ENGINEERED AROUND REAL WORLD FAILURE PATTERNS Most trekking pole failures happen in the lower section, where the shaft takes the hardest hits-wedged tips, side loads, and sharp rock impacts. Carbon fiber is incredibly light and stiff, but when it&';s overloaded sideways, it can fail suddenly. So we redesigned the part of the pole hikers rely on the most. Our hybrid poles use Grade 9 titanium (Ti-3Al-2.5V) for the entire lower section-the same alloy found in aerospace tubing and high-performance bike frames. Titanium shrugs off rock strikes, resists dents, and can flex rather than snap, dramatically reducing the most common break point. The upper sections remain high-modulus carbon fiber, giving you the light, fast, comfortable swing that hikers love.