As I’m not yet ready to judge this month, let alone this year, I’m using this festive time to look back at the hikes I’ve done around Christmas.

Beginnings

Despite being taken on hikes since my childhood, winter hikes are something I only got into much later. At least when it comes to serious hikes. Back in the late 90s and maybe in the early 2000s, when the weather still made sense and Christmas actually had snow rather than rain, my parents took my sister and me on a walk around the town on the 24th. The reason was simple – my sister was quite impatient and this was a way to stop her from constantly asking “when are we getting the presents” (note: in my country, it’s the evening of the 24th, and the 24th is a public holiday).

Early 2010s

It was only in the early 2010s that I had my first winter hiking experience. The very first one was with the hiking club – a tradition was to go to one particular chalet and decorate the tree standing in front of it with things that animals can eat (mostly dried fruits), which is how things actually were centuries ago. After that, there was some time with warm beverages and singing. This is typically the first or second December Saturday. Unfortunately, I don’t have any notes as to the weather of the 2010 hike.

In 2011, as a way to unwind at the end of the semester, I decided to go hiking. I chose the highest peak of the nearby mountains for a single reason – it has several trails leading up, which would let me change things a bit over the years (I was planning this to continue if the first attempt goes well). On this first try, there was a bit of snow at the peak, but not as much in the lower portions.

Right the next year, I decided to move things and went a week earlier. That was despite a “strong wind and heavy snowfall” warning being issued the day before. I ended up pushing my way waist-deep in powder snow, the wind erasing my footsteps in seconds. An ascension that usually took me short of two hours took almost three this time. The peak, often full of hikers, was almost empty – only the mountain’s hardcore fan club and me. Despite that, I went on another hike the next week, but by that time, the weather calmed down, and I kept to the lower portions of the hills.

The next year (2013), the weather was much milder. A bit of half-melted snow in the lower portions, and not too much at the peaks, and cloudy weather at the peak. I also finally managed to take a photo.

Mid-2010s

2014 had me delay the hike – I had a light cold right before Christmas, and it was muddy anyway. Things turned around soon after. So I went on the 30th instead. This time, my mother and her friend’s son decided to accompany me, despite the harsh weather around -15°C. The lower portions, though, had a charming winter atmosphere. The upper portions were, unfortunately, shrouded in clouds.

2015 was the exact opposite: muddy with only a sprinkle of snow at the top.

2016 was yet another change: I, once again, took part in the club hike to end the season. This time, there was more snow, but it was half-melted because of warmer weather. It also moved from the traditional location (and started changing locations since then). I also changed the location of my solo Christmas hike, which I did on the 22nd once again. This trip was the source of some of my other favorite photos – a halo as I stood on the edge of a cloud.

And while that wasn’t exactly a holiday hike anymore by it’s date, just a few weeks later (7.1.2017), I enjoyed the coldest hike so far with the meteorological observatory at the peak displaying -22,2°C. I also took some of ma favorite photos back then (and I guess you can recognize the location matches with one of the photos above).

As for 2017, I didn’t do the end-of-year hike. And I can only guess why – my records can be quite detailed for the hikes I did, but I didn’t make notes of why I didn’t go on a hike. The weather seems to be a likely cause as the time around Christmas has been getting much more snow-free and muddy. Damn global warming.

By that time, I’ve lost my initial reluctance (and maybe a bit of fear) of winter hiking, though I’ve always had (and still have) respect for the winter weather. As limited as my opportunities can be with increasingly warm winters and living an adult life, I do like to seek out some fun in the snow. I’ve even put some money into a bit more heavy-duty winter equipment to nudge me into pursuing winter hikes more (if the weather gives us a winter). But that’s a story for another time.

So, I hope you’re enjoying the festive time and that you have some treasured memories. And that your life will soon bring you more.