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I was lucky enough to get a chance to review a pre-production pair of the new Gram-counter Gear Ultra-Carbon Trekking poles, amazingly light at just 125grams per pole, actually the lightest true trekking pole we have available, and of all the products I tested on the Tour of the Matterhorn these were the most remarkable.

Note the pre-production poles I had are identical to the actual product except that they are Bright Orange, hence the photographs.

The poles are fixed length so you need to buy the correct length for your size, they deploy using the cord and knot-lock method which is very easy to use with no chance of failure. Unlike running poles (that generally use this method of deployment) the Ultra Carbon poles have a decent foam grip with foam extension for use on steep terrain. The grips are a pleasant improvement on the weak open-mesh grips used on other poles this light.

The other difference between these and running pole models is that the thickness of the poles make them stiffer and therefore more suited to a true trekking pole usage than running poles which are primarily for balance.

The hand straps are not adjustable, which is presumably to save weight, however they worked fine for me, and a few other people round the office who tried them but I can imagine if you have small hands they may not work so well.

With the ubiquitous tungsten carbide tips, baskets and wide hand straps they obviously look the part, but are they strong enough? I’m glad to report ‘absolutely’, I weigh 14st. so on rough terrain trekking poles can get a real battering, the worst of this is a rock field that traps trekking poles between boulders which are then flexed as they get jammed between the rocks and you keep going forward. I’ve broken the occasional pole on such terrain.

The Ultra-carbon poles came through scratched but otherwise unscathed, they are very strong and I never felt like they might snap, they have suffered only superficial damage even though I trekked over some really harsh terrain.

I basically love these poles, being so light they are easy to use and virtually weightless if you have to carry them in your pack, the grip is comfortable and they are stiff enough to provide support when trekking over rough terrain. My 125cm test pieces pack down to just 35cm meaning they can disappear into your pack for travelling.

Mark Richardson
Mark was the founder of Ultralight Outdoor Gear back in 2006 and has completed long distance backpacking routes in some of the remotest parts of the world. His favourite hikes have been Torres del Paine (full circuit), the John Muir trail and the Markha Valley trail (Ladakh, India). Although semi-retired Mark has not lost any enthusiasm for minimalist backpacking and is tackling Scotland’s Munros choosing multi-day backpacking routes over the more usual guide book excursions. Read more from Mark Richardson