Leki Walking Poles

About Leki

Karl Lenhart founded the company in Kirchheim unter Teck, Baden-Württemberg in 1948. He was an avid skier, dissatisfied with the ski poles available at the time, and used his experience in aircraft construction to produce his first aluminium poles in 1970 — launching them under the name LEKI, which stands for LEnhart aus KIrchheim. Leki developed the first adjustable trekking pole four years later, calling it the Makalu. It is now a third-generation family business with manufacturing at Novasport in Tachov, Czech Republic — the world's largest pole production facility. When a part fails, Leki can repair 93% of claims, and replacement parts are widely available.

Which pole to choose

The Makalu at £120 is the straightforward choice for most walkers and trekkers. Its aluminium HTS shaft and Aergon Air extended foam grip cover day hikes, multiday treks and rough trail conditions. The adjustment range of 110–145cm is the widest of the three, making it a good fit for taller walkers and situations where terrain varies significantly.

The Cressida at £110 uses the same aluminium shaft and Speed Lock 2 Plus system but with a shorter Aergon Air Compact grip and a reduced adjustment range of approximately 90–125cm. This makes it the right choice if you want a well-built Leki pole in a more compact package suited to a smaller frame.

The Sherpa at £140 is Leki's 4-season mountaineering pole. It comes with two interchangeable baskets — the standard Trekking 2.0 basket and the Big Mountain Binding Basket designed for snow, soggy ground and ski touring. A Flex Tip allows basket changes on the mountain without tools. If you are heading into alpine terrain, high passes or using poles on ski tours as well as summer hikes, the Sherpa is the one to choose.