I broke my rib. Now I'm a mall walker.

Happy New Years Lovely Hikers!

2025 came in with a bang—and the crack of my rib. After dodging snowboarders and tackling a 3km icy hike in the French Alps, I thought I had it all under control. I even bought microspikes (after the hike) to stay safe for the next day’s hike.

But irony struck on a short, icy walk to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks—I slipped and fractured my rib. Now, I’m mall walking instead of catching those beautiful 8:30 AM sunrise hikes.

Stay safe and keep exploring! This week is all about WINTER TRACTION. I wish I would have taken my own advice.

BLUF: it’s when you don’t expect it that falls often strike (getting the mail, etc).

Also, as of the new year I’ll be returning to twice weekly emails: Tuesdays for training tips and Thursday for trip reports and hiking travel.

Today’s roundup:

• Winter traction - Why?

• What microspikes look like - video

• Osteoporosis - What it means?

• Winter socks review

• Quiz - What kind of winter traction should you use

Winter Traction for Your Shoes - STOP falling

If you're heading somewhere icy, grab a cheap pair of microspikes (sometimes called ice grippers) for just $20. They're great for "walking around" and work fine on pavement between icy spots.

For winter hikes, pair them with trekking poles—it's a no-brainer! We learned the hard way on a September Alps hike to the Olpererhutte bridge. No microspikes meant a late start at 9:30 AM due to icy trails.

❄️ Microspikes are lightweight and essential for any hike outside of summer.

Not sure what Microspikes are? Watch this

I didn’t know what they were a few years ago - they are NOT crampons. There are variations - but essentially some kind of stretchy material with baby spikes to go over your existing shoe.

👉 Watch the video here to see what they look like and how easy they are to use.

Osteoporosis : For Hikers

This isn’t just for the ladies of the group. And while hiking is awesome, it’s important to create weighted experiences to fend off weak bones.

I’m confident I don’t have OP, but a simple fall on ice from standing cracked my go%^#damn rib and now I’m living on a heating pad.

Fast forward 20 years, it could have been much, much worse.

Paired with nutrition and genetics, lifting heavy things is quite helpful to prevent osteoporosis.

Let’s be honest, most hikers aren’t super gym rats lifting weights.

📊 Osteoporosis Stats You Should Know

Data from 2017–2018 shows that osteoporosis is quite common. Among adults aged 50 and over, 12.6% had osteoporosis of the hip, spine, or both. The prevalence was 19.6% in females compared to 4.4% in males. 💪🦴

If you hate the gym - try using a weighted vest for hikes and body weight strength training.

Toasty Toes - Winter Sock Review

It’s finally cold cold cold here in Germany so it may be time to break out the heated socks. TBH, I definitely run warm and numb toes don’t really bother me.

But if you choose to stay inside vs going on a winter hike, battery powered heated socks maybe be a helpful tool.

Here’s my review of heated and winter socks to help your toes stay warm.

Which kind of traction should you use?

Don’t be like me and forget about using winter traction. If you aren’t sure what type of winter traction is appropriate, take my quiz and read the article to decide what’s best for you.

Training Tuesdays:

Get Ready for Downhill & Power Strengthening! 🏔️

Next week: Quick downhill strengthening drills with power and balance. No more falls!

Why: Traditional power exercises (snatches, box jumps, etc.) may not be worth it as we age. But I've found low-impact drills that boost power, balance, and strength for better downhill hikes.

What are your hiking goals for 2025? Share in our Facebook hiking group!

👉 Crave the Planet Group

x Morgan