Merrellman78, the people who are making disparaging comments about people who use trekking poles...Ignore them. It's complete nonsense. I'm on trail a lot and only see a very few people who need help; and most of them do not have poles. There were lots of people using them in the Dolomites and none of them seemed like problems in the making either. Use what ever works for you. My wife uses poles, I do not. Honestly, who cares.