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I really was not expecting a real increase in speed. I am experimenting with them as the Primitivo has an awful lot of up and down bits, and after reading a number of accounts from other pilgrims who took this route, and thought they would be helpful.Quite correct. It's all about learning to use them correctly.....then determining a suitable pace.
The average pace appears to be around 4ks an hour on the flat, slower on the uphills and on the downhills.
Regards
Gerard
I also walked with Pacerpoles which really helped my two replaced knees and one replaced hip manage the distance and ups and downs on the way. The only down side of Pacerpoles, a small thing, is that they can be a bit tricky to lean against a wall because of the the shape of the hand holds. Not a bit deal. One other thing with any set of trekking poles is that they may be in the way if you want to stop and take photos with a camera or phone. But, friends, trekking poles in my opinion are just great for helping with one's pack load and distance. Highly recommended. I wish I was out on the Camino right now, using them.When I started using my Pacerpoles I experienced the same thing - I once set a new pilgrim landspeed record (for me at least) from Astorga to Rabanal, so I arrived before Gaucelmo had even opened! Then the next day I used them as rocket boosters to get me up the hill, and then handbrakes to get me safely down on the other side ... But I soon had to learn to slow the pace down, and started by stopping more often and looking around, taking photos etc. Enjoy your learning curve!
Bob, I am in mid-Missouri and "stuck" with the closest waling option 5 minutes drive away, the Katy Trail, a reconverted railroad line which snakes 240 miles through the Show Me State. And is it flat! Flat, flat, flat! On a bike, for instance, one is contantly peddling; grdients vary seemingly in millimeters. So, how do I practice using my potential purchase for a (fourth) Camino, nthis time from Porto, Portgual in 09/2021? Ain't no hills, buddy! BTW, hank you for the reminder to use rubber tips (mental note to purchase an extra set) in consideration of other pilgrims and residents alike. After a final disgusted heave-ho of the latest in a seemingly endless closet collection of Ospreys and the brands many irritating interior and exterior model changes, I am opting for a Gossamer Gear backpack. And looking with a keen eye at their own brand of walking poles, too.My wife and I live in the mid-west of USA in a very flat state. Prior to our first camino in 2015, we had never used trekking poles before. We bought two sets of Leki poles with cork handles. We watched a few YouTube videos regarding how to adjust the poles to the appropriate height, how to hold them (straps on the cork handles) and how to walk with them. We were able to quickly learn how to use them. They were life savers throughout our first camino, particularly navigating steep uphills and down hills. They are a great safety tool, since you can quickly steady your balance if you stumble on the path. We used them again on our 2017 and 2019 caminos and will certainly bring them with us again this fall.
Two tips for newbies: There are lots and lots of trekking poles on the caminos. Some albergues require pilgrims to place their trekking poles in an umbrella stand close to the shoe racks. It would be very easy to accidentally (or not) pick up another set of poles the next morning. On more than one occasion, we heard pilgrims complain that someone stole their poles. To limit this, we decorated our trekking poles with unique colorful tape and painted our poles in a few locations so we could easily identify our poles in the morning. This is no longer an issue since during our last camino and the one this fall, we will stay in private rooms and bring our poles into our rooms with us.
Secondly, as a courtesy to other pilgrims and folks in towns that you walk through, please use rubber tips to cover the metal ends of your poles. Otherwise, the constant clank, clank, clank of metal on concrete / asphalt can be be quite annoying. I still recall during our first camino we followed a pilgrim that clanked his way ahead of us for several kilometers. Then we approached the green metal bridge over the railroad tracks before entering Astorga. He clanked his way up the ramp and back down. Quite annoying ! !
Bob
As an aside, I find that using a good set of poles not only assists in an easier walk but also facilitates a more contemplative way of walking. With practice, I think you will find a more enjoyable way forward.So after a bit of research and more than one failed attempt using a wooden staff (actually slowed me down) and at my wife’s urging I decided to give trekking poles a chance. I used them a few times on both road and trail for short trial runs. I needed to learn how to use them and not be a danger to myself (tripping hazard) or others (harpooning people is seen as a little rude now it seems).
