How to use trekking poles

Trekking poles are a kind of weapon that we must use when climbing mountains. Many people don’t know how to use trekking poles. Many people who don’t climb mountains for a long time don’t know how to use them, so they will encounter many troubles and difficulties when climbing mountains. Trekking poles are very useful, and there are many skills to use trekking poles that we need to master. Climbing will be more interesting after using trekking poles. So how to use trekking poles?

Use of wrist strap: Many people think that the function of the trekking pole wrist strap is to prevent the trekking pole from leaving one's wrist. In fact, the importance of the wrist strap is no less than the trekking pole itself. When we use trekking poles to go downhill, the impact force of the trekking poles should be transmitted to our arms through the wrist straps; when we go uphill, the thrust of the arms is transmitted to the trekking poles through the wrist straps, thus generating assistance for going uphill. The correct way to use the wristband is to pick it up, put your hand under the wristband, press the strap into your palm, and then gently grasp the handle, using the wristband to support the trekking pole instead of grasping the handle tightly and applying force.

3. The rubber cover used on the tip of the trekking pole is not only used to protect the tip of the pole. For example, when walking on hard rocks, cement, and asphalt roads, the effect of using a rubber cover is far better than that of an ordinary pole tip. It not only reduces the wear on the pole tip, but also provides better elasticity and friction. In addition, there are ice hoops with sharp steel tips suitable for use on ice surfaces, as well as a variety of hiking hoops suitable for different road surfaces.

4. Use two poles: Trekking poles have two main functions: balance and support. Land mammals generally walk on all fours to share the weight of their bodies. However, after humans evolved to walk on two limbs, the weight that was originally shared by four force points is now shared by two points. The load on the legs is inherently doubled. Add to that the weight of the backpack, and the load on the legs can be imagined when walking for a long time. Using a cane can increase the stress points and reduce the load on the legs, but if you only use one cane, no matter which side you put it on, the supporting force is not balanced (imagine a square table with three legs). The pressure reduced on the side of the cane will be transferred to the unused side, which will increase the possibility of injury due to uneven force. Therefore, trekking poles are mostly sold in pairs in Europe and the United States, and some brands have designed different styles for left and right hands to meet the different grip needs of the two hands. In China, due to the inherent awareness of traditional crutches and unclear understanding of the concept of trekking poles, many people still use a trekking pole in mountain sports. This is the biggest misunderstanding about the use of trekking poles.

This is the knowledge we need to know when using trekking poles. After we understand it, we can successfully climb to the top of the mountain. Long-term mountaineering also has the benefit of helping bone development. However, we must pay attention to many things when climbing. Although mountaineering is good for the body, if we do not pay attention when climbing, and do not use trekking poles when the road is slippery, then it will be bad to slide down the mountain.