Wildly inaccurate step counts when using trekking poles!

You'd be better contacting Garmin via support form as well. This is a user forum, I don't think they monitor it properly.

Thanks. I just did and am not expecting any resolution. 

You'll see the same thing on other Garmin devices, and the same thing if you are pushing a stroller or a shopping cart.

What's happening is the watch counts steps, and when you hold on to the poles/stroller/cart, the watch doesn't see the movement/vibrations it would see without the poles.

Same things happen if you are holding on to the bars of a treadmill.

What you can do is put the watch in your pocket, as then it will see what it's expecting for steps.

like jim_m_58 you'll get the same on every wrist based step counters. except the ones which are counting 10000 steps while sitting on the office desk. :-) i think the algorithm is well coded in this watch. as solution like jim_m_58 says put it on in your pocket, or if its important for you, you could use a footpod too. (i've read this times ago in another forum.).

something that would also work, but would look like very stupid, putting the watch on your foot ;-)

Yep. I was thinking about the foot pod, which also seems quite water resistant--per written specs. That way the rest of the watch activity tracking (HR, intensity minutes, etc.) will be maintained.

may i ask you something? because i don't excatly know, whats all about those "steps thing". for what it is usable? my only known reason is for land navigation with a compass / without gps. 

Footpods don't count steps.  Only the watch does.

@jim_m_58 sorry i didn't know that. but cadence is coming from pod if connected? isn't it?

Yes.  But not steps.  Steps are only counted by the watch itself.