Yoga for Hikers

There's nothing more refreshing than spending time outdoors on long hikes. Here are six yoga poses hikers should practice to stay safe on their hikes and injury-free.

When you hear the term strength training, you might think weight lifting. However, you can increase muscle tone, definition and muscle size with yoga.

How does yoga build strength? Different types of yoga poses build muscle tone in different ways. Standing poses strengthens your legs. Inverted poses are effective to build a strong core and upper body strength because they flex groups of smaller muscles to support the body's weight during the pose.

A word of caution: because you lift your own body weight in yoga, it may take a lot more skill, time and determination to build muscle than it would with lifting weights.

HERO POSE

Hero Pose may appear to be a regular position to watch TV or sit, (except the advanced sleeping pose, one assumes !) however there are many particulars to executing this pose safely. It is a pose that requires proper attention and a strong foundation

 

How to: Hero Pose

Starting on your hands and knees slowly sit back onto your heels. The most important part of this pose is to constantly check that the tops of your feet are on the floor, bottoms of the feet are completely facing up. Try to have your thighs together, unless you feel strain in the knees, then, separate them accordingly. This is basically the entire pose, although there are many subtleties too. For some just sitting back on the heels can prove to be painful. If this is the case place a block on the floor between your feet and sit back on the block until you are secure and open enough to take it away. You want to get to the point where you can sit up nice and tall while sitting on the heels. Press the shins and tops of the feet into the earth and ground through the little toe side of the foot. Lift your rib cage evenly and lengthen through the crown of your head. Relax your shoulders. If you are extremely tight or are rehabbing from knee surgery then roll up a towel behind your knees and then sit back. This will reduce any risk of over flexion of the knee.

Rest your hands on your thighs and relax into your breath. If you have no pain in the knees and the ankles and shins are open and flexible enough, then move deeper into the pose by separating the feet gently roll the thighs inward and try to sit on the floor between your feet. It will take time and practice to deepen this pose. Try to remain tall and lifted and not round the back at all.

Benefits of Hero Pose

The role of Hero pose is vast. Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:

• Increases flexibility in hips, legs and knees
• Encourages proper alignment in hips, legs and knees
• Opens hips
• Stretches quads
• Encourages and trains internal rotation
• Strengthens the low back while lengthening the spine
• Good for virility

For the Lay person or yogi, hero's pose is a great pose to align the body and find comfort in to meditate. It gives the practitioner the opportunity to strengthen the back and spine. At the same time open the chest and heart and help increase lung capacity. It is a great cooling pose to find your centre and add some shoulder stretches at the same time.

Either option for your toe position ~

Toes tucked: This helps athletes who rely on speed and agility open up the plantar fascia of the foot. It opens under the toes. Most importantly it stretches and keeps supple the vulnerable Achilles tendon.

Toes untucked: As mention above, this variation is great to keep the shins free of strain and the tops of the feet open.
 
Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly trained Yoga teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:

• Modifications should be made if you are currently suffering knee pain
• Modifications can be made if you have just had surgery
• If you have pins and plates in your knees you should avoid this pose all together

 

STANDING BACKBEND

 

The same onward and upward posture that carries you up the hills and mountains tends to force a forward collapse of the torso. When not hiking, it's important to open the chest to maintain a proper posture. An open chest is critical to breathe deeply. Anyone who has ever hiked knows the magnitude of sustaining full constant deep breathing for effective climbing.

Standing Forward Bend

 

Many athletes know it's important to keep the hamstrings flexible and strong. The more open the hamstrings are the less strain on your knees and the better your posture will be. When the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis is misaligned and therefore cause strain in the back. Use gravity to your advantage—hold a standing forward bend for several minutes. This will help oJust like Downward Facing Dog, Standing Forward Bend should be a staple pose in your yoga routine. Even if you have never stepped into a yoga studio or attempted a DVD, chances are you have folded over into simple standing forward bend.

How to: Standing Forward Bend

As basic as you may think this pose is, it is very important to learn proper technique, in order to keep your back safe, and fully open your hamstrings.

