January is rarely a time when I go hiking often – weather makes it challenging. This year, however, the challenge is in the lack of winter weather.
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December hiking: what season is it?!?
December had me go on two hikes so far – and as I doubt I’ll go on another one before the year’s end, it’s the time for the monthly wrap-up.
The first hike took place on 7th. After the warm November, the weather cooled down a bit – enough that it was freezing even in the lowalds during the night and early morning. And it started to snow overnight, at least in the hills, so it looked like winter might be coming early.

We were dropped off in a small village near the CZ-SK-PL border tripoint – and the frosty roads covered by a thin layer of fresh snow were a nasty trap. I fell 200 meters since start, earning myself a lightly scratched knee. I was not the only one. After adjusting my walk style for the weather meant it remained at only one fall, at least.
Anyway, this was a return after 18,5 years. What was once a poor path between fields had since became an asphalt road – great for cyclists in summer but, in this weather, a treacherous slip-and-slide. And there’s a massive bridge on the Slovakian side which might be eyesore on usual days but it just kinda fit the ever-present gray for this time.

When we got farther from the village and were freed from the smooth surface of a frozen-over road, we were bothered by a cold wind until we finally reached the woods.

But, at the very end, we got a bit of sunlight at least.
The other hike was on 19th – and there was no sign of winter anymore.
13°C. In December.
What. The. Hell?
Yes, it was around 2°C during the morning but the moment the sun rose, it went up a lot. Even the first hill had me drop my hat, my gloves, and my jacket – and I still felt hot.

In the morning, it was quite cold once I returned to the dark side of a hill – because it took a while to disperse the lingering cold. And there were remains of mist around.

The hike itself was almost a loop around the hills surrounding the town – not that interesting by itself, it was something I improvised on the spot the evening before as I found out there was a direct train added a week ago and I wanted something close (because of the short days) – and this was a place I knew but took it from a different side and used different trails for most of the time.

I took it mostly as a symbolic epilogue, more because I felt my body needed a good outdoor stretching than wanting to go somewhere, less so when I walked 300km more in 2019 than in 2018. And the unusually hot weather matched the whole year.

As I am writing this, I am thinking about what (if any) goals should I give myself for hiking in 2020, more so when it seems seasons don’t seem to apply anymore – but I presume I’ll make a post about my 2020 goals in a week or two.
For now, I’m closing this post as the temperature is still too high for late December (5-10°C) and the rain is drumming on my window, which is definitely not the typical holiday spirit.
So, see you next time – and I hope the weather is better match for the season where you are.
2019 hiking highlights
With 2019 coming to its end, it’s time to start looking back. Today, I’ll share my ‘best of’ from hiking.
Continue readingHow to be an eco-friendly hiker
I consider myself a friend of nature. With it comes an effort to leave as low impact on the nvironment during my travels as possible. Today, I’ll share some ways to be an eco-friendly hiker.
Continue readingNovember hiking: mission accomplished
November saw me go for two hikes, both returns to places I’ve visited before. It also led me to reach one of my hiking goals – but more on that later.
Continue readingOctober hiking pt.2: Low chance of rain
As I’ve said at the end of my previous hiking post, I had an extended weekend stay planned for the end of October. The promise of colorful woods and rolling fog was the main treat but the end of October is when the weather starts leaning towards the rainy day of November so being prepared for rain was crucial.
Continue readingOctober hiking pt.1: Extended summer
After the second half of September, which had me go on a few hikes full of mushroom-based photos, the first part of October was back to the usual: enjoying the autumn’s colors even though the mid-day temperature was closer to summer than autumn.
Continue readingSeptember hiking pt.2: Autumn’s bloom
The second half of September had me go for three hikes, during which I had a nice taste of the early autumn while the weather was still relatively warm.
Continue readingSeptember hiking pt.1: Don’t try this at home
After the active August, my first hike in September came after two weeks of break on 14th. But I made it count.
Continue readingAugust hiking pt.3: Place I love
The Slovakian ‘Malá Fatra’ mountain range is a place where I’ve walked most of the main trails and a good deal of the side trails – and I still love to return there.
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