December, being the end of the year and a month with fickle weather, is often lighter on hiking – the hikes are closer to home and shorter, and it’s pretty much just a treat at the end. But even that can end up being memorable. In both good and bad ways.

December 2025 proved to be tricky where I’d expect it the least – my own mind, as you’ll see right below.

6.12. – Hiking club’s wrap-up

The first December weekend is traditionally the wrap-up hike for the hiking club, typically shorter and ending someplace we can sit together for a bit. For that reason, it’s also often close enough to home and with a later departure as the days are shorter. And I managed to underestimate how late these departures can be in a hilarious way. Simply said, I was at the meeting point an hour earlier – the idea of departure at 8:35 didn’t even cross my mind, so I went for the usual end-of-year time of 7:35. Well, good thing I had my Kindle with me and could at least use the time to read a couple of chapters…

The snow that fell at the end of November meanwhile receded even in the hills, and was close to melting completely. This was quite a pity, as I was hoping for some nice snowy photos. So, instead of snowly landscapes, my first photo of the day was a railroad bridge built in 1870, though it went through a thorough renovation in 2010.

From there on, the trail led steadily uphill, mostly through the woods, though some clearings provided a view of the village in the valley or the nearby hills. As can be seen from the photos, the weather wasn’t the best, but I was glad to get some hiking done anyway.

Once I got higher, my view opened up to some other directions as well. I could see some of the mountains in the background better than the photo shows, though the dominant part was the mist-shrouded valley of the Kysuca river on the Slovakian side of the border – an area that’s known to be often shrouded in mist, even on summer mornings.

I enjoyed the view for a while, then continued on the way, stopping at a nearby chalet before making my way down the hill, where the trail is much steeper, so most of my attention was on the trail rather than the views.

This being the last hike for the hiking club didn’t mean an end for me – if the weather allowed, I wanted to use it. The next weekend wasn’t a good fit – the snow kept melting and a high chance of mud had me stay home, so my next chance was the Solstice weekend.

20.12. – missed sunrise

Being the longest night gave me a brilliant idea – the latest sunrises meant it should be easier to catch. Well, I was once again betrayed by my own brain. While I checked the train schedule the day before, when I woke up at 3:30, my tired brain switched to the time that was valid until 14th, and I missed the train by 10 minutes. The worst part was that I was ready to leave the apartment soon enough, but I didn’t want to spend too long standing at the station, and delayed leaving home for a bit longer – if I didn’t, I could’ve caught the train I intended to take. That way, I was waiting an hour at the station for the next one, for the second time in the same month.

Part of me wondered if I should go back home and try the other day, but I didn’t feel like getting up this early twice in one weekend, so I decided to just suck it up and do my best.

When I reached the hills, I set up at quite a brisk pace, but barely midway up the trail, it was clear that even my quite high pace wouldn’t be enough. Even in the weak pre-dawn light, I could already enjoy the scenery.

I made it to the peak in a new personal best – just 80 minutes for a trail that has 7,5km and 900m ascent – and while my legs managed fine, I felt the exertion in the muscles between my lower ribs. I believe that my previous best was around 100 minutes – in summer, without the burden of winter clothing.

I made a mental note that, at least, I knew for sure that in case I catch the correct train, it is possible to catch the sunrise in late December. Though I don’t know when I’ll have another chance when it comes to the weather, considering that a significant part of December was cloudy. I took a couple of photos in other directions as well, then took a short break in the chalet to catch my breath.

What I saw had its own charm, too, I guess – seeing the mist rolling in from several directions, flowing into the other valleys as if they were falling over a dam, had quite an eerie vibe to it. I descended at a lighter pace and took a small detour on my way down, though I was eager to get home early. Not just before more people would swarm the trails, but because the harsh pace uphill had me quite drenched, and while I changed my T-shirt and dried the hoodie a bit at the chalet, I knew that I’d be free of the uncomfortable feeling only after a thorough shower.

The forecast for Christmas and the following weekend was a bit unsure at first, but it eventually allowed me one last hike.

27.12. – the true farewell to 2025

For the final hike, I decided to do quite a simple loop – though it turned out to be close to an 8-shaped hike. This time, I didn’t set out this early, as the forecast for the night was more cloudy and thus seeing the sunrise was very unlikely.

The damp weather covered the trees and created at least some wintry atmosphere, even though snow was still lacking in most places.

That said, I still set out sooner than most people would on such a day, so for over an hour, I had the trails for myself, enjoying some calm solitude.

With the early morning light shining at a low angle into the foggy morning, I could enjoy some interesting colors in the woods. But I could also see how easily direct sunlight melts the ice on trees – the exposed tops had the ice melt quite early.

A major part of the trail led through the woods, which suited me fine, but didn’t work that well for photos. The clearing, which gives a good view of the mountain, I rushed a week earlier, is also starting to become overgrown with young trees, and I had to stand unsteadily on a larger tree stump to get a clearer view.

Soon after, I descended low enough to enter the fog that plagues the valleys, and so there wasn’t much to see during my descent. But it was still nice to get moving after three days of snacking on Christmas sweets, so I didn’t really mind much.

And, with 2026 being less than a week away, I was looking forward to starting again…