Stand with your feet shoulders width apart and take time to make sure they are parallel. Plug your feet equally into the floor, with your weight slightly forward, but not so far that you grip your toes. Bend your knees a little and fold over at your hips. Never fold from your waist. Connect your chest and belly to your thighs, while the knees are still bent. Constantly check that your knees, when bent, track over your toes. It is key for the safety and integrity of the knee joint to have the knees positioned this way at all times. Keep your chest and belly connected to your thighs and slowly start to straighten your knees, as if you are lifting your hips up to the sky. Once you feel like your chest is separating from your legs, you've gone a little too far.

Helps to open your hamstrings and help you improve legs and back strength.

If you feel stable enough, grab your elbows and hang. Start this for one minute holds and work up to 10 minutes. Continue to check that your feet line up with each other and that they stay parallel. Although it will be tempting to close your eyes and relax here, DON'T. You will lose your balance. Don't be afraid to sway back and forth and bend and straighten the knees, anything to negotiate further into the stubborn hamstrings. I always encourage my students to drape a 12-pound sandbag over their forearms while holding the pose. This method will get you to the next level faster. Another variation is to do this same pose with your back leaning up against the wall. Then you will really feel the hamstrings deep.

Benefits of Standing Forward Bend

When done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits of Standing Forward Ben include:

• Calm the brain
• Relieve stress
• Great for mild depression
• Stretch the hamstrings, calves, and hips
• Strengthen the thighs and knees
• Improve digestion
• Reduce anxiety

Standing Forward Bend clearly opens the hamstrings. It is very important to keep the hamstrings open to reduce strain and tightness in the back. Long hours, hard work, long drives and poor sleep are only a few things that contribute to tight backs. Since the hamstring attaches on the lowest part of the pelvis, when the legs are rigid they easily pull down on the pelvis putting unnecessary stress on the back. If you don't address this, a chain reaction will happen over time where tight hamstrings lead to a strained back which leads to unstable hips and knee problems.

You won't see improvements over night, but in time your legs will free up and you will see a huge difference in how your body feels--so stay committed. It is a great pose to focus on your breath and practice visualization, actually see your hamstrings open up.

For the athlete, this pose is important for assessing postural needs and imbalances, as well as the above. It is important for athletes to constantly evaluate their bodies. Sports figures from every game can benefit from hamstring improvement. If an athlete has flexible legs their speed will improve. I stress that the formula for power is strength plus flexibility. Speed and better agility are always concerns for athletes. Having less strain on your back reduces reduce injury and increases time of play.

A few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:

• If you recently had back surgery (have a trained teacher near)
• You should also have your teacher near if you have recently had knee surgery or hamstring surgery

Pigeon

To climb and hike, you engage your glutes to the max. There's no better way to open the glutes than hanging out in pigeon pose for three to five minutes on each side.Everyone can benefit from the hip opener known as pigeon pose, or stress and tension can build up in the hips and create tightness. Practicing pigeon can make for supple, more flexible hips. Sometimes this pose will take your breath away with its depth, but stick with it and you'll notice the immediate improvement.

How to: Pigeon Pose

Start on all fours in a squared table pose.

• Slide the right knee forward toward your right hand. Angle your right knee at two o'clock.
• Slide your left leg back as far as your hips will allow.
• Keep your hips square to the floor. If your hips are not square, there will be unnecessary force on your back, and you won't be able to open the hips to their fullest.
• If you're not feeling a deep stretch in your right glute, slide the right foot forward--little by little--toward your left hand. With practice, bring your foot parallel with the front edge of your mat
• Your right thigh should have an external rotation, and your left thigh should have a slight internal rotation. This keeps pressure off the knee cap.
• Depending on how you feel, you will be upright on your hands while sinking the hips forward and down. Level two will rest on their forearms, and level three will rest the chest on the floor with the arms fully extended in front of you.
• To get full release in the hips, breathe and release the belly. Stay in this position anywhere from 10 breaths to five minutes

Benefits of Pigeon Pose

When done properly and consistently, pigeon pose can:

• Stimulate the internal organs
• Stretch deep glutes
• Stretch groins and psoas (a long muscle on the side of your vertebral column and pelvis)
• Relieve impinged piriformis and alleviate sciatic pain
• Help with urinary disorders

Pigeon pose elongates the back, opens the hips, groin, hamstrings, and relieves pressure on the lower back and sciatica. Your hips are a keystone to your body and its proper functioning. Open hips improve your posture, alignment and overall flexibility. Open hips also release the negative feelings and energy from your system since stress, tension and anxiety are often stored there.

