Leki Super Makalu Cortec Pole > Reviews > the hills have eyes - but only for my poles!

Author's product rating:   

Durability	Excellent
Style	Excellent
Comfort	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	increase stamina,  stability,  safety while walking on any terrain
Disadvantages:	you might not want to use them round sainsbury's

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Following an appointment with my consultant today it looks like I will be fit enough to go hiking again in 3-4 weeks , around the start of august. Obviously I’m going to have to build up slowly, so partly to celebrate and partly to assist my training; and follow the Drs advice I have treated myself to a pair of trekking poles.

For those of you who don’t really know what these are I will explain. They are a bit like walking sticks and are used to lessen the load on the ligaments and muscles when hiking, particularly when laden. Some people use 1 and others use 2. I intend to use 2 for maximum support and assistance. As a rule of thumb if you’re walking easy terrain with no load, one pole is frequently sufficient. If, on the other hand, you’re walking on varied terrain or carrying a load the advice is to use 2 as not only do you get extra support, you also get extra stability.

In my case I not only want to support my weaker leg I also want to ensure I don’t do it any further damage. I’ll also be taking a couple of bungee ties with me too, but we will get to their use later.

I have used one pole in the past but its old and it’s no longer possible to buy the same, so rather than have an unmatched pair I decided to replace it with a matched pair of LEKI Poles.

A little bit about LEKI :
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LEKI is always written in capital letters because it is an acronym. LE from the first two letters from Klaus Lenhart’s last name and KI is from the location of the company, Kirchheim, Germany. LEKI is pronounced, Lake-ee

They are well known for ski poles, and since the 40s have been a leading manufacturer of lightweight aluminum poles. Initially the hiking poles were developed mainly for European mountain guides. Using two poles as means of relieving stress on knee joints and the lower back appealed to climbers who also saw benefits in performance and safety. Walking poles became mainstream with hikers and trekkers once the preventive health benefits, climbing support and stabilising effects were recognised.

The Super Makalu COR-TEC Mountain trekking pole
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These consist of a hand grip with straps, the shaft a basket and the tip.

The hand grip:
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These need to be durable and fit well in the hand, to large or too small can create blisters or bad posture. Good poles have a variety of grip sizes and it is important to find the right one for you so spend some time and listen to the dealer’s advice if you aren’t sure. The poles I chose have COR-TEC grips which are made from cork and latex which gives a lightweight grip that is cool in the hand in warm weather and comfortable to grip in colder temperatures

The strap:
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Straps provide security, comfort and support. My poles have an automatic comfort strap. It has soft fleece padding to reduce friction or irritation. The strap itself is made from nylon webbing with a wicker liner, which allows the skin to breath and reduces sweating, it also has a soft edge to reduce rubbing. The grips have a positive angle, meaning that the 15 degree angle just below the grip loops the wrist in a natural, relaxed position; this allows for better load bearing apparently but it’s also very comfortable.

The shaft:
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The Super Makalu COR-TEC has a high grade, 7075, aluminium shaft. They are heat treated to create more tensile strength. The inside surfaces of the hollow pole are textured so they is extra grip for the locking mechanism of the expander. They don’t use chemicals is the finishing processes of brushing , degreasing or cleaning as it gives a better surface for the finishing touches of graphics and sealing. This ensures all surfaces are very durable.The poles are each in 3 sections and are height adjustable.
It is also possible to get a LEKI pole of 100% carbon fibre but these are very, very, very expensive

Trekking basket:
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You’d be excused for visualising a little pannier for keeping goodies handy but this term actually describes the screw on fittings at the end of each pole that prevent it sinking into soft earth. There are different types including ones for use in snow which are large to spread the weight rather like snowshoes do. They screw on and off by hand requiring no tools.

Carbide flexi tips:
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These are flexible synthetic tips which can bend up to 30% without damaging the pole. Carbide approaches hardness close to that of a diamond giving superb grip on rock or ice as well as looser gravel surfaces and earth. You can save money by having a steel tip but this is only suitable for gravel and earth.

