Leki Makalu FX Carbon Trekking Poles

I’m a self-confessed, hiking-pole convert. I used to hate the damn things, would actively scorn them, and swore black and blue I’d never be seen wielding them. But my knees had other ideas, and eventually forced me to backflip. If only I’d become acquainted with the Leki Makalu FX Carbon poles earlier, I would’ve switched allegiances much sooner. And BTW, my knees are great now, and I still use the poles, because I’ve learnt how useful it is to have four points of stability, bung knees or not.

Straight out of the plastic, the slick design of the Leki Makalus oozes quality. All for show, though? To answer this question, I set out on a 70km walk traversing some of Victoria’s most rugged terrain—in the form of Mts Cobbler, Speculation, Howitt and Magdala, not to mention the Crosscut Saw. I’m pleased to say that the Makalus didn’t take a backwards step; they took everything I threw at them in their stride.

Overly complicated set-up instructions aside, it’s simple enough to click the five sections (some of which fit inside one another) into place, cleverly held together by the External Locking Device (ELD) system and the Speed Lock 2 Plus clamp. The Aergon Air provides an ergonomic and padded grip, and I particularly appreciated the angled, rubberised grip head, which made bracing on downhill sections easy and comfortable. The 1K foam on the padded grip extension presented additional handling options when surging—read, struggling—uphill. While they’re not the absolute lightest on the market, the weight of the Makalus, being carbon fibre versus heavier aluminium, is still meagre—just 250g per pole. This didn’t, however, come at the expense of sturdiness. And while I kept my Makalus set up at all times, had I wanted to be hands-free, the ELD system (which has a quick-release button) enables a speedy pack down into a compact, three-section package. When folded up into the provided storage bag, at 40cm in length, the poles can be stashed away into small spaces, making them ideal for those travelling abroad or if, on a walk, you want to store them in your pack until the going gets tough.

The length/height of the Leki Makalus can be varied between 110cm and 130cm, and while everyone has their own pole-length preference, I wouldn’t want the Makalus’ minimum height of 110cm to be any higher (for reference, I’m 169cm tall); shorter adventurers may prefer more flexibility in this department. It’s worth noting that Leki has the Cressida FX Carbon pole as well, with a height of 100-120cm. It’s also worth noting that, longevity wise, due to the design of the ELD system, if the trigger fails, the pole sections cannot be kept in place, but this is inherent with all folding walking poles. (BTW, if a pole section breaks, Leki has individual replacement sections available.) At over $400 a pair, the Leki Makalus aren’t the most wallet-friendly option out there either, but you pay for quality and for the energy-saving lightness of carbon fibre.

Comfortable. Sturdy. Light. There’s no nonsense about the Leki Makalus.

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