Alloy or Carbon Pacerpoles

ALLOY SHAFTS OR CARBON FIBRE SHAFTS?

All Pacerpoles are made from high quality materials - but which Pacerpole shaft to choose.
There are a number of aspects to consider before choosing, depending on your body frame / speed / stowage needs if a climber / expedition use etc.

1. Perhaps think of a Pacerpole as an add-on body part. If you have a big frame - then go for the Alloys as these extend longer (and you'll need the extra length on a steep descent to avoid having to stoop forward - and so underperform). If you have an average/medium frame then either the Carbon or the Alloy. If you have a small frame then consider the Carbons. The Carbons pack shorter for stowing, and lighter to carry - but in use the difference in weight is not as noticeable as you'd think (see below Weight v Effort).

2. Those wanting to move at speed tend to choose the Carbons.

3. Either Alloy or Carbon shafts are at their shortest for travelling/flights etc when dismantled and placed diagonally in the pack (use the mesh bag - if wanting to keep the sections together).

4. Carbon fibre as a material is basically fibres laid down in a matrix. Common sense will tell you that when these fibres are cut - especially deep cuts eg repeated bashing against sharp rocks, then this weakens the material and it will eventually snap (perhaps after just a slight knock ...on the basis of the straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back scenario). If the shaft tip is caught/fixed so the shaft keeps bending under heavy load then eventually the increased bending will snap a carbon shaft, whereas an Alloy shaft will continue to bend ......and probably will be able to be straightened a little so it is at least usable again, to finish the trek.

5. Remember it's good practice to dismantle any shaft after use - as condensation can occur inside any tube. Damp air can cause the metal/alloy thread of the expanding bolt to oxidise as white rough markings ..so it won't function as smoothly as it should. To avoid this just dismantle the Carbon or Alloy shaft into sections, stow in the mesh bag and hang somewhere dry until needed ...

Whether Carbon or Alloy Pacerpoles, both have the same handles. What has a real impact on performance is the way any Pacerpole is used - and personalising its shaft height to integrate with your arm's 'stride' action (so check the How-to-Use page on this website).

WEIGHT v EFFORT

In practical terms weight is not just a question of gms or ozs - but more importantly, how much effort is required to move it.

Why does carrying a pack by hand take more effort (is more tiring) than carrying it on your back - even though it's exactly the same weight?

1. Where the weight is has a significant impact on performance - and when applied to poles - where the weight is distributed along its length as it integrates with the arm (its weighting) will influence how much effort is needed to move it.
Compare the arm/leg scenarios: lightening-up the weight of a boot at the far end of your leg as a pendulum, will mean less effort to move the leg - so it's less tiring; lightening-up the weight of your shorts will hardly be noticeable (even though it's the same leg that's moving) because it's near your hip pivot point as the leg swings through.
The shaft tip is the equivalent of your foot/boot, and the pole's top section is the equivalent of your thigh/shorts. Having the 'weighting' of a pole near to its elbow pivot point means less effort to move it……..
Effort expended or saved is not directly related to the 'dead' weight in gms or ozs of the pole.

2. The above scenarios refer to limbs/poles when they're off the ground - but the reason for using a pole is to have it for loading/thrusting-against for each step on the ground. Controlling this thrust from a suspended strap fixed to a shaft wastes a lot of effort; this is the equivalent of the leg's walking action on soft sand which is very tiring (inefficient) - especially when compared to walking on solid ground, thrusting against something firm which doesn't give-way. This firm ground is the equivalent of the 3D contoured Pacerpole handle - so the hand/arm can push directly against the contours controlling the arm's action without gripping and without wasting effort ….. rather than by trying to control a 3D soft-sand-action indirectly through the suspending strap of a conventional pole.

3. Even though Pacerpole's 'dead' weight may be more than an ultra-light pole, it is designed to make the body more effective (accessing maximum power and wasting less effort then conventional designs when being used to load and thrust-against on the ground) and whose effort expenditure when lifted off the ground is insignificant over the day to affect the net gain in performance and endurance levels.
An ultra-light pole is only ultra-light when it is off the ground; when it touches down it's as wasteful of body effort as any other conventional pole - which is why overall it is inefficient.