After I felt I had the hang of them I wanted to do a 15k route with with hills and about a third of the distance on hardball. My target pace for a paved route is about 6 kph and approximately 5 kph moving average on unpaved but good ground. I must have focused a bit too much on those Nordic walking videos as my average moving speed was 6.8 kph and 5.5 overall. That worked out to 15k in 2:10. OK, not exactly Flash speeds but I traveled a lot faster with the poles than I did without. Actually it was a bit too fast. I don’t think my body would be able to stand up to that pace for between 5 & 6 hours a day for weeks at a time. I’ll need to recalibrate my pace over the next few weeks before I do myself a mischief.
tldr: poles made me way faster, but threw off my walking pace. Trekking poles for the win.
Here's the part your neighbors are missing -- after you have put your right and left feet in and and have shaken them all about, you do what? Why, "you put your whole self in, you put your whole self out, you put your whole self in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey-pokey (arms over head and turning in a circle) and that's what it's all about!"I thoroughly am on the trekking poles bandwagon. Like many, the Primitivo was my first use. Provided stability, security from falling, plunging puddle depths, parting thorns, waving at critters. Swiftness, lightness of being: got my poles ready to tackle any hilly windmill going up and worst of all going down wet rocks ie descent Por Hospitales. Green identifying tape on mine. Women’s ergonomic cork Black Diamond, got em on sale. Going, pack them in a tube and check them. Return, pack them bundled in clothes in very light nylon duffel. Added bonus of learning to use them: constant amusement of my neighbors watching me practice. “You put your left foot in with your right arm out...you do the Peregrina hokey pokey... Win-win for all.
Of course, you must be a authentic Hokie to get it right.Here's the part your neighbors are missing -- after you have put your right and left feet in and and have shaken them all about, you do what? Why, "you put your whole self in, you put your whole self out, you put your whole self in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey-pokey (arms over head and turning in a circle) and that's what it's all about!"
Thinking about it as I write, that last bit, wherein the whole self jumps into the circle and one shakes oneself all about, is, after all the Camino experience!
Same with REI - I actually found their brand name poles easier to fold up, nicer to use and - of course, cheaper. Highly recommend them.Recently in an Eddie Bauer store I discovered their house brand z poles for $40! Easily fold up and lightweight, seem similar to the Black Diamond. Height adjusts, but the lowest setting was 110cm, too high if you’re short. They will refund if any problems, I’ll report back after I’ve given them a workout
Have sent this suggestion to a friend on a budget, aiming to head out next year.Recently in an Eddie Bauer store I discovered their house brand z poles for $40! Easily fold up and lightweight, seem similar to the Black Diamond. Height adjusts, but the lowest setting was 110cm, too high if you’re short. They will refund if any problems, I’ll report back after I’ve given them a workout
I think this may be the “secret” to my increased pace. I tend to sway when I walk, the swinging straps on my pack are a dead giveaway. The poles reduced that swaying and I spent more energy going forward rather than side-to-side. Coupled with the push from the poles going uphill I made pretty good time.One cannot waddle side-to-side with poles,
I am with you there brother. I picked up rubber tips when I bought the poles. I have seen more than one post mentioning the annoying clicking of poles, especially in the mornings, and didn’t want to be “that guy”.I have no problem how anyone uses poles except the people who do not use the rubber tips and I have to hear that absolutely annoying sound of poles hitting the ground over and over again.
That sounds like a whole lot of unfun.From my blog post about a day on the John Muir Trail a few years ago:
One long day during my trek, I planned to camp by a lake that was almost 12,000 feet in elevation. This particular day was going to be another eighteen miles of hiking. Later that afternoon I met an older gentleman (older than me, at least) coming down the same trail I was headed up. We offered the usual greetings, and he asked where I planned to camp that night. After hearing of my planned destination, he asked if I had hiked this portion of the trail before (that should have been a warning sign!). I replied that I had not since this was my first JMT. He remarked that the next few miles were “a bitch.” Hoping for a different reality, I told myself he must have been a negative type: the whole trail is hard if you looked at it the way he did. WRONG. The man was not negative—he was coarsely stating the obvious. That short section of just a few miles is unusually rugged and was a lot of work for weary legs at the end of a long day.