It is a primal response to tighten up when under excessive stress or trauma. This tension releases easily with pigeon pose.

For the athlete, this pose is critical to overall health, speed and agility. Open hips relieve the stress transferred to the knees when hips are tight. Less knee strain means a greater range of motion for the pivot sports such as tennis, basketball or soccer, reducing risk to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Clear hips also give the back a full range of motion. This helps athletes avoid lower back strains that often plague them. Flexible and aligned hips are essential for an athletes' best performance.

The few instances when you should avoid this pose entirely are if you have:

• A sacroiliac or back injury
• An ankle injury
• Certain knee injuries
• Extreme tightness in the hips

·Revolving Triangle

 

It's important to keep the illiotibial bands, IT band, which run alongside the outside of your thigh open and flexible. The IT band helps protect your knees and gives you the best range of motion. Although the IT bands are hard to stretch, try revolving triangle. If balance is an issue lay on your back, grab you right big toe with your left hand. Or, put a strap around your right foot and hold both sides of the strap with your left hand. Extend the right leg and bring it across your body simulating a revolving triangle while on the ground.

Warrior I

 

 

The strength and flexibility, good for your back and shoulders.

Stand tall with your feet together and arms by your sides. Separate your feet 4 to 5 feet apart, keeping them parallel. Inhale and lift your arms up overhead shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other.

Exhale and turn your right foot and leg 90 degrees out to the right. Turn your left foot in, toward the right, at a 45-degree angle. Rotate your hips and torso to face the same direction as your right leg. Chances are your left hip will not be completely forward. That’s the beauty of this pose: Squaring both hips so they face the wall in front of you may seem like it takes a few lifetimes, but when it happens, you will have greatly increased your flexibility.

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, bend your right knee so your right thigh and shin form a right angle. Less than 90 degrees is okay; bend your knee as far as you can while keeping the outer edges of your back foot pressing flat into the floor. Don’t collapse in your back ankle; try to pull up through your left arch (the ankle stays on the ground) to protect that left knee joint. To align your spine, focus on drawing your ribs in toward your body, pressing your tailbone toward the floor, and elongating the back of your neck. Hold for 3 to 10 slow, deep breaths—about an 8-second inhale and 8-second exhale, both through the nose.

To come out of the pose, lower your arms, straighten your right knee, and return your feet to their starting position. Repeat on the left.

Happy bending & stretching.

 

 

 

Where are you ?

How to read an ordnance survey map for walking

The Explorer map (1:25,000) shows the contours of the land, field boundaries, buildings and churches, viewpoints, and most importantly, the footpaths that you have a right to walk along
Reading a map is easier than you think. It is simply a drawing of what's around you, looking down from above. Not unlike a satellite image.
If you know where you are on the map, and which direction you're facing, then you'll be able to see all of the footpaths near you and plan your route and perhaps more importantly, in an emergency you'll know how to find your nearest road, town, phone box and lots more.

Orientate the map (turn the map to match the ground)

There's no shame in turning the map around so the top of the map is facing north. If you can do this in your head, then fine, but there's no reason not to twist it around. Easy if you have a compass - The red needle on the compass points North - just make the top of the map face north too, and line up the blue vertical grid lines with the compass needle. I won't get into grid north and magnetic north here, except to say that this isn't 100% accurate, but is accurate for our purposes. If you don't have a compass, use the sun as a very rough guide - here in the UK, it rises in the east, sets in the west and is south at around midday. Your shadow will be pointing very roughly north at lunchtime. Failing all else, use features on the landscape to help you.

Locate yourself (know where you are)

You may know which road or path you're on, either because you know which path you started on and you haven't turned off it, or because you've been following the map as you've walked. If so, then you simply have to look for obvious features on the map and those around you and match them up. Have you just used a bridge over a river? Have you just passed a church? Find it on the map and you'll know exactly where you are.
If you don't know which path you're on, or are unsure, then you have a little more work to do, but the principle is the same. You'll know roughly where you are because you know where you started and you know how far you've travelled and in which direction. Unless you're in a very remote spot, then there'll be lots of clues.

