LEKI MAKALU FX CARBON AS Trekking Poles (Past Season) review

LEKI’s U.S. site keeps a MAKALU FX CARBON AS page explicitly labelled “Past Seasons.” That makes this entry useful as an edition check, not a recommendation to treat an older listing as current stock. Its single feed variant is SKU 65220631 in anthracite-red-black, with a stated 110–130 cm adjustment range. Compare that exact identifier with the separately assessed current MAKALU FX CARBON AS family before considering any offer.

What the earlier listing documents

The Past Seasons product page describes a folding and length-adjustable pair with LEKI’s ELD folding system and a Speed Lock 2 Plus external lever. The formal specification table gives a 40 cm pack size, 267 g per pole, one standard grip size and a five-segment count. It lists carbon for the upper shaft and aluminum for the lower section, with the upper part identified as PRC 1000 and the lower as HTS 6.5. LEKI also identifies an Aergon Air grip, a Lock Security Strap Skin 4.0 and a pair unit.

There is a meaningful source conflict about its folding layout: descriptive copy says the pole folds into three sections, while the formal specification table says five segments. I retain the structured table’s count for comparison and do not hide the prose discrepancy. If the physical section count affects a carry case or your setup, inspect the exact item or request its current instructions rather than relying on an abbreviated product description.

The source describes the Aergon Air grip as EVA foam with a rubberized head. Its “AS” label is supported by a named Dynamic Suspension System elastomer, and LEKI claims up to 40 percent impact reduction. This is the manufacturer’s wording, not an independently measured result or a promise of comfort. The page instructs users to pair DSS tips with baskets. Its specification lists a Trekking basket, but a Snowflake Basket is offered separately in a buy-with module; winter-basket inclusion is not established for SKU 65220631.

Do not merge it with the current AS version

The current Makalu FX Carbon AS listing has two different feed SKUs: compact 65620632C and standard 65620631S. Both are current-page identities, not this earlier SKU. The current standard 65620631S has the same stated 110–130 cm range, 40 cm pack length, five spec-table segments and a superficially similar green-blue color. But it is listed at 258 g per pole and with a Skin 5.0 strap; this earlier 65220631 is anthracite-red-black, 267 g per pole and uses Skin 4.0. Their product handles and variant IDs differ, and the earlier page is explicitly labelled Past Seasons. Treat these as separate editions even where specifications overlap.

There are also two nearby Makalu designs that should not be merged. The non-AS Makalu FX Carbon has carbon upper and lower shafts and no documented integrated DSS system on its current page. The Makalu Pro FX Carbon uses a cork-contact Aergon Air Cork grip and has a single current 110–130 cm SKU. Shared brand language and similar folding hardware do not establish the same material, suspension feature, SKU or package.

How to use this assessment

Consider the Past Seasons entry only when you intentionally want to identify an earlier model or compare a specific existing offer. LEKI’s lifecycle label does not verify availability, condition, seller identity, warranty status or box contents, and this review does not promise that the listing will remain orderable. Check that an offer explicitly identifies SKU 65220631 and the anthracite-red-black edition, then compare the physical strap, section arrangement, DSS parts and basket package with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The page’s published 110–130 cm range and 40 cm packed length are source specifications rather than independent measurements. Measure your own target pole setting and available storage, and do not interpret a pole dimension as an airline carry-on guarantee. The DSS feature may matter if you specifically want a documented integrated mechanism, but the manufacturer’s impact claim is not a clinical outcome or a field-test result from this review.

Bottom line

This is a narrow, earlier-edition reference for someone deliberately checking a 65220631 Makalu FX Carbon AS pair. Its listed range, external lever, folding format and DSS distinguish it from a plain non-AS pole; its specified 40 cm pack size may suit a measured storage limit. The current model family has distinct SKUs and two size plans, so a shared name is not enough to confirm which pole is being sold. The specification-versus-prose section-count conflict, past-season label and unconfirmed snow-basket package are reasons to verify the exact item before relying on those details. This is a source-based assessment, not a claim of ownership, use, testing, measured performance or seller availability.