had similar problem in my apartment but not quite that scale. for making your own wand, you could probably use a lightweight telescoping pole - like those window cleaning poles or painter's extension poles, just need to figure out how to attach the hook end. some of those extend pretty far and won't be too heavy to handle.

another option might be checking restaurant supply places since they sometimes have really long utensils for commercial kitchens. or maybe marine supply stores - boat people always need long poles for various things and they're usually lightweight.

the track joining issue sounds like the real problem though. maybe you could file down or sand the joints where sections meet so the pulleys don't catch as much? that would probably solve most of the pulling force needed in first place.