As I neared my destination, the trail made a quick turn to the right along a dry streambed. As I was looking around to see where the track led, I got tripped up in my trekking poles and did a pounding face-plant into the rocks. This all hurt so bad—you know, that traumatic shock!—that I thought it possibly the end of my journey right then and there.
Slowly, I recovered enough to do a self-assessment: sprained fingers and a wrist, scraped knees, and something quite askew with my face. (I’ll save your sensibilities by not including the iPhone selfies I took of that facial injury!) I rinsed everything and felt about to see how bad the injury might be, finding a hole with my tongue on the inside of my lip and a hole with my finger on the outside. Did I have a hole through my lip? How am I going to blow up my air mattress with a hole in my lip? Fortunately, the hole did not go all the way through, the injury did not end my trip, and the damage did eventually heal.
I never put my hands in the loops of the poles anymore.
Yes, that is what I have as well, Pacerpoles. They force you to keep your back properly aligned which results in less back strain.When I started using my Pacerpoles I experienced the same thing - I once set a new pilgrim landspeed record (for me at least) from Astorga to Rabanal, so I arrived before Gaucelmo had even opened! Then the next day I used them as rocket boosters to get me up the hill, and then handbrakes to get me safely down on the other side ... But I soon had to learn to slow the pace down, and started by stopping more often and looking around, taking photos etc. Enjoy your learning curve!
Others have said the same about swollen hands. Thankfully that is not an issue for me. But why do poles help your hands not swell.The other advantage of poles, at least for me, is that they prevent my hands from swelling.
I think it is because the poles keep one's hands from swinging below the heart. blood pools in the hands when the force of the swing is greater than the ability of all the little capillaries in the fingers and hands to get that blood back up above heart level.Others have said the same about swollen hands. Thankfully that is not an issue for me. But why do poles help your hands not swell.
I use Pacerpoles too. I love them.When I started using my Pacerpoles I experienced the same thing - I once set a new pilgrim landspeed record (for me at least) from Astorga to Rabanal, so I arrived before Gaucelmo had even opened! Then the next day I used them as rocket boosters to get me up the hill, and then handbrakes to get me safely down on the other side ... But I soon had to learn to slow the pace down, and started by stopping more often and looking around, taking photos etc. Enjoy your learning curve!
Thanks so much. I always have poles and as age keeps creeping up on me I will keep this in mind for the future.I think it is because the poles keep one's hands from swinging below the heart. blood pools in the hands when the force of the swing is greater than the ability of all the little capillaries in the fingers and hands to get that blood back up above heart level.
Using the poles gets rid of the low swing, keeps hands elevated enough... and I've found that I can now walk for far far longer without the poles and have none of that tingly feel that I used to get. I suspect that that is because my cardio fitness was improved by being able to walk longer distances with greater comfort.
Skiers intrinsically know how to use poles (and the straps). The motion is the same whether downhill or cross-country skiing or walking. They aid rhythm, relieve weight on some joints (think downhills), assist on slippery trail, and defend against aggressive dogs (saved me more than once; think carbide tips). That said, some prefer no poles.So after a bit of research and more than one failed attempt using a wooden staff (actually slowed me down) and at my wife’s urging I decided to give trekking poles a chance. I used them a few times on both road and trail for short trial runs. I needed to learn how to use them and not be a danger to myself (tripping hazard) or others (harpooning people is seen as a little rude now it seems).