News + Reviews

Steve Perry, TGO 2006
I often wondered on the winter challenge how on earth I managed the Summer Munro round without Pacerpoles.... It's the speed you can move and the distance you can cover with them... (Read more)

TGO Magazine, March 2009
Pacerpoles have been my favourite trekking poles for several years now due to the angled handles which are shaped for the left and right hands. (Read more)

Trail Magazine February 2007
Compare this to any other pole and it is noticeable how much more energy-efficient the Pacerpole design is. (Read more)

TGO Magazine, April 2006
I've used Pacerpoles more than any other in recent years. They're the most effective, they increase efficiency by enabling your arms to help propel you along... (Read more)

Remembering Steve Perry 1971-2019

As a tribute to Steve Perry, who died in the snow on Ben Hope a year ago, 5th February 2019, with his good friend Andy Nisbet, we’ve reproduced the start of the interview about his Winter Munros journey he did with Dan Bailey for UKHillwalking.com…..... For the full article click here

Steve's 121-day Winter284 challenge covered around 1500 miles and 450,000 feet of ascent over all 284 Munros (there are now officially 283). This was undertaken a few years after another epic journey, a 7.5-month walk from Lands End to John o' Groats (LEJOG) via every 3000-footer in England, Wales and Scotland. He's clearly a glutton for punishment.
Over the 2005-2006 season Yorkshireman Steve Perry completed the first, and to date the only, continuous winter Munro round on foot - one of the hardest mountain journeys ever undertaken in Britain. We asked him to relive the experience.

Was LEJOG too easy or something – what made you think to do Winter284 in the first place?
Looking back at both challenges now, I feel the Winter284 round topped the LEJOG in difficulty and hardship but I suppose that was the aim.
I didn't invent the idea of a continuous winter round; Martin Moran had already completed a very fast vehicle-supported winter round in the 80's and Mike Cawthorne had hiked a continuous winter round of all 135 thousand metre peaks in the 90's. In the end a continuous walking round of the whole lot was just hanging there waiting to be picked and after my LEJOG hike it felt like the right thing to do, a natural progression perhaps.

How did you train and generally prepare for it?
Physically I did nothing extra outside my normal routine of weekends spent out in the hills. I did however prepare myself mentally by regularly running the route through my mind to envisage how different and more diffcult it would be opposed to my LEJOG round. On top of that I basically spent a lot of time convincing myself I could and would do it, and by no means ever give in.

How did you plan the route in advance, and did the plan change at all as you went along?
This was simple and took no time at all, I just altered the starting point used on the LEJOG round from Ben Lomond to Ben More on Mull. This meant a slightly different route through the early southern Munros and was cetainly more efficient. Once underway I changed my route twice; one was only slight yet enabled me to quickly climb 5 Munros around Glen Dochart without a pack, and then spend a night at Crianlarich SYHA in bad weather. A second more sizable alteration swapped the order I passed through Glen Etive, Glen Coe and Ballachullish. Both changes were on the advice of Lorraine McCall who had just completed a continuous summer round herself (see this UKH article), and both worked perfectly.

What influenced your choice of gear?
Basically I needed gear that kept me warm and dry. I searched for a layering system that covered a range of temperatures so there wouldn't be a constant stop/start of stripping off and putting on layers. The system also had to be simple; I didn't want lots of different layers and styles, less is more and all that. I also decided that being comfortable at night, and trusting the tent would guarantee sleep and essential rest. For all this I was prepared to carry extra weight. I've never been an ultra light guru thats feels a sleeping bag is too heavy if they're not shivering in it - I'd prefer a few extra pounds and comfort, any day.

My main influences were people I knew to be very active in the outdoors and actually use the gear they recommended; Lorraine McCall, Chris Townsend and Neil Mcadie to name but a few. Their advice mixed with my own experiences suggested the kit list.

