Remember to adjust your hiking pole length for an extended uphill or downhill trail. A shorter pole helps maintain a natural arm position going uphill as the trail is higher in front of you. Likewise, a longer pole is good for downhill. An inch or two (2.5-5cm) of adjustment is all it takes.
I shortened my poles 2 inches ascending the south side of Avery Peak, which is the northernmost 4000 foot peak on the Appalachian Trail before the terminus at Katahdin