Review of some poles from Anaconda

I dropped into Anaconda at Box Hill South recently and had a look at some of the trekking poles there.  They look interesting and reasonably priced:

1. Mountain Designs Tread Carbon Trekking Poles,
2. Mountain Designs Tread Tri-Fold Carbon Walking Poles Black, and 
3. Leki Khumbu Lite Walking Poles Pair Anthracite & Mango.

Note that I had only check out the poles at this Anaconda store and the information on the web.  I have not used any of these poles personally, and I am not comparing these poles with poles from other stores.  My comments should be considered as suggestions only.

1. Mountain Designs Tread Carbon Trekking Poles

Pole - Carbon fibre 

Grip - EVA foam

Strap - Nylon

Weight - 360 g (pair)

Price: Reg. $179.99, Club $99

Comments: The wrist strap felt smooth.  EVA foam grip is not as comfortable as cork grip but softer than rubber grip.  The poles felt quite light.  It has the speed-lock system which allows quicker adjustment than the screw type system.  Extending the poles required a firm force. It retracts to 67 cm which is reasonable.  The price at $99 for club members, membership of which is free, is very attractive.  The reviews at the Anaconda site gave the poles a good rating.

        For further information:  https://www.anacondastores.com/

2. Mountain Designs Tread Tri-Fold Carbon Walking Poles Black

Pole - Carbon fibre 

Grip - EVA foam

Strap - Nylon

Weight - 435 g (pair)

Price:  Reg. $249.99, Club $149

Comments: The grip and strap looked similar to the pole above. It retracts to 39 cm which is quite handy.  The tri-fold locked into place with a pop-out pin.  These poles allow speed-lock length adjustment.  Some of reviews at the Anaconda site complained about the durability of the product.

          For further information:  https://www.anacondastores.com/

3. Leki Khumbu Lite Walking Poles Pair Anthracite & Mango

Pole - Aluminium

Grip - Aergon Cortec

Strap - not stated

Weight - 490 g (pair)

Price: $219.99

Comments:  According to Bogong at bogong.com.au,  "LEKI CorTec grips are made of a unique combination of natural cork and synthetic rubber, which gives a natural easy-on-the-hands feel."  Note that rubber tip is not provided.  Leki is a well known brand for walking poles but their poles are more expensive.

You might consider the slightly cheaper model of the Leki poles, the Leki Legacy Walking Pole Anthracite & Petrol, at $179.99, which is also available at Anaconda.

For further information:  https://www.anacondastores.com/ and  

https://www.bogong.com.au/

Conclusions

The Mountain Designs Tread Carbon Trekking Poles is reasonably priced and have good reviews.  As a pair of basic poles,  I would consider this a reasonable option.

The Mountain Design tri-fold poles look really fun to have.  The durability is a bit of a concern though.  For Christmas, and for a bit of fun, I might gamble and try the tri-fold poles.  

If you want a well known brand, and don't mind paying more, you could consider the Leki poles. 

If you have used any of these poles or have particular insight into some features of these poles, please let me know.  Your feedback will be most welcome.

Trail walk - Main Yarra Trail

 

This walk starts at the foot bridge near Burke Road in East Kew.  The walk takes 1 to 1-1/2 hours return.  The map below shows the path.

The following pictures show the views around the footbridge near Burke Road.

Concrete share pedestrian bicycle path changes into gravel path soon as shown below.  The picture below shows a young person on a electric mono-cycle.

Along the walk, there are signs showing where Arthur Streeton painted the surroundings there.  The following pictures shows some of those paintings and the surroundings.

The walk finishes at Heidelberg near the Annulus Billabong.

Term 4 Class arrangement

 Free Information Session （Friday, 7/10/22）& Term 4 Classes

There will be a free Nordic Walking information session on Friday 7/10/22 at 9:30 am at Ashburton Community Centre. 

Beginners' class will start at Ashburton Community Centre on:

• Thursday 13/10/22, 10:30 am (instructor Ulla Jones)
• Friday 14/10/22,  9:30 am (instructor Sam Au) 

Please see link below for details of free information session and term 4 classes. 

"Ashburton Community Centre classes "

Some Nordic Walking information

 

Some general information on Nordic Walking

Nordic Walking - Wikipedia

Seven reasons Nordic Walking is better for you - The Conversation, July 22

Fitness trend - Nordic Walking, Havard Health Publishing, Jun 22

Some organisations/companies related to Nordic Walking instructor training and product sales

British Nordic Walking

International Nordic Walking Federation

Nordic Walking Academy

Nordic Walking Australia

Some shops around Melbourne that sell Nordic Walking or Trekking poles

Anaconda

Bogong

Decathlon

Blackdiamondequipment - see store locator 

Kathmandu 

Macpac 

Wildernessshop

Some Nordic Walking / Trekking poles companies

Black Diamond 

Exel

Leki

Masters 

 

Olinda Falls walking tracks- Dandenong Ranges National Park (Aug 2022)

The walk to Olinda Falls from the Falls car park is quite a beautiful walk.  The Falls car park is on the corner of Falls and Doughty’s Roads.  Here is the Google map link of the car park: Olinda Falls car park.  From the car park, it is just a short walk of about 300 m to the viewing platform.  

Below was the view of the track from the car park to Olinda Falls.

The Olinda Falls viewed from the upper viewing platform.

Some parts of the Cascade Track were slippery and steep and the poles were definitely useful.

The Youtube video below shows the walk from Olinda Falls car park to the Upper Falls and Lower Falls viewing areas and the walk along the Mechanic Track.   Unfortunately both the Lower Falls viewing area and the Mechanic Track were closed at that time.

The following are some useful links on the Olinda Falls:

Park Victoria - Olinda Falls Picnic Area

Dandenong Ranges Point

Explore the Dandenongs

Walking maps

All Trails

Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve

 

Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve in Mitcham is a wonderful place to have some Nordic Walking.  It is nested in the busy eastern suburbs, yet once you walk into the park, you can feel that you are in the wilderness right away.  The quietness other than the bird calls, running stream and occasional utterance from frogs, makes walking in the park a spiritual experience.  

A brochure with map of Yarran Deran can be downloaded below:

Yarran Dheran brochure and Map

Here is a brochure on the birds of the park.

Birds of Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve

Yarran Dheran has a group of dedicated volunteers.  Their website is the following:

Yarran Dheran Nature Reserve website

However, the website may not have the latest information.  The facebook page may have more up to date information:

Yarran Dheran Facebook page

The 2022 event calendar is attached below:

YD 2022 Event Calendar

For more information, you can contact Gay Gallagher via email:  gay.gallagher@bigpond.com

Some Nordic Walking techniques from Nordic Academy

 

Please find some Nordic Walking techniques from Nordic Academy in the video above.

The following video shows the standard NW technique.