Let it snow!

Winter is coming – and there’s no better time to indulge in the cold season’s latest obsession: snow walking

ILLUSTRATIONS: CLAIRE GILL

The sky is deepest blue, the air almost minty fresh as I crunch across drifts of powdered snow, following a meandering path through the forest. Surrounded by bushy fir trees, their branches thick with scented needles topped with inches of snow, I wait to be showered in the white stuff. Forget skiing, my friends, snow walking is the ultimate baptism of joy.

Happy wanderer Being in the mountains is my happy place, particularly in winter. But as I get older – and less flexible – skiing for days on end is losing its appeal and I’ve turned to snow walking to get my mountain fix.

For some, winter is a time to retreat indoors and hunker down by the fire, with a good book and a warming brew until spring eventually blooms. But there are endless rewards to be gained by embracing the cold and getting outside to explore the local wilds.

Even more so than hiking in warmer months, snow walking needs a mindful approach. The terrain is softer and the footing less certain, which means slowing your pace and heightening your awareness of the environment. Treading gently and taking your time gives more chance of spotting some of the extraordinary winter wildlife – frost-tipped foxes, mountain hares and, at dusk, murmurations of starlings dancing overhead.