The Leki Skysolo is the top of Leki's aluminium walking pole line, and it sits in an interesting spot: a light, fast-feeling pole for walkers who want the best aluminium Leki makes without paying carbon money. You get the newest SpeedLock 2 Plus lever, a slim Verticon grip and a wide adjustment range on a heat-treated HTS 6.5 aluminium shaft. It is the pole for someone who values a quick, low-swing-weight feel in the hand over the last few grams a carbon shaft would save.
I have not put my own miles on the Skysolo, so this is a researched review rather than a long-term test. My reference points are the Leki range I know well and the one pole I use and have written up in full, the Black Diamond Trail Explorer 3. What follows is the picture from Leki's own specs, retailer listings and the way the Skysolo lines up against its siblings.
Who the Leki Skysolo is for
The Skysolo is aimed at the walker who already knows they want aluminium and wants the nicest version of it. If you have decided a folding carbon pole is more money and more fragility than you need, but you still want a pole that feels quick and light in the hand rather than like a workhorse, this is Leki's answer.
It suits fast day hikers and taller walkers in particular. The slim Verticon grip and the light shaft geometry give the Skysolo a lively, low-swing-weight feel that rewards a quicker cadence, and the wide 110 to 145cm range gives long-limbed walkers real headroom and lets anyone run the poles long on a sustained descent.
It is a slightly niche pick, and I want to be straight about that. Most hikers who walk into the aluminium tier are better served by the cheaper Leki Makalu Lite, which gives you a plusher grip for less money. The Skysolo earns its place for a narrower group: people who specifically want the slim grip, the wide range and the latest lock, and who are happy to pay a premium for the top aluminium spec.
Skysolo specs at a glance
- Price
- ~£119 (Blacks)
- Weight
- ~254g per pole (~508g pair)
- Shaft material
- Aluminium HTS 6.5 (heat-treated)
- Sections
- 3-section telescopic, 18 / 16 / 14mm
- Length range
- 110 to 145cm
- Packed length
- ~70cm
- Locking system
- SpeedLock 2 Plus external lever
- Grip
- Verticon foam with grip extension
- Strap
- D-Loop mesh, individually adjustable
- Baskets
- Trekking Basket 2.0, plus Big Mountain Binding Basket 2.0
Weight and build: light feel, familiar mass
Here is the thing the marketing does not quite tell you. At roughly 254g per pole the Skysolo is not meaningfully lighter than the cheaper Makalu Lite, which comes in around 248g. On the scales they are the same pole. So if you are buying the Skysolo to shave weight off your pack, the maths does not support it, and the Skytera Carbon Lite at around 196g per pole is the pole to look at instead.
What the Skysolo does deliver is a lighter feel, and that is a real thing rather than a marketing line. The slim Verticon grip is a race-style head that weighs very little, and keeping the mass low at the top of the pole reduces swing weight, the effort it takes to move the pole forward on every stride. Over a long day with a high pole count, a lower swing weight is less tiring than raw grams suggest. The Skysolo feels quick in a way the numbers alone do not capture.
The shaft is Leki's HTS 6.5, the same heat-treated aluminium used across the better poles in the range, in stepped 18, 16 and 14mm sections. Aluminium bends rather than snaps under a sideways load, which is exactly the behaviour you want when a pole gets wedged between rocks on a coast-path scramble or takes your weight awkwardly on a wet stile. A bent aluminium pole can often be straightened in the field and carried on. A snapped carbon shaft on a remote leg is a different kind of problem. For the terrain most UK walkers cover, that resilience is a fair argument for staying in aluminium at all.
SpeedLock 2 Plus and the Verticon grip
The Skysolo carries Leki's newest external lever, the SpeedLock 2 Plus. It works the way every good lever lock does: flip it open, slide the section, flip it shut, all in a few seconds and all with gloves on, which matters for nine months of the year in the UK. The "Plus" part is that the clamp is tuneable by hand, so if it ever loosens over years of use you can nip the tension back up with the small dial rather than sending the pole away. On a pole you intend to keep for a long time, that serviceability is worth having.
The lock holds firmly under body weight, which is the failure mode that plagues cheap twist-lock poles on a hard descent. This is standard Leki territory and there is no reason to expect the Skysolo to behave differently.
