LEKI MAKALU LITE AS Trekking Poles review

The MAKALU LITE AS is the telescoping, three-section member of this Makalu group. Its U.S. page identifies an aluminum shaft, Speed Lock Plus adjustment and an integrated DSS elastomer described as an antishock system. That layout may suit a hiker who prefers a familiar sliding pole with a documented suspension component, but this listing contains a size-copy conflict that makes exact SKU verification especially important.

Read the size selector with the variant feed

The current product feed lists compact SKU 65621802C in pale clay and standard SKU 65621801S in green-blue. The selector and formal specification table assign 90–125 cm to the compact configuration and 100–135 cm to standard. The specification table gives a 64 cm pack size and 242 g per pole for compact, versus 67 cm and 253 g per pole for standard. Both are three-section poles. These plan-level figures matter: the compact version is shorter at its upper end but has the shorter published collapsed dimension.

There is an unresolved inconsistency in the same manufacturer copy. A descriptive paragraph calls the compact version 100–120 cm and associates it with the previous Cressida Lite AS name, while the current size selector, formal size-run field and feed SKU map show 90–125 cm. This assessment keeps the current feed’s exact SKU tied to the formal specification and selector, but does not erase the conflicting text. If the disputed range affects fit, confirm the exact 65621802C product label or instructions before purchase; do not silently substitute the paragraph’s 100–120 figure or an older-model identity.

Telescoping lock and integrated suspension

Unlike the folding FX models, Makalu Lite AS uses three telescoping aluminum sections. LEKI lists Speed Lock Plus, an external lever, for length changes. It is adjustable within each size plan; the compact and standard limits are not interchangeable. The page describes Aergon Air as a hollow-core shape with an angled support surface and rubberized grip head, and identifies its grip material as EVA foam. A foam extension supplies lower hand positions, but grip shape and material labels cannot tell you whether the handle fits your own hand.

The “AS” designation is supported here by a named Dynamic Suspension System at the tip. LEKI calls it an elastomer antishock component and claims impact reduction of up to 40 percent. That is a manufacturer description, not independent test evidence or a promise of an individual result. The page warns that DSS tips should always be used with baskets, so follow the current instructions and verify the supplied tip/basket combination rather than removing a part or mixing incompatible replacements.

Where it differs from related poles

The Makalu Lite AS is not the same purchase as the Makalu FX Carbon AS. Both list DSS, but the FX Carbon AS folds into four or five parts, uses a carbon upper/aluminum lower shaft and has 40–41 cm folded-size specifications. The Lite AS telescopes in three aluminum sections and lists much longer collapsed lengths of 64–67 cm. If your pack limit is tight, that difference can outweigh a small change in listed per-pole mass. The non-AS Makalu FX Carbon adds folding storage and an all-carbon shaft specification but does not document DSS in its inspected product table.

Snowflake Basket also appears in a separate accessory module, not as a stated included snow basket. The product table identifies a Trekking basket and DSS tip, which supports the standard hiking arrangement but does not establish a winter basket in the box. Keep snow-basket inclusion separate from compatibility: an interchangeable accessory can fit the pole without being supplied with it.

Limits and purchase checks

Shortlist the Lite AS if you want an adjustable telescoping pole, an external lever, an aluminum shaft and a documented integrated shock system. Then match the exact color/SKU to the required working height: 65621802C is listed at 90–125 cm; 65621801S reaches 100–135 cm. If your packed-space ceiling is 65 cm, only the compact plan’s listed 64 cm dimension meets it; the standard’s 67 cm does not. A close measurement should be checked against the actual way you carry poles, not interpreted as a guarantee about luggage rules.

Before ordering, ask the seller to confirm the current SKU and size run because the manufacturer’s own page has conflicting compact-range prose. Confirm pair contents, DSS tip and basket setup, and inspect that both levers operate and are set to the manual’s marks. The specs do not prove personal comfort, measured shock reduction or durability after trail use. This review is based on the current U.S. page and its feed; it does not claim hands-on testing, ownership or independent performance data.