Guidetti is a French benchmark in trail poles, already in the RunMorph catalog with the Platinium Néo, its newest and most premium line. The Explore Carbon plays a different role in the range: a three-section folding pole, older but still on sale, built for ultra-trail and fast hiking rather than pure racing. At RunMorph, we cross-checked several independent, long-term field reports (up to 400 km and a year and a half of use for one of them) to see whether this classic still holds up against newer poles on the market.
© Guidetti, official photo used for editorial purposes
Guidetti Explore Carbon: the Grenoble brand's original folding pole
Guidetti has been making its poles in Grenoble for decades, a rarity in a trail pole market dominated by Asian and North American brands. The Explore Carbon embodies the folding philosophy of the range: three carbon sections joined by an internal cord, a knot-based locking system instead of a telescopic screw clamp, and a quick-clip detachable glove strap that built the brand's reputation long before other manufacturers made this kind of system standard. It comes in two fixed sizes, 115 cm and 122 cm or 128 cm depending on the source, ships with a carry bag, and sits alongside the Platinium Néo already in our catalog: older in the range, but still actively sold and loved by a loyal user base.
Guidetti Explore Carbon specs
| Feature | Value |
|---|
| Brand | Guidetti (France, Grenoble) |
| Model | Explore Carbon |
| Material | Carbon, 3 folding sections joined by an internal cord |
| Weight | Around 400 g per pair (388 to 403 g depending on size and weighing source) |
| Available sizes | 115 cm, 122 cm, 128 cm |
| Folded length | 33 to 45 cm depending on size |
| Grip | "Viper Mousse" foam, quick-clip detachable glove strap (left/right) |
| Tip | Conical tungsten |
| Included | Carry bag, Velcro tie |
| Official price | About €125 (€118 to €125 depending on retailer and season) |
Sources disagree slightly on the exact weight, and RunMorph would rather flag the gap than smooth it over: one user measured 388 grams per pair in the 122 cm size, another 403 grams in the 128 cm size. The difference most likely comes down to size rather than production variance, but keep it in mind if exact weight is a deciding factor for ultra racing, where every gram counts.
Tension cord and detachable glove strap: the two technical details that make the difference
Unlike screw-lock telescopic poles, the Explore Carbon uses an internal cord that runs through all three sections and locks into a notch at the grip. To deploy it, you pull the cord, then clip the glove strap's ring onto the top of the pole. The move takes some getting used to but becomes quick with practice, as several users independently confirm. Adjusting the cord tension, via a nut and lock nut inside the third section, is the most concrete technical weak point of the product. One user reports that the lock nut tends to work loose with vibration and needs an 8 mm wrench to tighten it again: a maintenance point to watch rather than a deal-breaker.
The detachable glove strap, on the other hand, wins everyone over. It's a textured mitt with a metal ring that clips onto the top of the pole with a natural press, and releases with one click on an orange button. Two independent users say you "quickly forget it's there" once it's on, and that it doesn't get in the way when you grab food at an aid station or lean on a tree with the pole unclipped. One thing to watch: the glove strap is hand-specific (left/right), and one tester admits mixing them up when putting them on.
© Guidetti, official photo used for editorial purposes
RunMorph tip: check the tension lock nut regularly with an 8 mm wrench, especially after several hilly runs, so the locking cord doesn't develop any play. For more racing-oriented, regular use, the Guidetti Platinium Néo offers a newer Flashlock system and part-by-part repairability.
On the trail: light on the climbs, careful with the carbon
On the trail, reviews strongly agree on the essentials: the lightness and comfort of carbon are a game changer compared with a standard aluminum pole. One user switching from a 445-gram Quechua aluminum pole notes a saving of 42 grams per pole with the Explore Carbon, a gap he calls decisive "after a few hours of ultra". Carbon flexes more than aluminum, so it soaks up shocks and vibration better on sustained climbs, a point independently confirmed by a second tester who logged a full season of elevation gain carrying a pack weighing more than 15 kg. The conical tungsten tip grips well on dry, rocky ground, with minimal wear after several hundred kilometers according to the tester who used the product the longest.
On durability, one caveat comes up across several sources, and RunMorph chooses to include it rather than gloss over it: carbon absorbs vibration well in normal use, but it snaps clean if it flexes too far or takes a bad fall on a section, whereas aluminum tends to bend rather than break. Still, one user with 400 km and a year and a half of use confirms that normal use, even on rocky and muddy ground, caused no breakage or misalignment over that period. Fast folding and unfolding, meanwhile, is unanimously praised as a real asset on runnable or road stretches where the pole goes into the pack: under 33 to 45 cm folded, depending on size.
© Guidetti, official photo used for editorial purposes
Guidetti Explore Carbon vs Guidetti Platinium Néo vs Leki Ultratrail FX.One Superlite: the comparison
| Model | Weight/pair | System | Folding | Price |
|---|
| Guidetti Explore Carbon | ~400 g | Internal cord + clip glove strap | 3 sections, fixed length | ~€125 |
| Guidetti Platinium Néo | Lighter (100% French carbon) | Patented Flashlock | Folding, repairable for life | Premium |
| Leki Ultratrail FX.One Superlite | Very light | Flip-lock | Folding | Premium |
Against the Platinium Néo, its own big sister in the Guidetti catalog, the Explore Carbon sits one notch below on weight and on how modern its locking system is (knotted cord rather than a Flashlock lever). It keeps a price advantage, though, and reliability proven over time by a user base that has stayed loyal for years. Against the Leki Ultratrail FX.One Superlite, a premium market benchmark, the gap comes down mainly to deployment speed: the Leki lever system comes out of the pack faster than the Guidetti cord knot, something to weigh if you change terrain often during a race.
Pros
- Made in France (Grenoble), carbon material that absorbs shocks and vibration well
- Quick-clip detachable glove strap, comfort praised unanimously by users
- Fast folding and unfolding, very compact once stowed in the pack
- Tungsten tip that grips well and wears little on rocky ground
- Reliability confirmed over several hundred kilometers and more than a year of use
Cons
- Cord tension adjustment needs watching (lock nut works loose with vibration)
- Carbon snaps clean if it flexes too far or takes a bad fall, unlike aluminum
- Fixed sizes, not infinitely adjustable (115, 122 or 128 cm), no telescopic option
- One notch heavier than the brand's newer Platinium Néo
Our field verdict: who is the Explore Carbon for?
The mountain trail runner who racks up elevation gain
This is the target profile. The lightness and vibration damping of carbon really show on long, repeated climbs, and the fast folding lets you stow the poles without losing time on runnable stretches.
The runner who prefers a modern lever lock
With reservations. The cord-and-knot system takes some getting used to and needs regular lock nut maintenance, while newer systems like the Platinium Néo's Flashlock or Leki's flip-lock deploy faster in a single move.
The runner who handles poles without much care
Avoid. Carbon's fragility if it flexes too far or takes a badly handled fall on a section, explicitly flagged by one source, calls for more careful handling than a standard aluminum pole.
For your training: using trail poles regularly on climbs works your upper body and spares your quads on long runs with lots of elevation gain. Structure your trail training weeks with a plan built around your goal: explore the RunMorph training plans.
RunMorph verdict
The Guidetti Explore Carbon remains a solid, proven folding pole, backed by a user base that has sung its praises through years of heavy use. Lightweight carbon, a comfortable detachable glove strap and fast folding make it a reliable choice for mountain trail and ultra, as long as you accept regular maintenance of the tension system and handle it more carefully than an aluminum pole. It sits one notch below the newer Platinium Néo on pure weight, but its price and field-proven reliability still make sense in 2026. 8/10.