Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Leki Wanderfreund > Owner Review by Marie-Noelle Augendre

Leki Wanderfreund - Owner Review
August 3,2005

Reviewer information

Product information

Conditions of use Since I bought these poles 6 years ago, I have taken them on all my one to two-week backpacking trips, mostly in France (Luberon, Cevennes, Corsica, Pyrenees, Alps, Brittany, Dordogne Vallee, to name a few), but also in Spain (Pyrenees) and Morocco (Sahara and Djebel Sahrho). With them, I have walked in hilly country, mostly between 2600 and 9200 ft (800 to 2900 m). From one trip to another, I have encountered many different trail conditions, from wide forest lanes to narrow bushy paths, walking on smooth sand, hopping from one boulder to the next, sometimes climbing rocks, etc; inclines have been nil to rather steep slopes. As those trips have taken place between February and November, temperatures were always between 40° and 90° F (5° to 32°C), possibly a bit higher in Morocco. Except for some snow patches encountered in Aveyron last March, I've never had to walk on snowy or frozen ground.
Product description
	The Wanderfreund are a common kind of adjustable poles, with three sections connected by plastic expanders, which allow adjustment of their length from 23" to 49" (58 to 124 cm). However, their grip is quite unusual, as it is a cane-style handle, with a cord loop in lieu of a strap. Their material appears to be some composite including cork particles; it is very comfortable in any temperature, and never gets slippery even when my hands  perspire in hot weather.
N.B.: Bear in mind I bought my poles  in 1999, so the product listed on the manufacturer's website under the same name might be somewhat different.

	Issues and solutions This handle provides a powerful grip in any situation, as I always have each pole firmly in hand (see picture on the left). The only thing I have to do is to adjust the length of the poles depending on the incline: on flat ground my arms are bent at roughly a 90° angle; on ascending slopes, I shorten the poles a bit so I can stick them in front of me and propel myself upwards; on very steep descending slopes, I sometimes lengthen them by up to 2 3/4" (7 cm) so I can throw  them far below and lean firmly on them. The cane style grip is also convenient for tarp pitching (see picture on the right): with a couple of loops around the handle, the stake-line won't slide down the pole.

	I don't really use the cord loops when walking, but they are handy for hanging the poles, securing them around my wrists when taking pictures or looking at the map, etc. I must admit I haven't taken any special care of them: at the end of each trip, I usually collapse them so I can put them in or outside my pack to travel back home (by train more often), where I conveniently "forget" all about them until next trip. Consequently, a few years ago, I was very annoyed because the expanders didn't work properly any more: however much I twisted a pole section clockwise, the expander didn't lock. I intended to have all the expanders changed, but my local retailer didn't have the right size (Leki seems to use 3 different expander sizes,depending on the poles model) and told me to dismantle the poles and wash them thoroughly to get rid of all the dirt; I did this and it worked perfectly! So now, I just give them a good wash from time to time, and don't have to worry about this problem any more. The cracking which appeared on one of  the poles sleeve is another matter: it doesn't appear to affect the strength of the pole, but the two sections are not so tightly connected, and the damaged pole makes a clicking noise each time I stick it, no matter how soft the ground is. I would have liked to have the cracked sleeve changed, but the retailer couldn't get a spare...  I confess the pole is not so noisy as to bother me, but I've received some  complaints from people I've been hiking with! The poles sections have also lost a great deal of their paint, especially in the places where one section slides inside the other, and also where the lower section tends to knock against any obstacle on the trail. However, there is no special corrosion signs on the stripped parts; the "Stop" marks on the upper sides of the poles sections disappeared a long time ago, but I'm used to adjusting them to the correct length so it doesn't bother me.
Likes and dislikes These poles are the only ones I've ever used, except when I've borrowed some from someone else for a very short time, thus not long enough to form an opinion. But I like their handles very much, as their design allows me to lean on the poles and get the maximum support without putting strain on my wrists; had I to buy a new pair of poles, I'd go for the same design. In fact, the only thing bothering me... a little bit is that cracked sleeve and the clicking noise it brings along; but as French retailers don't seem able to provide spare parts, I'll put up  with it... As these poles are six years old, I wondered whether newer poles could be lighter; so, I just had a quick look at some "ultralight poles" reviews on the BGT site, but my own Wanderfreund still seem to compare favourably.

Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Leki Wanderfreund > Owner Review by Marie-Noelle Augendre