Choosing the Right Support for Your Knees
Trekking poles are essential for the Everest Base Camp trek. But should you buy the expensive carbon ones or the sturdy aluminum ones? The mountain terrain dictates the choice.
Pros: Extremely light, absorbs vibration. Cons: Brittle. If you snap it in a rock crack, it shatters. Best for fast trekkers who are careful with their gear on the Mount Everest summit approach.
Pros: Durable, bends rather than snaps, cheaper. Cons: Heavier. For a remote Everest expedition, aluminum is safer because a bent pole can still be used. A shattered carbon pole is useless.
Avoid twist locks; they freeze and fail. Flip locks are the gold standard for mountaineering. They are easy to adjust even while wearing gloves in the cold.
On Everest, durability beats weight. Aluminum is the reliable workhorse.