SAS (soft antishock system):
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This provides a smooth, precise combination between the spring strength and level of compression and acts as a suspension system cushioning pole parts and parts of your body. There is no rebound effect so it won’t push you back and reduces stress on muscles, ligaments and joints. It is also silent so you won’t be squeaking your way up a mountain! This can either be on or off. It consists of a large steel spring and 2 pieces of elastometer one above the spring and one below all of which embedded in the shaft. This keeps it clean, free from contamination and requiring less maintenance. When it’s activated the elastometer (like the squashy disk in your spine) isn’t compressed and neither is the spring. This antishock system creates no rebound Turning antishock off is just a matter of pressing and twisting the pole

SLS Locking System
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This is a bit technical and a bit over my head so i will just copy it direct from the information sheet to reduce the risk of me getting it wrong and changing what the information means accidentally. This system is an upgrade from their previous Easy Lock System and results in 40% less turning revolutions for adjustment, resulting in 140 kg holding force and a 360 degree reverse turn security with less effort and lower torque. Wider thread patterns and steeper angle on the screw locks adjustment in 3-4 turns for easier handling.... any one want to decipher that for me feel free. Colin at the dealer explained it as meaning it’s easy to adjust and impossible to unlock accidentally which is good enough for me.

Poles are adjustable from fully compressed at 71 cm to fully extended at 140 cm (28 inches to 55 inches) which is suitable for most heights and the pair weighs 620 g (21.7 oz.)

Adjusting poles:
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on flat ground the pole length should be sufficient that the arms are bent at a 90 degree angle, as you go up a hill you shorten the poles and as you come down you lengthen them. This might sound like a pain but it takes seconds and is worth it for all the benefits I’ll mention in the paragraph below. If you’re going across a slope you can shorten the uphill pole and lengthen the downhill to increase your stability and safety tremendously.

the most efficient way to walk , achieving the most reduction in lower body stress is to use an opposite hand to leg technique as you walk ... plant the right pole and step with the left leg , plant the left pole and step with the right leg and so on. On a hill these poles can really help, by leaning slightly forwards and setting the poles slightly backwards you can push against them to reduce knee and ankle stress and gain extra momentum.

As the pole is placed against the ground some of the force that is usually absorbed by the leg muscles joints and ligaments is redistributed to the pole. This has been calculated as being approximately 4.4 % each step which doesn’t sound like a lot until you think of that over a mile hike or an 8 mile trek. (It’s reckoned to be around 250 tons saved on the 8 mile hike)

Because these poles have shock absorbers the redistributed force isn’t transferred to the wrists, elbows or shoulders unlike an ordinary walking stick. Other benefits include the increased stability; instead of balancing on 2 legs its more like you have 4 which is great particularly on uneven terrain. You are less likely to fall: if you stumble you are more able to balance with the poles and quicker to recover from a misplaced foot. It’s also much better when the grounds wet as these poles simply do not slip. They improve your posture as you’re not going to be leaning or unbalanced, also because your back is straighter your lung expansion is better so it’s easier to breathe. They encourage you to take longer strides so your speed is increased but with less effort. The main thing for me though is that there is less knee flexion at heelstrike (that’s what happens to your knee when your heel hits the ground- the pull in the tendon in the popliteal furrow the crease at the back of the knee.)

I’ve used these today and I can honestly say this is the least my leg has ached since I hurt the blooming thing. My dog is happy as she’s had a decent walk round the farm and the lanes but it is a bit difficult handling a lead and these poles. I wouldn’t advise it if your dog isn’t pretty well trained or else they could have you over. The instructions with these are superb as is all of the information in general. They feel very well made and don’t look too bad either. I am well chuffed

I did mention bungee cords earlier and I will pass this on, my Dr suggests if my leg gets tired and I am unable to rest; if I attach 2 bungee cords to my belt and link the fasteners under my heel, they will lift my leg back up for me saving on my own body’s resources. We will try that out this weekend and I will fill you in after wards by updating this review.

One last thing: Nordic walking
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This is the style of walking with 2 poles and initially was summer training for cross country skiers and gives a time-efficient, low-stress, total body workout. It’s not unusual to see people in Scandinavia using these poles while walking in built up areas although it’s not that common here. There are also home exercise machines based on this style of walking. These poles could make someone’s life a lot easier if they suffer arthritis, back pain. If you intend to use poles mainly for urban walking you would buy walking poles as they have tips designed for paving, tarmac and other road surfaces. The walking poles are much cheaper. I did think about buying these myself first but didn’t

As I will be using mine off road I went for a mountain trekking pole and although we will be doing less strenuous terrain for the rest of this year this pole will be suitable for most terrains; they are extremely hardwearing and the shaft itself has a lifetime guarantee so it will still be useful when im back at my peak fitness. I just bought a pair of tip covers for using on pavements and they are also suitable for use indoors (although the mind boggles where about)

I hope I haven’t bored anyone to tears as I have got a bit carried away im afraid, but there’s just so much about these that’s good.