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Trekking poles

Choke-up grip

Also called extended grip, secondary grip, foam extension

What is a choke-up grip?

A choke-up grip is the strip of foam running down the shaft below the main handle. On a steep climb you slide your hand down onto it, effectively shortening the pole for a few steps without stopping to adjust the length.

Choke-up grip at a glance

What it is
Foam below the main handle
Used on
Short steep pitches
Saves
Stopping to adjust length

Why pole length is wrong on a climb

On a steep climb the ground in front of you is higher than the ground under you, so a pole set for flat walking is suddenly too long. The formal fix is stopping and shortening both poles. The fast fix is sliding your hand down onto the extended foam below the grip, which changes your effective pole length instantly and reverses just as fast.

Why it beats adjusting

That's why the feature exists and why it's worth checking for. Adjusting pole length properly is right for a sustained thirty-minute climb; the choke-up grip is right for the twenty short pitches in between, which is most of what rolling trail actually consists of.

Using it on traverses

Traverses are the other use. On a steep side-slope your uphill hand wants a shorter pole and your downhill hand a longer one, and choking up with the uphill hand solves it without touching either lock. Look for a grip that extends far enough down to be useful, since some are token strips only a couple of inches long.

What this means when you're choosing

  • How far down the shaft the foam actually runs
  • Whether it's shaped or a plain sleeve, which affects grip when wet
  • Foam quality, since this is the part that degrades with sweat and sun

The common mistake

Using it instead of ever adjusting the poles

It is for a few steps, not for a two-mile climb. Holding a pole below the grip for a sustained ascent puts your hand in the wrong place relative to the strap and gives you none of the support the strap normally carries.

Common questions

What is the extra foam below a trekking pole grip for?

Choking up on short climbs and side-slopes. You slide your hand down onto it for a few steps rather than stopping to shorten the pole, then slide back up.

Should I adjust pole length or just choke up?

Adjust for sustained climbs and descents, choke up for short pitches. Constantly working the locks wears them out and costs time on ground that changes every hundred meters.

Where this comes up

Guides on Tom's Hiking where choke-up grip changes which product is right for you.

More in trekking poles

Lever lock

A lever lock clamps a pole's telescoping sections with an external cam lever you flip closed. It holds under load better than a twist lock, works with cold or gloved hands, and can be tightened with a small screw when it starts slipping.

Twist lock

A twist lock adjusts a pole by rotating one section against another, which expands a plastic plug inside to grip the shaft. It's lighter and cleaner than a lever lock and much more prone to slipping once it wears or gets dirty.

Z-pole

A Z-pole folds into three or four short sections joined by an internal cord, like a tent pole, instead of telescoping. It packs down to around 13 to 16 inches, which is short enough to stow in a running vest or strap flat to a small pack.

Carbide tip

A carbide tip is the hard tungsten carbide point at the end of a trekking pole. It bites into rock, ice and packed dirt where a steel or rubber tip would skate, and it stays sharp for years of use.

Basket

A basket is the disc near the tip of a trekking pole that stops it sinking too far into soft ground. Small trekking baskets suit dirt and mud; wide snow baskets keep the pole from disappearing into powder.

Anti-shock

Anti-shock is an internal spring in a trekking pole that compresses slightly on each plant to soften the impact. It adds weight and complexity, most experienced hikers switch it off or buy poles without it, and some people with joint pain like it.

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