The Case for Using Hiking Poles When Going Uphill

[t2andreo]

I came across this article in Backpacking Magazine the other day.

It has applicability to the ongoing discussion about whether to use hiking poles or not when on Camino. So, I am providing the URL here:

The Case for Using Trekking Poles While Going Uphill

They don’t necessarily save energy, but a new study suggests they might save your legs

www.outsideonline.com

I hope this helps.

Tom

 

[sun is shining]

For context: I’m a mid-thirties sporty experienced long-distance hiker. I’ve resisted for ages using hiking poles but now they come with me on every hiking trip.

Hiking poles are wonderful! If you use them correctly (check YT videos and practice!! before departure) they can do wonders for your joints, balance and general stamina. Especially women that are „top-heavy“ benefit because the poles force them to keep a more natural position.

One thing that frequently worries me on this forum is the advice to buy „cheap“ hiking poles from Decathlon. This is all good and well as long as you don’t slip. I’ve seen a lot of those poles snap on their owners when they took a fall - something that good poles are meant to mitigate. Especially for less steady-footed or heavier pilgrims I’d advice decent trekking poles (and the associated shipping / airfare costs) - good poles can absolutely make a difference compared to their cheaper counterparts.

 

[CarolamS]

I have used my poles for many years now. I will add another reason I find them extremely helpful: I wear varifocal glasses and my poles enable me to keep a good upright posture. Without them I am tempted to bend my head so that the ground is more in focus, not good for many reasons!

 

[t2andreo]

I also find them a great expedient clothing hanger for hanging wrung out hand-washed clothing at my accommodations. It works better if you have or share a private room with a window.

I carry several, long "trash-can rubber bands," and a couple of largish plastic "S" hooks, to loop over the ends of a curtain rod, or other protuberance, to suspend my hiking poles horizontally. These bands and hooks weigh "nothing." Really, just a few grams, and they have a myriad of uses. They go into a separate zip-lock baggie as my laundry line kit.

In colder months, or when it is raining, I hang this horizontal arrangement over a radiator, if one is available. This gets the early morning blast of heat.

Then again, I also carry 2 - 3 folding plastic clothing hangers. They fold up very small and flat - smaller than the palm of your hand, and only weigh a few grams each. Once unfolded, they can hold a wet, wrung out fleece garment. Locate them on Amazon.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Mikey - camino]

I came across this article in Backpacking Magazine the other day.

It has applicability to the ongoing discussion about whether to use hiking poles or not when on Camino. So, I am providing the URL here:

The Case for Using Trekking Poles While Going Uphill

They don’t necessarily save energy, but a new study suggests they might save your legs

www.outsideonline.com

I hope this helps.

Tom

I don't know about the energy part, but being an older pilgrim I found them indispensable especially during the decent to Zubini section. The wicked section was tricky enough with the poles.

The poles do save on the knees. I would recommend them.

Mike

 

[Gringazolana]

Well, I feel justified now! I am older, heavier, very “top heavy”, wear bifocals, and have knee issues. Once I started using poles years ago on every walk (and I live in the flattest place on earth!), I will never go without. Maybe the most important part of my gear!

 

[Dennis Pack]

For context: I’m a mid-thirties sporty experienced long-distance hiker. I’ve resisted for ages using hiking poles but now they come with me on every hiking trip.

Hiking poles are wonderful! If you use them correctly (check YT videos and practice!! before departure) they can do wonders for your joints, balance and general stamina. Especially women that are „top-heavy“ benefit because the poles force them to keep a more natural position.

One thing that frequently worries me on this forum is the advice to buy „cheap“ hiking poles from Decathlon. This is all good and well as long as you don’t slip. I’ve seen a lot of those poles snap on their owners when they took a fall - something that good poles are meant to mitigate. Especially for less steady-footed or heavier pilgrims I’d advice decent trekking poles (and the associated shipping / airfare costs) - good poles can absolutely make a difference compared to their cheaper counterparts.

It is possible to buy the better quality poles in Spain, and avoid the hassle at airports ... while supporting those who make the caminos possible. Win - win

 

[Arctic_Alex]

They are a good tool to hit fellow-pilgrims with when they cannot behave.