Orientate yourself (know which way you're walking)

If you've used a compass to orientate the map, then you'll already know which way you're facing. If you've worked out where you are and where you want to go, then all you need to do is work out what direction you need to walk in, face that way and walk!
A good practice is to dial up your intended direction on your compass (to the nearest 1/8 will do, for example south-west). Make sure the needle is pointing to the 'N' mark on the compass, and then keep checking to make sure you're walking roughly in the direction it points.

Features that can help you

Your map uses symbols and coloured lines to represent certain things. Some of these are obvious, some less so. I'm not going to give all of the symbols here, because they're listed at the bottom of your OS map!
Here are some of the most useful features to help you orientate the map and locate yourself.

• Field boundaries - these are thin black lines on the map and are hedges or fences on the ground. These are drawn very accurately on the map, and these alone will allow you to follow your way if you're crossing fields. Beware of hedges which have been removed but are still marked on the map, which sometimes happens.
• Churches (I notice that these are now listed in the key as 'places of worship'). You can see a church with a tower or spire from a long way away, and these will help you orientate your map and yourself.
• Footpaths and roads - these are clearly marked on the map and you will usually be on one of them. If it's not surfaced, it'll still usually be pretty obvious because it'll be worn by other people's feet. Public rights of way have posts or stiles marking the way, often with arrowed discs. Use these to confirm where you are and help you find your way - don't rely on them.
• Countours - These are orange wavy lines on the map, and indicate whether the ground goes higher or lower. Contour lines show you hills and valleys, tell you whether your path goes uphill or downhill, and how steep. In a hilly area, you can pick out each hill from the contour lines and see how high each one is.
• Electricity pylons, radio masts and cooling towers - these eyesores are one of the most useful aids to navigation. You can see them for miles off and they're accurately marked on the map.
• Trees - individual trees aren't shown on the map, but areas of woodland are. Sometimes a small area of trees has a distinctive shape, such as long and thin, and this can help you to match up what you see with what's on the map.
• Buildings - not all buildings are shown on the map, but if you see a house in front of you, then the chances are that it's marked on the map by a brown square. Built-up areas, villages and towns are collections of these brown squares.

What good friends

Geoff wanted to do another training walk on Sunday, we had friends staying over that said they would like to join us (ha ha ha)... we set off in a snow shower, wind howling and a wind chill factor of minus 10.5 ... how good we were to continue along the bleak sea wall Minnis to Reculver then along the windy cliff top then onto the prom with the waves crashing close by.

What are we doing here ?

Am I covering my ears from the wind or Geoff talking ?

Bleak

Its a long way

Winter sea

Who's the wind break ?

P stop !

Half way there

Snuggle up

Look like a terrorist !

For your information

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/help-for-BNs/FCO-wallet-card

Click the link, this will take you to the Foreign Office website & a useful printable card

The Camino de Santiago

The Camino strengthens the mind and tests the body...

Band of Brothers

Boys bonding weekend, first time the whole group had linked up...

Here is the feedback from the Pilgrims:

Pilgrim John ~

What a great two days...thanks everyone
 
Thanks to Mark for his outstanding leadership and keeping us focused when we
were ready to give up (...and that's just in the bar); and for reining me in
when I rabbit on about third-order differential equations and the parlous
state of our education system...
 
To Geoff for his ardent display of monk-like deprivation. While the rest of
us were waking up yesterday morning and becoming human again at breakfast,
with at least three cups of tea/coffee, Geoff stuck to regime of hot
water...commendable.
 
Also to Geoff for keeping us entertained with his running-commentary
discourse on : 'The Padlocks of Farm Gates in East Kent'; and like Davin
(below) his sharp eye sight and picking out 'Lesbian Vampire Lovers'...at
500 metres.... or was that Mark?
 
To Davin who has an app on his I-phone for every occasion; and some for
occasions yet to be invented; and his eagle-like eye sight and ability in
spotting a people carrier cab at 500 metres in the dusk at Lenham railway
station...
 
And of course Richard for his gentle, laid back approach and his gift for
mapping any journey by the Shepard Neame pubs...and pints of Master Brew..
 