Kit list

Smartwool mid weight long sleeved top x2
Rab Vapour-rise jacket
Rab Latok jacket
Rab Neutrino down jacket
Rab Vapour-rise pants
Rab Latok pants
Smartwool socks x 2 pairs
Smartwool long johns (for sleeping in)
Berghaus Yeti Gaiters
Berghaus Kibo GTX boots
Grivel Air Tech crampons
Mountain Technology ice axe
Pacerpoles with snow baskets
Extremeties Ice Gauntlet gloves
Extremeties Tuff Bag mitts
Extremeties Hot Took hat
Extremeties Thinny gloves
Berghaus C70 Pro Bio-Flex Rucksack and pack liner
Therm-a-Rest Pro Lite 3 (Full Length)

Terra Nova Discovery bivi bag
Terra Nova Laserlight tent
Rab Quantum 800 Neutrino sleeping bag
Primus Gravity stove
MSR Titanium Cook Pot with handle
Titanium fork
Swiss Army knife
Compass (glow in the dark)
Ortleib map case
GPS
Disposable lighter x2
Silva L1 Head Torch
Snow goggles
Sun glasses
Suunto Vector watch
Camera
Runner's bum bag
Titanium cup
Toilet roll
High tech river crossing kit (bin liners + elastic bands)

What about logistics?
I spent a day at home making up parcels for each section of the route. Myself and Lorraine McCall then drove hundreds of miles around the Highlands leaving them at SYHAs, pubs, hotels and with friends. A typical box would contain Wayfayrer Meals, pasta, dried milk, sugar, cereal, chocolate (lots), Nutri-grain bars, biscuits, batteries and maps.

You didn't carry a full pack over every hill: how far did you factor this ability to go lightweight into your route planning?
There are lots of mountain groups where it was possible to store my gear then pick off the surrounding Munros fast without the pack. The base could be a bothy, a hostel, my tent or basically my pack just left at some point central to the group. It was crucial never to lose the pack so I always took a GPS reading of its position before leaving. My lightweight approach comprised a bum-bag with crampons and ice axe tied on to it, a map and compass, headtorch, snacks for the hill and a cup to drink from. I never once carried water, only a cup, and I never struggled to source it.

How often did you camp versus staying in hostels?
In total there were; 28 nights in my tent (4 of which were above 3000 ft), 25 nights in bothies and the rest a mixture of SYHAs, bunkhouses, pubs and friends' houses.

Did your schedule ever feel tight? What about unplanned delays?
For the challenge to be a success I had to complete it inside the winter season, between December 1st and March 31st. Towards the end it became very close indeed with me reaching the summit of Ben Hope around dinnertime on March 31st. There were also plenty of unplanned delays in which I lost valuable time. In total I spent seven frustrating days off the summits due to bad weather and three days of scheduled rest.

Until Glen Shiel I was always just ahead of schedule but after losing two consecutive days there I was chasing my tail all the way to Ben Hope. But I never seriously doubted I'd do it.

What were ground conditions like that season? Ever wish you'd brought skis or snowshoes?
The first few weeks until Christmas were almost totally dry and frozen conditons, with temperatures dropping below -10C regularly yet no heavy snow worth mentioning. Underfoot the ice was treacherous and I had the bruises to prove it. The first real snow came between Christmas and New Year along with very high winds that kept me off the hill in Glen Coe.

January was a mixed bag; snow flurries, high winds, whiteouts, sleet and then fantastic high pressure through the Cairngorms bringing sub -15C temperatures with magnificent inversions.

For the full article click here...

Nigel Wragg; UK
We’ve now done a couple more walks including some good up and down sections. Uphill we definitely have more power and the action is easy to maintain.(Read more)

Stuart Skinner; UK
I have just returned from the US having successfully hiked the Appalachian Trail. I have nothing but great things to say about my pacerpoles....(Read more)

Mark Inglis; NZ, Everest 2006
I could get significantly more power out of them ... (and on) very tough days, they certainly meant that even when very tired and fatigued you could use them with accuracy and confidence. (Read more)