Particularly useful in the mountains, walking and hiking poles are reliable companions that will help you get the most out of every outing. A closer look at this compact accessory and its many benefits.
Nordic walking, hiking and trail are sports that require little equipment. However, the better you choose your gear, the more you'll enjoy your mountain outings and the more high-performance you'll be. Hiking poles aren't just for safety — they'll also boost your endurance and relieve your joints and back. On long hikes, challenging descents, or unstable and slippery ascents, hiking poles will make everything easier. You'll go faster, further and last longer. The bottom line: with poles, you'll always have the edge.
As with anything new, you may not feel completely at ease during your first few uses. But if you choose poles suited to your activity, your height and your level, and learn to use them correctly, you'll quickly find there are far more advantages than drawbacks to using walking poles on a hike. To help you accurately identify your needs and priorities — so you can choose the poles best suited to your comfort and enjoyment — here's a complete guide to walking and hiking poles.
Why use hiking poles in the mountains?
While poles are essential in nordic walking — helping you propel yourself forward, strengthen your upper body and improve flexibility and endurance — hiking poles also offer numerous advantages on the trail.
They allow you to:
- Relieve your lower back and joints by significantly reducing load and impact. When you use walking poles, 30% of your weight is transferred to your arms and supported by the poles. If you're carrying a backpack or walking on a slope, hiking poles prove even more useful — particularly for protecting your knees on demanding descents.
- Improve stability and safety on difficult, slippery or unstable terrain, on gradients and ascents, on ice or snow. Using poles doubles your points of contact and significantly improves your balance. You'll feel more confident and therefore more high-performance — but above all, you'll reduce the risk of falls and injury.
- Tackle obstacles more easily when you're on steep terrain strewn with rocks, boulders or tree branches. They provide extra support and stability for navigating dangerous, slippery, muddy sections or river crossings.
- Reduce lower-body muscle fatigue through better distribution of muscular effort. By engaging your upper body, the effort is no longer concentrated solely in your legs. Your legs will feel lighter at the end of the day.
- A more consistent pace, since you're no longer slowed down by obstacles and tough sections along the route. You'll have better support on climbs, greater stability on descents and through difficult passages. You'll be free to regulate your pace and breathing, gain efficiency and endurance, and reduce fatigue.
- Better posture — for all the reasons mentioned above, especially if you're carrying a heavy backpack and tackling cambered slopes. Make sure you choose and adjust your pole length correctly to maintain the right posture. Engaging your upper body will also help you build a more balanced physique.
- Reduce swelling in the hands and fingers thanks to improved blood circulation, as you engage your entire body right to your fingertips.
- Boost endurance, speed and performance. In short, as you've gathered, walking poles on a hiking trip will help you go further, move faster and reduce fatigue for the same effort.
To learn more, check out how to use your hiking poles correctly.
Trail poles, hiking poles or nordic walking poles: what's the difference?
Every activity has its pole. Here's a summary of the benefits hiking poles offer depending on the sport you practise:
Trail poles
A real asset on climbs and long runs, trail poles help you conserve strength and energy, spare your leg and thigh muscles, and ultimately perform better for longer. They protect your joints and relieve muscle strain by absorbing impact, while also improving stability and confidence — reducing the risk of slipping or falling. On more technical terrain, they help you maintain a strong pace without losing your running rhythm.
In trail, the priority is extreme lightweight combined with minimum bulk and maximum manoeuvrability. For trail, between aluminium and carbon walking poles, carbon is the recommended choice — ultra-light, it's also strong and limits vibrations. That said, excellent aluminium trail poles also exist; more robust, they will be slightly heavier. Foam or cork grips? Foam grips absorb sweat better and are more lightweight, but they dampen vibrations less and are therefore less comfortable. Cork grips, on the other hand, have the advantage of being more durable.
Hiking poles
On hiking outings over uneven, steep or challenging terrain, walking poles are not compulsory but are strongly recommended. They will help you improve your balance and speed, provide significant comfort and increase your safety, while also protecting your joints and back.
