Leki Makalu Anti-shock (Photo) Review

Overview

My first experience of Leki poles was in Iceland. After taking a dramatic fall on sheet ice a fellow researcher allowed me to borrow one of hers. Experiencing first-hand the carbide tip biting into the ice convinced me of how useful a pole could be.

The pole I actually bought for myself was the Photo version of the Leki Makalu Anti-shock. The only difference between this and the standard one is that the handle unscrews to reveal a standard camara attachment which means that this pole is also a mono-pod.

The photo shows the trekking pole with the optional rubber foot protecting the carbide tip. The rubber foot helps to protect the rest of my gear from the tip.

Outdoor Testing

This pole comes out with me whenever I am expecting to travel over very rough or steep ground. I don't tend to bother taking it for a walk in the park.

At around 300g the weight is noticeable and does not compare well with some of the new ultralight poles but the benefit of this extra-weight is bomb-proof construction.

The poles lock and unlock using the twist-lock system that is more-or-less standard across the Leki range. Basically an expanding plastic wedge lock one section of pole onto the next pole in the sequence. It is very reliable, does not slip and is basically foolproof.

The carbide tip will bite into just about anything and the small grass-basket that is supplied as standard is sufficient for moving over most soft ground such as peat bog.

There have been a number times when I have put all my weight and then some onto this pole or had it lodge between rocks and so on. So far it has taken everything that I have thrown at it and it still remains straight and true. This makes it probably the most reliable piece of kit that I own.

I have found the Anti-shock to be very effective especially when moving over rocky ground. Without the anti-shock a pole can be very jarring on the elbows - which defeats the point of taking the load off the knees.

Early Conclusions

It would be nice if it weighed a lot less but since I am not prepared to shell out for the lighter versions that exist since this one works so well.

When stowed I tend to carry the pole with the (protected) carbide tip facing down. This is mainly so that water will run down the poles and away from some of the innards. This allows me to treat the poles with less care than might otherwise be necessary.

Update

I have now replaced this pole with a titanium version that only weighs 212g.