The Leki Makalu Lite is a pair of sturdy mid-range poles, reasonably lightweight for aluminium and robust in use.

This is a mid-range telescopic pole that has some real highlight features that makes it stand out from the crowd, but also misses the mark in a few places.

TGO Magazine verdict

The ‘Aergon Air’ grip is a triumph of comfort but the wrist strap on these poles could be improved.
Pros
  • comfortable grip
Cons
  • disappointing wrist strap
  • no snow basket
Quick specs
Price: $159.95 / £115 (available from Leki USA and Cotswold Outdoor)
Weight: 485g
Length: 100-135cm (67cm collapsed)
Shaft: Aluminium
Grip: Foam, including extension
Adjustment: FlickLock
leki.co.uk

The ‘Aergon Air’ grip is a triumph of comfort. The main grip itself is well shaped and comfortable enough, but the top of the pole is the highlight, curving over slightly further than other poles.

It has an incredibly grippy top and subtle shaping underneath that made it wonderfully comfortable when descending big hills. I found it just naturally sit in my hand and felt intuitive to use. This may not be to everyone’s taste or fit all hand sizes though, so something to bear in mind if you have especially large or small hands.

I didn’t get on with the lower extension foam grip though, which I found very narrow and slipped in my hand when using it as I ascended. The wrist strap was also disappointing for me – while it has a fancy name ‘Lock Security Strap Skin 4.0’, I found the unpadded strap dug into my hand and was uncomfortable to wear for any period of time. These things are often a matter of personal preference however, and some people prefer a thinner strap.

Leki Makalu Lite poles
Steph thought the grip was a thing of triumph. Credit: Steph Wetherell

The wheel adjustable flick locks are plastic in construction but felt pretty sturdy. They aren’t the smallest when collapsed, but they are reasonably lightweight for aluminium poles and felt sturdy to use.

The poles come with smaller removable trekking size baskets, but not snow baskets, which will limit their use for some. These poles sits at the mid-price point, and as such are is not the lightest or most packable pair of poles, but they are sturdy and reliable.

Testing conditions

Steph tested these trekking poles in all weathers in the Brecon Beacons and the South West of England. She uses trekking poles a lot when walking, and always uses them on ascents and descents, especially steep hills.

This review was first published in the July 2025 issue of The Great Outdoors. Compare these with more of the best trekking poles.