After I felt I had the hang of them I wanted to do a 15k route with with hills and about a third of the distance on hardball. My target pace for a paved route is about 6 kph and approximately 5 kph moving average on unpaved but good ground. I must have focused a bit too much on those Nordic walking videos as my average moving speed was 6.8 kph and 5.5 overall. That worked out to 15k in 2:10. OK, not exactly Flash speeds but I traveled a lot faster with the poles than I did without. Actually it was a bit too fast. I don’t think my body would be able to stand up to that pace for between 5 & 6 hours a day for weeks at a time. I’ll need to recalibrate my pace over the next few weeks before I do myself a mischief.
tldr: poles made me way faster, but threw off my walking pace. Trekking poles for the win.
I am finding that as well. I have to carry something in my hands or they start swelling around the 12 mile/20k mark while wearing a pack. I did an awful lot of “hiking” in the military but never had an issue with hand swelling. Looking back I realize I was always carrying something. Once out I was training for a charity walk that called for three consecutive 20 mile days. My hands started swelling up, but I started carry a gps in my hand (switching from right to left from time to time) rather than my pocket and the swelling became a nonissue.The other advantage of poles, at least for me, is that they prevent my hands from swelling
The way I see it, the point of using poles, especially while going downhill, is not so much to speed up your pace but rather to lessen the strain on your knees. You can demonstrate this for yourself by stepping on a bathroom scale with one foot and lean on the pole with the other hand. Notice how the weight drops on the scale.So after a bit of research and more than one failed attempt using a wooden staff (actually slowed me down) and at my wife’s urging I decided to give trekking poles a chance. I used them a few times on both road and trail for short trial runs. I needed to learn how to use them and not be a danger to myself (tripping hazard) or others (harpooning people is seen as a little rude now it seems).
After I felt I had the hang of them I wanted to do a 15k route with with hills and about a third of the distance on hardball. My target pace for a paved route is about 6 kph and approximately 5 kph moving average on unpaved but good ground. I must have focused a bit too much on those Nordic walking videos as my average moving speed was 6.8 kph and 5.5 overall. That worked out to 15k in 2:10. OK, not exactly Flash speeds but I traveled a lot faster with the poles than I did without. Actually it was a bit too fast. I don’t think my body would be able to stand up to that pace for between 5 & 6 hours a day for weeks at a time. I’ll need to recalibrate my pace over the next few weeks before I do myself a mischief.
tldr: poles made me way faster, but threw off my walking pace. Trekking poles for the win.
Definitely felt that advantage on the downhill! One of the primary motivations for trying them out was for the downhill. I came across lots of accounts of people on the Primitivo and San Salvador struggling on the steep downhill portions.The way I see it, the point of using poles, especially while going downhill, is not so much to speed up your pace but rather to lessen the strain on your knees. You can demonstrate this for yourself by stepping on a bathroom scale with one foot and lean on the pole with the other hand. Notice how the weight drops on the scale.
Thanks for the step counter heads up. I did not know that.We love our Pacer poles and wouldn't walk without them.
There is a couple of downsides to pole use though that some folk might not be aware of.
If you wear a step counter / distance thingo such as a Garmin or Fitbit or the like on your wrist, you won't get accurate stats.
We found it was best to put our devices in our pockets because the distances and steps taken measurements was most likely far more accurate.
The same thing occurs when I'm mowing the lawn with a push mower. Do ten laps of the lawn and almost zero recorded steps. Oh, the woe of modern life!
The other downside, in my case, is that occasionally, I accidentally trip myself - ouch. Occasionally, I accidentally trip my wife also.
Apart from poles, apparently it has been said that I'm dangerous to others when using unbrellas but that's a whole new thread!
Cheers
Thanks for the step counter heads up. I did not know that.
I always say that my poles are there to carry me, not visa versa.Another reason to use your poles all the time instead of keeping them in your pack is to lighten the load in your backpack.
I definitely had the same experience. I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps it is the use of hand muscles in gripping the poles, to the extent that one does (I rarely hold them at all tightly). Perhaps it is that they don't swing down as low. But the benefit is certainly there, for those that can get swollen hands.Others have said the same about swollen hands. Thankfully that is not an issue for me. But why do poles help your hands not swell.
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