Gear Guide: How to Select the Right Walking Pole for You

If you're lost wondering amongst the large selection of walking poles on offer; then the Head to the Hills Walking Pole Selection Guide should set you on the right path.

Head to the Hills Walking Pole Selection Guide

At Head to the Hills we believe that we have a pole here for everyone . This guide is designed to help you make your choice of walking pole depending on your priorities and what you intend to use your poles for. We hope you find what you need!

1. About LEKI Walking Poles
2. About Mountain King Walking Poles
3. Walking Pole Selection Chart

1. LEKI Walking Poles

Leki has an unrivalled heritage dating back to the 1940’s and is still a family run company based in the German town of Kirkheim. All Leki poles are made with the finest quality 7075 Aluminium or Carbon available. The strength of the aluminium poles is further enhanced through a tempering process exclusive to the Leki manufacturing process, resulting in an incredibly strong but flexible alloy. Leki’s Carbonlite poles are constructed using and optimal combination of cross-linked carbon fibre resulting in one of the lightest expedition strength poles on the market, in our opinion... the best.

Quality of manufacture and the strength of Leki poles are what really sets Leki apart from other brands and they are one of the few manufacturers who offer any kind of guarantee against pole breakage. They are also the only pole manufacturer in the world to carry the coveted TUV standard for the strength of their locking mechanism (the German version of our Kite Mark).

Leki have won countless international awards for their poles and manufacturing innovations over the years and perform consistently in UK magazine gear tests.

2. Mountain King

Mountain King are based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and design and manufacture all of their poles on-site. We were prompted to extend our range of Mountain King poles for this reason and we are very impressed with the construction quality compared to other poles on the market, including product from high profile brands (selling at high profile prices!).

We are proud to support a brand that still manufactures in Britain and produces great gear at good prices. We think that this range offers the best value for money in every category without any compromise in build quality and performance. It sits well alongside the Leki range and allows us to offer a comparable home grown alternative to the international market leader.

Mountain King have developed a cult following over the last 5 years and always get very positive reviews in all of the outdoor press with many “Best Buy” and “Best in Test” awards...

TRAIL... “Just about perfect”

COUNTRY WALKING...”A joy to use”

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY...”The pole for serious trekkers”

3. Walking Pole Selection chart

BUY THESE IF YOU WANT: the strongest lightweight poles available with expedition strength shafts and a silky smooth anti-shock mechanism: The perfect choice for hill walkers and trekkers

•    LEKI Yukon Antishock. SRP £45.00/each. Our price from £59.99/pair. This is one of Leki's Premium Antishock poles at an unbeatable price. Compare the features relative to other poles at this price and buy them while we still have stock; they won't be available at this price for long. 08 2038

•    LEKI Sherpa. SRP £35.00/each. Our price from £49.99/pair. Another amazing deal on a Premium Leki pole. This is a perfect pole for Hill Walker or Mountaineer who wants light but strong product. This is one of our favourite poles. 08 2028

•   LEKI Jasper Antishock. The workhorse of Leki’s range. A thoroughly tough and dependable pole with a virtually indestructible rubber handle. 08 2034

•   LEKI Trail Antishock . SRP £29.99/each. The 2009 seasons best-seller. An expedition strength Leki antishock pole at a very good price. 09 2030

•   LEKI Trail. SRP £24.99/each. The Trail was voted “Best in Test” by Country Waking Magazine recently and offers great value for money. 09 2021

•   MOUNTAIN KING Expedition Photo. SRP £45.00. Our price £37.99/each. An incredibly tough pole that doubles as a camera monopod. This pole should last a lifetime! With AS.

•   MOUNTAIN KING Expedition. SRP £37.99, Our price £34.99/each. A tough pole with switchable anti shock, the twin of the photo pole. Real mountaineering kit.

BUY THESE IF YOU WANT: a genuinely dependable lightweight pole that will not let you down during serious use and abuse. These poles are really light and pack small, but have all of the features you expect from a Leki pole: The perfect choice for the active walker and those who like to pack light.

LEKI Thermolite Antishock . Widely recognised as the toughest lightweight aluminium pole on the market, combined with a small pack size makes it the perfect choice for the roving international hill walker. 08 2146

•   LEKI Softlite Antishock. SRP £29.99/each. A well priced version of the Thermolite with an indestructible rubber handle. Our bestseller in this category. 08 2143

•   LEKI Traveller Alu. SRP £90.00, Our price £84.99/pair. Fitness (Nordic) Walking poles in a convenient, ultra-light and compact package. Cheaper than Gym membership and a lot more interesting! 09 2601

•   MOUNTAIN KING Compact Supertrekker. SRP £35.00, Our price £29.99/each. Our favourite lightweight pole; a real hill walkers pole, sturdy and compact.

•   MOUNTAIN KING Trekker. SRP £30.00, Our price £24.99/each. A great value for money lightweight pole with a narrower grip which offers a good alternative to the thicker Leki grip.

BUY THESE IF YOU WANT: the lightest poles available. These poles are a dream to use and are designed for those who know exactly what they want from their equipment: The perfect choice for hill runners, ultra-light backpackers, lightweight trekkers, adventure racers and alpinists.

LEKI Carbonlite. SRP £60.00, Our price £54.00/each. Yes... they are expensive, but they are the best! Super light, strong and sleek - worth packing for every trip into the mountains. 09
LEKI Carbonlite Anti Shock Ultralite poles with antishock
MOUNTAIN KING Expedition Carbon Compact. SRP £40.00, Our price £34.99/each. An affordable alternative to the Leki Carbonlite that delivers the same performance at the expense of a few grams more weight.
MOUNTAIN KING Trail Blaze. SRP £69.99/pair. More of a wand than a pole. Lighter, less expensive and more compact that most carbon poles the Trail Blaze already has a cult following among light weight backpackers and ultra distance runners.
LEKI Traveller Carbon Nordic Walking Poles. The ultimate nordic walking pole. An absolute pleasure to use.

Please note: By their very nature, carbon poles (& ultralight alu poles) are more susceptible to breakage following prolonged abuse in rocky environments, so they carry a shorter guarantee against breakage.