design and tube diameters of 18, 16, and 14 mm, these poles are as sturdy as they come, and the Speed Lock Plus system makes adjusting the length easy-peasy — even mid-hike. So whether you’re climbing summits or strolling through the woods, these poles have you covered.

The Aergon Air grips, made from 2K foam, prevent sweaty hands and blisters, so you can focus on the scenery, not your grip! Besides that, the grip extension means quick adjustments are very easy, perfect for when the terrain gets a bit more tricky. And don’t worry, the security strap will keep the poles tight in your hands — especially handy for me, with my track record of losing my hiking poles during river crossings, (oops!). The Trekking 2.0 baskets and Flex Tips give you the traction you need, whether you’re navigating snowy patches or rocky trails. These poles are ready for anything — and they make sure you are too!

Tested

I took the Leki Makalu trekking poles on a multiday hike in Hardangervidda, Norway, where the terrain varied from dirt paths and wetlands to rocky mountains and left-over snowfields. As someone who’s on the shorter side, I like to bring trekking poles to help me pull myself up when the terrain is too steep for my legs alone. The poles performed excellently, especially when the steps were higher than what I could comfortably manage on my own.

Sturdiness

One of the other challenges I run into during hikes is my balance and stability on uneven terrain, and these trekking poles covered me in that department. Even on uneven ground, like the rocky scrambles, I felt secure and balanced. I had a couple of clumsy slips on some muddy terrain, but was able to catch myself just fine! The poles were sturdy throughout the trip, and I never doubted their reliability. As with most poles, the adjustable length was also helpful when changing from ascent to descent, and a true lifesaver at a few river crossings I came across too.

Grip and comfort

The grips on the Leki Makalu poles were one of my favorite aspects — so comfortable! I’ve used poles in the past that left me with sweaty hands and blisters, but I had none of these issues on my trip to Norway. The material stayed comfortable throughout the days of hiking, even while getting drenched during a big pour-down. The poles also have a grip extension, which made it even easier to adjust my grip while climbing the steepest part of the trail.

Weight and durability

While the Leki Makalu poles are a bit heavier than the poles I’ve used in the past, I found that this added weight came with a significant benefit: they felt more sturdy. The extra sturdiness was reassuring, especially when navigating more challenging sections of the hike. In comparison to lighter poles that can sometimes feel flimsy, these provided a feeling of confidence, particularly in harsh weather conditions and on unstable ground. If you have a tent that uses a trekking pole as its main support, I can imagine these would comfortably keep your tent pitched during rough weather too. However, this is only an assumption, as my tent has regular tentpoles. So keep that in mind!

Adjustability and packing

The ability to adjust the length of the hiking poles is a common plus, so you can adjust the poles accordingly for ascending or descending steep mountains. However, I did find that when packed down, they don’t shrink as much as I would prefer. While not in use and stored away in my pack, they poked out quite a bit on the side. A shorter pack-down length would enhance the travel experience and ease of storage while on the move. Wouldn’t want to lose one of your precious poles before you arrive at the trailhead!