..and finally to our ladies - without their permission and support this
would not happen (although I suspect getting us out of the house and having
the TV to themselves may be a motivator..)
 
Looking forward to April!



Yep..its muddy

Apparently it would be nice here for a picnic in the summer ??!!

Pilgrim John

How good do I look ??  Pilgrim Mark

We should have turned left 1/2 a mile ago...

I don't want to get my feet muddy..

Wait for me..




Monk Geoff

Mark, found some girls !



Pilgrim Richard

State the obvious

Looking professional



What no group hug ?

Pole to Pole

A very exciting article on Hiking Poles (not)..

I decided to write this post after Geoff received an email from Richard (yes, he does actually read & send them..sometimes!!) he had just received his parcel with his hiking poles and seemed to be quite excited by it ... as these chaps are new to hiking, there has been a far amount of discussion as to the benefits or not to taking poles... Mark has decided against, mainly after Linda pointed out that for Mark they would be a trip hazard (!) now those that know Mark, can probably picture this or he'll leave them behind at one of the stops...

Why should you use hiking poles is perhaps the first question that may strike in your mind especially when you are a beginner. To get the right answer for this question you need to consider two things i.e. Safety and Comfort. Hiking poles are just balancing sticks which help you maintain good balance that is closely related to your overall safety and comfort. When you use two poles you move as you have four legs which allow you better comfort and safety. Experts say that by using hiking poles you switch to 4x4 mode of driving, using your two legs and two hands.

Although it is personal preference and an individual decision to use hiking poles they can prove to be very helpful for you during your hiking. They say you must use hiking poles especially when you are on your first hike. Then next time you will yourself carry these sticks with you by seeing their countless benefits.

Safety is the main reason of using hiking poles. Hiking poles, allow you to maintain good stability on the uncertain trails and when crossing fast streams or difficult terrains. Without having hiking poles you may fall down and may end up with injuries and accidents, and if you don't fall even then ache in knees or ankles is a common result.

Weight Distribution- Hiking poles or staffs help us to reduce weight on our feet and legs. The modern design of the hiking pole distributes the weight evenly on the whole body instead of legs. According to one estimate poles can reduce 15% of weight from your legs by spreading it on the arms and other parts of body. As they act like your legs so they also bear some of the weight. Especially when you are climbing on a steep hill, the poles bear much weight than in normal walking so the percentage of weight may rise even further.

Pacing- When climbing on a steep hill, you will find your hiking poles more helpful for pacing yourself. No doubt, hiking poles can easily speed you up by acquiring your weight and by allowing you to maintain good stability. You can maintain your speed without having so much huff and puff (needless to say more sweat!). And finally you will find that you have won over the trail without so much effort that really hurts. Certainly you will not feel pain in your back because poles allow you to walk in your natural position.

Comfort- Hiking with poles feels comfortable because you can walk in your natural posture while climbing up a hill or coming down. Your hands also remain in comfortable position; another better thing is that your hands remain above the heart which is also comfortable and beneficial as it improves the blood circulation that ensure less stressed body after the hiking. Many research studies and findings have clearly shown their cardiovascular, orthopaedic and other health benefits, as a result they advocate that not only circulation is improved but heart rate is also said to be reduced. Therefore, almost every seasoned and experienced hiker or trekker actually uses them and advises others to use them.

You must educate and familiarise yourself with your hiking poles and right techniques to use them. Then you will find that it only adds few extra pounds of weight to your packing but helps you in many ways. Sometimes the poles will seem relatively clumsy and frustrating to use and carry, but the benefits out way the downside.

Using your poles - Lots of videos on Youtube

 

So you have a pair of trekking poles. Now what?

Adjusting Pole Length

First off, your new poles need to be a suitable length:

   For general use, set pole height so that when the tip is at your foot, your elbow makes a roughly 90° bend. Setting the height a little shorter allows you to clear plants or rocks with less lifting.

   On a typical three-tier pole, set the top adjuster so the upper section is telescoped halfway. Then fix the lower section to achieve the desired height. Make any adjustments en route using the top adjuster.

