Nordic Walking and Trail: Can You Use the Same Poles?
You do Nordic walking on Tuesdays, trail at the weekend. You look at your pair of poles and wonder whether you can take the same ones onto both terrains. The answer is not as simple as yes or no. It all depends on the quality of your poles — and on understanding what really sets them apart.
Nordic walking and trail: different techniques, similar needs
In Nordic walking, the technique is precise and codified: the pole is planted behind the front foot, the arm opens fully to the rear, the strap is active on every push. The practice generally happens on relatively regular terrain (parks, paths, forest roads). The effort is continuous, aerobic, often in the moderate zone.
In trail, the pole is used more opportunistically: it helps uphill, stabilises downhill, gets stowed or carried in hand on flat or runnable sections. The terrain is often technical, varied, sometimes extreme. Intensity fluctuates between maximal efforts (50% climbs) and active recoveries.
The two disciplines nonetheless share the same physical imperatives for poles: lightness, stiffness, reliable tips, quality straps.
What the Nordic walking pole has that the trail pole does not
A Nordic walking pole is designed for a technique of active, permanent pushing. The strap is specifically conceived to allow the hand to open completely without letting go of the pole — a feature that does not exist on hiking poles or entry-level trail poles. The length is calculated for a Nordic walking posture (elbow at 90°). The tip is often fixed, with a rubber pad supplied.
A trail pole is often telescopic or foldable, for quick stowing in the pack on runnable sections. It may be shorter than the Nordic walking length for climbing. The wrist loop is often basic — sometimes with no true strap at all — and the safety recommendations (detach the loop on descents to avoid accidents) differ from Nordic walking.
The point of convergence: carbon and the curve
The performance of a versatile Nordic walking / trail pole comes down essentially to two criteria: carbon quality and geometry. A 100% T700 carbon performs as well in trail as in Nordic walking. The curve of the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche — which directs the push force more towards the front — is as beneficial on a trail climb as on a flat Nordic walking path.
Marie Beringer reports with the MØNARC®: "6.2 km/h while enjoying myself" — a pace that sits exactly on the border between sporty Nordic walking and walked trail. Corinne Serres, a nurse in a cardiovascular rehabilitation clinic, mentions "the technical movement made easier, more spontaneous" and a feeling "of almost taking flight" — a sensation trail runners will recognise on a fluid climb.
What to adapt depending on use
- For technical trail descents: detach the straps (as recommended on any terrain with fall risk) — the MØNARC® are fitted with detachable Gabel straps
- For steep trail climbs: the double-push technique is compatible with the MØNARC® geometry
- On asphalt (link sections, service roads): always fit the supplied rubber pads to preserve your tungsten tips
- For stowing the poles mid-race: the MØNARC® are non-folding one-piece poles — plan an external attachment system on your backpack
The real question: two pairs, or one versatile pair?
If you practise both disciplines intensively, two specialised pairs remain the optimal solution. But if you are looking for a versatile pole that excels in both uses, the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche® meet the demands of both disciplines: lightness, T700 carbon stiffness, quality Gabel straps, tungsten tips. And a biomechanical advantage in propulsion that reveals itself on a Nordic path as well as an Alpine trail.
At €159 for the complete pair (bag pack included), it is also one of the best quality/performance ratios on the market.