Foldable or telescopic hiking poles, multi-section or single-section, can be adjusted in length to suit the gradient or terrain. What matters most in hiking poles is strength combined with minimal bulk. That's why the tubes are made from aluminium, carbon or fibreglass, and why adjustable length is key. Why? So you can easily stow them in your backpack on certain sections or simply during long treks. They come with simple wrist straps and sometimes a grip extension lower down the shaft for a more comfortable hand position.
Nordic walking poles
Nordic walking is a full-body sport that engages not only the lower body but also the upper body and back. Poles are essential to this sport, which requires a sustained pace and engages every muscle in the body. Nordic walking is generally practised on flat terrain, and using poles will help you propel yourself forward, improve your flexibility and build your endurance.
In nordic walking, poles are always used in pairs. Single-section poles are recommended as they reduce vibrations and deliver a powerful, straight push. Above all, you want lightweight construction — the higher the carbon content, the lighter the pole and the better it absorbs vibrations, protecting your joints. Gauntlet-style straps with a thumb loop let you push powerfully through each stride, contributing to a smooth, consistent movement. Tungsten carbide tips are notably resistant and durable. They can be fitted with a rubber cap to improve grip on the ground.
To go further, check out the different types of hiking, walking and trail poles.
What size poles should you choose?
Bear in mind, however, that if you don't choose poles suited to your needs or your height, they can become more of a hindrance than a help. There is simply no benefit to using poorly chosen walking or hiking poles — quite the opposite. Using badly adjusted poles will likely lead to poor posture, which over time can cause pain. If you want your poles to deliver the comfort and safety you need, they must be properly sized for you.
The simplest way to choose the right size hiking poles is to stand upright (wearing your walking shoes) on flat ground and hold the pole with the tip on the floor, so it's perpendicular to the ground. If the pole is the right height, your elbow and forearm will form a 90° angle. Another method is to multiply your height in centimetres by 0.68 — this will give you the optimal height for your walking and hiking poles. If you fall between two sizes, we recommend going for the smaller one. Always make sure your forearm, parallel to the ground, forms a 90° angle with your elbow.
If you're hiking in the mountains or alpine terrain — not on flat ground — you'll need to adjust the length of your poles as you go, depending on the obstacles and elevation changes you encounter. That's why telescopic poles are the better choice: you can shorten them on the way up and extend them on the way down.
Hiking poles with or without cushioning?
Some pole models include a system to absorb shocks, reduce vibrations and better protect your joints. Be aware, however, that as with anything, you need to know how to use them correctly to benefit from their advantages and avoid being held back by them.
On descents — especially fast ones — poles with cushioning absorb shocks and vibrations effectively, delivering significant upper-body comfort and extra joint protection. On the other hand, they are of no use in nordic walking, on flat terrain or on climbs; in fact, they sap power and therefore reduce performance. It is also essential that your poles with cushioning are fitted with a locking system so you don't use them on ascents, where they would drain your energy.
In summary: how to choose your walking and hiking poles?
To get the most out of your outings, protect your muscles and joints, conserve energy, and boost your safety and comfort while improving your performance, choosing the right walking and hiking poles is essential. When selecting your poles, many factors come into play. Ask yourself the right questions: what is your level, what types of terrain do you usually cover, and which sport will you be using your poles for? To help you make the right choice and see things clearly, here's a concise summary of the key pole characteristics to look for depending on your activity.
Hiking poles:
- key benefits: improved stability and safety — reduced risk of falls and injury
- pole tube material: carbon or aluminium
- single-section or multi-section: opt for telescopic or foldable multi-section poles
- with or without cushioning: with cushioning for greater comfort on alpine hiking or mountain terrain
Nordic walking poles:
- key benefits: propulsion assistance, increased endurance
- pole tube material: opt for carbon for maximum lightweight performance
- single-section or multi-section: opt for single-section poles
- with or without cushioning: without cushioning
Trail poles:
- key benefits: improve performance while protecting muscles and joints
- pole tube material: aluminium or carbon
- single-section or multi-section: opt for multi-section to reduce bulk
- with or without cushioning: with cushioning for greater comfort on descents
To learn more, check out how to choose your poles.
Try hiking poles once and you'll never look back — they'll become an indispensable part of your kit. Now that these accessories hold no more secrets for you, here's to many great days in the mountains!