Why? It is hard to load (bear down on) your poles with your arm grossly extended or bent. (See how much less force you can generate at 180° or 0° than at 90°, for example.) Setting pole segments as suggested lets you change pole length using just one adjuster, the closest and least likely to be muddy and contaminated with poison oak/ivy oil.

Attaching your Poles

   For each pole, put your hand up through the bottom of the strap loop and then pull the strap down by holding the grip.

   Adjust the length of the straps such that your fingers land where they fit on the grips.

   Hold the grip loosely. You don’t even need to close your bottom three fingers around the grip (a good way to ensure that you aren’t over-gripping). Change how your fingers (loosely) hold the grip as needed to prevent hand or wrist soreness.

   Keep your elbows close to your sides.

Why? You are making a joint by using the strap as a strong, tireless ligament. If you grip tightly, your hands and wrists will needlessly work and stress. Keeping your arms close to your sides conserves energy and keeps your poles travelling where the path is most likely to be clear: down the centre.

 

  Moving Poles Forward

 Now we have to move them forward, from “plant” to plant, as we hike.

   Jog the forearm up slightly to cause the pole to swing forward and then back down to plant the tip (for now don’t worry about where to plant). Or, move the pole with a slight flick of the wrist.

Why? These minor motions get the job done with a minimum of movement and energy.

 

Movement Patterns

   Alternate legs: Each pole goes forward when the opposite leg does. This pattern maximizes balance and lets your arms swing the way they do naturally when hiking.

   Parallel legs: Each pole goes forward when the same-side leg does. This pattern provides the most relief to your legs, so use it to minimize leg fatigue and stress as needed.

   Double (or simultaneous) pole: Both poles move forward at the same time. This pattern is useful for stepping up or down, or as a change up.

Load -The pedal-pushing analogy reminds us that it is essential that you load your poles! Without loading, you are basically just hauling stabilizers to engage in case of slipping. A lot of pole users are not loading enough. If your upper body doesn’t feel “worked” after an arduous trek, you are likely not loading enough.

Three Basic Techniques:  Gas, Brake, and Coast

Conventional advice tells us where to plant (and how long the poles should be) based on the type of terrain: flat, uphill, and downhill. Instead, the Gas, Brake, Coast Method focuses on what we want our poles to do for us:

   Adding thrust (or gassing), which you might do on flats, uphill, and even downhill.

   Slowing assistance (braking), on downhill stretches.

   Nothing (coasting), which you might choose on any terrain.

1: Gas

When you want forward thrust:

   Plant the tip of your pole at the rear of or behind your foot. On long assents, you can help maintain the roughly 90° bends at your elbows by lengthening your poles (as opposed to the common counsel to shorten them).

 

Why?

Planting and loading a pole to the rear gives forward thrust. Exactly how far you should plant to the rear depends on pole length, arm length, degree of body lean, the pitch of the trail, and other factors. Just plant it back where you most feel forward thrust.

 

2: Brake

When you need help in slowing down:

   Plant in front of your foot. For extended descents, you can again maintain your 90° lever by lengthening your poles.

   You can use an alternate hold when braking, in which you rest your palms atop the grips.

Why?

Planting and loading forward creates resistance. Again, you should plant in the forward location where you most feel the intended effect. On a long stretch, lengthening poles helps since the trail is dropping away from your pole tips.

3: Coast

When you don’t need gas or brakes, or when you need an upper body break.

   Plant, but do not load your poles; or

   Swing them one per hand, holding at their centre of gravity.

For hiking hands-free:

   Tuck your poles under one arm; or

   Attach them to your pack.

Why?

No load planting will give you a break. (It is, however, like leaving your car idling: It still uses some energy.) Swinging your poles brings them into the rhythm of your stride. Tucking can be cumbersome, but it does free your hands. Packing poles away gets them completely out of the way.

Other Techniques

4: Step Over

When you need to tread over a large obstacle, say a downed tree:

   Plant and load at or close to your foot.

 

Why? Planting at the foot creates lift.

5: Step Up

To go up a big step:

   Plant and load on the upper surface and step up. You might double pole here.

   As needed, un-strap and choke up on the poles to make them effectively shorter (or actually shorten your sticks).

