Guides
Setting trekking pole height before a climb
A pole set to the wrong length pushes your shoulder up or drops your weight forward. This guide walks through the starting measurement and the two adjustments worth making on the hill.
Start with the elbow test
Stand the pole upright with the tip on the ground and the grip under your hand. With your arm relaxed, the elbow should sit at roughly ninety degrees. That length suits flat ground and gentle rises.
If the grip sits above your hand, the pole is too long and your shoulder will take the load. Shorten it a section at a time rather than guessing the final length.
Shorten for the climb, lengthen for the descent
Going uphill, take two to four inches off so you can push down without reaching. Coming down, add the same amount back so the pole reaches the ground ahead of you and takes pressure off the knee.
The flip locks on these poles hold the length under load. Tighten them by hand rather than with a tool, and check them again after the first ten minutes of walking.