Why We Chose The CimAlp Distance Carbon Trekking Poles: Lightweight, strong, compact folded length, easy to adjust
We wouldn’t hike a multi-day, long-distance trail without trekking poles. When you’re carrying a heavy pack or traversing steep ground, they’ll make the going much easier, saving your knees and warding off general aches and pains.
What generally seems to put people off when it comes to trekking poles – apart from a misplaced sense of machoism, at least when it comes to male hikers – is the fact that they can be heavy and unwieldy, or sometimes fiddly to use and difficult to adjust. CimAlp’s Distance Carbon poles overcome all of those problems by combining ultralight carbon fibre construction with an easy-lock fast tightening system.
Who Are The CimAlp Distance Carbon Trekking Poles For?
These are technologically advanced poles that would be better suited to walkers who already understand the benefits of trekking poles and are accustomed to using them, particularly those seeking to minimise trail weight by upgrading from aluminium alloy poles to carbon fibre construction.
They work well for Nordic walking and are supplied with rubber tips for pounding pavements. But we found they really proved their worth on long-distance, multi-day treks with a heavy pack. The compact folded length makes them easy to stow, so they’d be good for travelling, and they are also supplied with both trekking and snow baskets. This gives them the versatility for year-round, all-weather use – ideal if your adventures take you from hiking in the high Atlas to snowshoeing across Scandinavia.
Materials
The CimAlp Distance Carbon trekking poles are made from 100% carbon fibre, making them extremely light, but they also have an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance.
They are ‘Z-style’ folding poles comprised of 3 sections, with a central shock-cord system. This gives them an extremely short length of less than 40cm when folded. The top grip can also be removed if necessary, which enables you to further collapse them to 36cm – and this means they are compact enough to fit inside most daypacks.
The minimum length is 110cm and they extend up to a maximum of 130cm, so they should be suitable for walkers who are a little over 5ft up to 6ft plus. They’re very easy to assemble, and the process can be done in under a minute. Just slot the three elements together and then pull up the upper handle section of the pole until it clicks into place. A small button keeps the poles securely locked. To fold them away, you simply loosen the top ‘Easy-Lock’ lever, push in the button and pull apart.
