I mentioned in my Friday walk piece that I as walking without poles. While South Shropshire is not the most mountainous of place it is all very up and down. Pick the right route and you can accumulate a pretty reasonable ascent during the walk.
I wanted to take this walk in the most natural way I could, preserve a rolling gait as much as possible i order to really feel how things were. This would be the first time in years that I’ve done this walk without poles. It was quite an interesting experience.
I was certainly slower over the ground, yet not really that much slower over the entire route. Without poles I wasn’t charging up the slopes or racing across the flat. Everything did seem a little more relaxed somehow and I did realise how stiffly I often walk when using poles.
True, there were no-knee crunching descents, well none that went on forever! And I wasn’t carrying a full pack. While my poles will still go with me on loner outings I think I may walk more often without them.
Any thoughts team?
Legs are meant for walking, poles for adding balance. It seems very sensible to me that I should always work on increasing the strength, flexibility and fitness of my legs first. Don’t get me wrong, I really wouldn’t want to be without my poles on rougher ascents and especially descents, but as I’ve got older (51), I’ve realised that with regard to fitness “if you don’t use it, you loose it!”. Consequently I do walking specific workouts twice a week.
Sensible thoughts Colin.
BTW I bought the Sarah Keays book. Very good. I shall be reviewing it soon.
You’re quite right about walking without poles. I originally bought some to protect my knees and add confidence on steep descents. Then I discovered that I had LOST confidence to walk downhill without them. Now I’ve got Trail Blaze poles which are often stowed away in the rucksack and I only use them when I really need them not just out of habit.
While I always take them, I mainly use them for down hill and often only one pole. However, they are useful at times where balance is needed or to take some pressure off my knees. Most of the time I like the freedom of not having to use them.
Interesting comments, I have noticed that I tend to have longer strides when using poles which I think is not always beneficial. On my recent trip to Lapland on the less demanding sections I was often carrying the poles in my hand and given that experience I am looking at using a lighter set of poles, instead of my beloved pacer poles, as I now feel that the poles may spend more time in my pack than in my hand. I will also be exploring the “one pole” concept a little more on coming trips.
I feel the same way. I love my Pacer Poles but I do tend to walk more aggressively with them. This doesn’t cause the back problems, but I’m sure it hasn’t helped when the back is a little weak!
Like most people I bought poles to help take some pressure off my knees on descent but probably find the fact that they help with balance more important.
I also like the fact how they spread some the load a little (onto the arms) during ascent.
I’m always a little surprised to see how many people carry their poles uphill, only using them on the way back down.
Yep Paul, this is very much how I have thought of them. I am wondering whether they are making me a bit stiffer than I should be at times. Certainly on easy ground I think I shall be putting them away more often.
Interesting Andy. I too have shared these heretical thoughts. A certain Mr Sloman has purchased super lightweight poles on the priciple that he mainly just carries them!
There’s an ultralight hiker somewhere in Alan just waiting to break out ….
I understand that if you walk ‘properly’ with poles upto 30% of the force normally taken by the knees can be transmitted to the arms / shoulders. If you regard knees as a weak point then this is quite important. My father’s knees gave out at the age of 77 on the Milford Track after a long walking life. So my reflection is – if he started to use poles 10 years earlier would his knee remain good for a further 3 years? Or maybe much more? Now at 90 he uses poles and is in great pain after a couple of miles, I just want to be more comfortable for longer … Then there’s folk who have a weak point in the arms and get some form of ‘tennis elbow’ from using poles …