 

Why? Planting on the surface you are stepping up to will give you more lift than planting at your foot, especially if you double pole. You may need a shorter effective (or actual) length to load the poles efficiently when they are planted up high.

6: Step Down

To move down a large step:

   Plant and load on the lower surface and step down. Again you might double pole here.

   Extend your arms. Or, for longer step-like descents, lengthen your poles.

Why? This will give you a strong braking assist as you step down, especially if you double pole.

7: Traverse

When you hike across a significant slope (off-trail hillsides, narrow switchback and ridge trails, beaches, etc.), your uphill pole and arm will ride unusually high, and your downhill pole and arm low. For a long traverse:

   Resize one or both poles accordingly (uphill side shorter, downhill side longer).

   On switchbacks, rather than readjusting length, simply switch poles when you change direction.

Why? Resizing maintains an efficient angle at the elbow. A longer downhill pole will also help keep you from leaning down the slope and falling should your pole slip.

8: Going Strapless (not to save getting suntan marks !)

When the terrain is rough and varied:

   Unstrap.

   Switch between techniques as needed.

Why? This will allow you to go rapidly from standard grip techniques to choking up for steps and traverses to coasting for scrambling up or down chutes and other hands-required territory. Always unstrap if you see something that may catch and hold your pole tip. If a pole locks when moving at a good pace, and you are tethered to it, bad things can happen!

Citation

"Effectively Using Hiking Poles: The Gas-Brake-Coast Method," by Skip Spitzer. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-0364).
http://backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/hiking_poles_technique.html, 2011-10-11 00:00:00-06.

Types of Trekking Poles

To start shopping, consider the health of your ankles, knees and hips. Keep in mind, too, whether you'll be using your poles on rugged or relatively flat terrain and the amount of weight you typically carry in your pack.

Poles can be categorized as follows:

Antishock poles: These offer internal springs that absorb shock when you walk downhill. With most poles, this feature can be turned off when it's not needed such as when you're walking uphill. The antishock feature is recommended if you have weak or damaged ankles, knees or hips. It adds a bit to the cost of the poles.

Standard poles: These do not have the antishock feature and are lighter and less expensive as a result. While they don't absorb as much impact as antishock poles when going downhill, they do provide a similar level of balance and support

Locking Mechanisms

Trekking poles are identified by their 2 or 3 interlocking sections. This adjustability (which typically ranges between 24 to 55 inches) lets you adapt the poles to your height and the terrain. If you're exceptionally tall or short, check the size range of each model to make sure it suits your body.

Most poles use a twist-and-lock system in which you find the desired length and then twist the pole hard to the right to hold. Some popular varieties:

·         DuoLock: This trademarked feature on several REI and Komperdell poles applies a wide area of pressure against the pole walls to achieve secure length settings.

·         FlickLock: This Black Diamond brand system is also strong. It's a lever-based, clamp-like feature that is quick and easy to adjust, even when wearing gloves.

·         Super Lock System: Leki's system uses an expander and screw setup that is consistently strong and dependable.

·         Stop Lock: This Komperdell system does not adjust pole length, but rather prevents pole sections from completely disengaging.

Proper pole length varies by the terrain:

·         When hiking uphill: Shorten the poles by a few inches to increase load-bearing pressure.

·         When going downhill: Lengthen the poles a few inches for better balance and control.

·         On level ground: Your forearms should be parallel to the ground when you're holding the grips and the tips are on the ground.

·         On traverses: The down-slope pole should be longer than the up-slope pole (or you can simply grab the pole lower if it comes with an extended grip).

 

Geoff bought these from Amazon £16

Pair of Trekrite Antishock Hiking Sticks / Walking Poles - Black

Poles are made from lightweight 6061 aluminium alloy and weigh just 300g per pole. They feature comfortable, moulded handles and adjustable wrist straps.
With three sections, they can be fully extended from 65 to 135cm, to suit your height and the gradient. This also means they telescope neatly away when not in use.
There's an extra anti-shock facility, which can be turned on or off.
They have removable snow baskets, which can be attached near the base of the pole and are designed to prevent sinkage in soft ground or snow. At the end of each pole there are sturdy, hard tungsten alloy trekking tips for mountain use, and removable rubber ferules for easy ground.