The grip is where the Skysolo makes its case, and also where it divides opinion. The Verticon is a slim foam head that borrows the ergonomic Aergon shape but trims it down towards the weight of a race grip. It is light, it drains sweat well and the foam extension below the head gives you somewhere to choke down on a short climb without stopping to adjust length. If you like a slim, direct grip you will get on with it immediately.
If you prefer a fuller, more cushioned hand feel, the sculpted Aergon Air grip on the Makalu Lite is arguably nicer to hold for long hours, and it costs less. This is a preference call rather than a quality gap, but it is the single biggest reason the Skysolo is a narrower recommendation than its price tag suggests. The D-Loop mesh strap is a good one: adjustable, quick-drying and comfortable against bare hands on a warm summer walk.
Where the Skysolo sits in the Leki range
The Skysolo makes most sense once you see it next to its siblings, so here is the short version. For the full picture, the best Leki walking poles guide walks the whole line from the budget Voyager up to the carbon flagship.
vs Leki Makalu Lite (~£107)
This is the comparison that matters. The Makalu Lite is the classic mid aluminium Leki, and on weight it is a match for the Skysolo. What it gives up is the wide 110 to 145cm range (the Makalu tops out lower) and the slim Verticon grip, in exchange for the plusher Aergon Air head and a lower price. For most walkers the Makalu Lite is the smarter buy. Choose the Skysolo if you are tall, if you like to run poles long on descents, or if the slim grip appeals.
vs Leki Skytera Carbon Lite (~£158)
Step up about forty pounds and the Skytera Carbon Lite gives you a genuine weight drop to around 196g per pole through a hybrid aluminium-and-carbon shaft, along with less trail buzz through the hand. If your reason for eyeing the Skysolo is lightness, this is the pole that actually delivers it, at the cost of a little of aluminium's take-a-knock durability. The Skysolo is the pick when you want to stay all-aluminium; the Skytera is the pick when you are ready to cross into carbon.
For a wider view across brands and budgets, the best trekking poles UK 2026 guide puts the Leki range alongside the Black Diamond poles I have tested.
Pros and cons
- Slim Verticon grip keeps swing weight low, so it feels quick and light in the hand
- Newest SpeedLock 2 Plus lever, tuneable by hand if the clamp loosens over the years
- Wide 110 to 145cm range suits tall walkers and running the poles long on descents
- HTS 6.5 aluminium bends rather than snaps, and Leki spares keep it in service
- Quick-drying D-Loop mesh strap, comfortable on bare hands in summer
- Barely lighter than the cheaper Makalu Lite, so weight saving is not the reason to buy
- Slim Verticon grip is less cushioned than the Aergon Air, which is a preference call
- Costs more than the Makalu Lite for a shaft that weighs the same
- 70cm packed length is long and the pole does not fold
- No anti-shock version if you want spring damping for hard descents
- No Amazon UK listing, so Blacks is effectively the buying route
Verdict: is the Skysolo worth it?
The Leki Skysolo is a very good pole aimed at a fairly specific buyer, and being clear about that is the fairest thing I can do here. It is the top of Leki's aluminium line, it feels light and quick thanks to the slim Verticon grip and low swing weight, the SpeedLock 2 Plus lever is the best telescopic lock Leki makes, and the wide length range is a real advantage for taller walkers and fast descents.
What holds it back from a straight recommendation is its own family. On the scales it matches the cheaper Makalu Lite, which many walkers will find more comfortable to hold, and if lightness is the actual goal the Skytera Carbon Lite delivers it properly for a little more. That leaves the Skysolo as the pole for people who know they want the slim grip, the wide range and the newest lock in an all-aluminium build. If that describes you, it is an excellent choice. If it does not, one of its siblings will serve you better for the money.
Fast, tall or long-striding walkers who want the lightest-feeling aluminium Leki and the newest SpeedLock, and who prefer a slim grip over a plush one.
Leki poles at Blacks
Prices pulled live from Blacks, updated daily. Links are affiliate links.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Leki Skysolo weigh?
Is the Leki Skysolo carbon or aluminium?
Skysolo or Makalu Lite: which should I buy?
What locking system does the Skysolo use?
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