 

[henrythedog]

I was sceptical when young but, when climbing in the alps in the late 80’s all the young guides used them. They believed that the benefit to their knees would extend their working life by a few years. I’ve used them ever since.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Actually, as a more serious reply than my first one: I first started using them when for the first time I was lugging around 36 kg of expedition and camera gear in the mountains. Hiking poles were the only chance of survival then.
Been using them often since. Not on my Camino Frances, but on my Primitivo this year I did use one.

 

[sun is shining]

I was sceptical when young but, when climbing in the alps in the late 80’s all the young guides used them. They believed that the benefit to their knees would extend their working life by a few years. I’ve used them ever since.

Exactly! Lots of younger people think that poles are pointless because nothing hurts *yet*. Poles are a great way to keep that inevitable *yet* off by a few years.

 

[AnneO]

I am confident I could not have completed my Camino without poles. I needed the extra help going up hills and the support going down hills. I also liked that they kept my hands up so they didn’t swell. I walked nearly every step with them.

 

[Blister Bill]

Best thing I ever got bullied into ! The power you get going up hill is surprisingly significant. I'm a 6'3 bigger guy whose hard on my gear and I've had no problems with the cost effective decathlon poles including on the last camino of 1500km...and I use them all the time regardless of terrain (except when transiting towns). I travel without them and purchase on arrival which allows me to carry my backpack on the plane without the need for checked luggage. Can't recommend enough - transformational when used correctly!

 

[dick bird]

but on my Primitivo this year I did use one.

A word of warning here. I have only ever used one pole as a walking stick. I have recently developed some nasty pains in one knee and I suspect this is the result of twisting or uneven gait. The other advantage of poles, even one pole, is that they help balance on rough ground. We are not aware of it, but as we are bipedal we are constantly making micro movements to stay upright and a stick will eliminate a lot of the effort involved.

 

[t2andreo]

Another pole tip - if your are one of those people who have the one leg longer than the other, adjust the poles to compensate. It helps.

I have this condition, as my right hip is congenitally 3/4 inch higher that the left. So I make the right pole the correct size, then reduce the left side by 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Much less hip and knee stress this way.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Trekker One]

Gear is a very personal thing without a right or wrong answer...despite the inner feeling that we personally have the 'right gear.'
That said I am a big proponent of trekking poles
I have zero health issues, so my use of trekking poles is solely because they make each days walk much easier and less tiring...at least for me. I use them 100% of the time with the exception of walking through bigger centers where they may pose a trip hazard for others.
One of the many mysteries of the Camino are those pilgrims that carry their collapsed poles on their back pack without ever using them which I have witnessed on countless days.

 

[WGroleau]

Using them to ease the load on my legs only makes my elbows and shoulders hurt. But I find them very important in keeping my balance on the roughest terrain, and to keep from sliding downhill when it’s steep and the surface is loose.

 

[KiddCoddiwomple]

I came across this article in Backpacking Magazine the other day.

It has applicability to the ongoing discussion about whether to use hiking poles or not when on Camino. So, I am providing the URL here:

The Case for Using Trekking Poles While Going Uphill

They don’t necessarily save energy, but a new study suggests they might save your legs

www.outsideonline.com

I hope this helps.

Tom

I was about 50 years old, im fair shape when I got passed up a hill by an 80 year old wjo
Said… 1st time in the hike? If you’re serious, you’ll always use sticks.
Fast forward 14 years and thousands of miles of hiking and I can attest to the benefits of using “sticks” as she calls them. Not just for uphill mind you. They actually are even more beneficial in preventing injury down hills/ saving knees.
Buy the best you can find/ it makes a huge difference/ no vibration and lightweight titanium. They scaffold down in size to easily pack. They are considered one of my essentials no matter where I travel ~ I never check luggage and only a few random airports have had me check hiking sticks. But worth the rare hassle.

 

[Blister Bill]

Another pole tip - if your are one of those people who have the one leg longer than the other, adjust the poles to compensate. It helps.

I have this condition, as my right hip is congenitally 3/4 inch higher that the left. So I make the right pole the correct size, then reduce the left side by 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Much less hip and knee stress this way.

Hope this helps.

Tom

I was taught the correct setting for the height of your poles is with your forearm at right angles - parallel to the ground - which allows for any variation.