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Category: Representation Matters

Winter Hiking: possible, safe and fun

por Luisana Mendez

Repost from Huellas Latinas. See the full blog here

Winter came quickly, but that doesn’t mean we should stay indoors. Hiking is an activity for all seasons of the year. Do not be overwhelmed by low temperatures or lack of sunlight, and remember that we are not alone in this.

I am not the most experienced person when it comes to winter, but here are some recommendations that have worked for me. From now on, I want to invite you to be prepared to continue enjoying the different parks and outdoor activities during the winter safely.

General Recommendations to do Winter Hiking Safely

Hiking in the winter can also be a lot of fun. In addition, you can combine it with other activities such as snowshoes and even Cross Country Skiing. Thinking about the temperatures of Minnesota and its geography, you can take into account the following safety recommendations:

  • Research the conditions of the park you want to visit.
  • Check the weather forecast before heading out.
  • Always share with someone close the location of the place where you are going.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather conditions.
  • Plan your time, walking in the snow may take longer.
  • If you are hiking in the dark, try to use reflective colors or lights and / or a flashlight.
  • Carry the *10 ESSENTIALS.

Now let’s delve a little more about how to dress in layers and the best clothes to stay warm and dry while we go on winter hikes, among other no less important recommendations.

The right clothes and layers for Winter Hikes

Hiking during the winter requires you to be warm. Therefore, it is necessary that you wear the right layers of clothing you. Keep in mind that each body is different. I mention this because the natural production of heat during movement or resistance to cold is going to be different for everyone. I, for example, “am always cold.”

Returning to the topic, when we begin to walk, our body produces heat, and we may want to shed some layers of clothing. However, if we experience cold wind gusts, temperature drops, or an unexpected snowfall, we may want to bundle up again. Not all clothing works well in all thermal conditions. So I want to invite you to learn a little about layers and fabrics that can help us keep dry if we plan to go Hiking during the winter. Trust me; this will make a huge difference.

Layers: Wear a base, middle, and outer layer.

  • Base layer: The main function of the base layer is to prevent perspiration from remaining on the skin. This layer wicks away moisture to keep you warm and dry. Avoid using cotton because cotton retains moisture and you will end up wet, uncomfortable and cold. Instead of cotton, opt for synthetic fabrics or natural fibers.
  • Middle Layer: The middle layer is your insulation, primarily responsible for keeping you warm. When shopping for this cape, it is important that you look for fleece, down, or synthetics. These fabrics will help retain your body heat, preventing the cold from reaching you.
  • Outer layer: The outer layer, also known as the carapace, brings everything together, protecting you from the elements like wind, rain, and snow. Choose waterproof pants and jackets that are breathable and wind resistant. You can also consider wearing a puffy jacket to add an extra layer when you take breaks.

Keep your ears, hands, and feet warm: Ears, hands, and feet are most susceptible to frostbite. Keep your hands warm and dry by wearing gloves or mitts. Wear lined fleece socks and pack an extra pair in case yours get wet. Protect your ears by wearing hats, earmuffs, or headbands. Also, don’t forget to keep your neck warm. – Experts assure that mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves since the fingers can heat each other.

Additional equipment for your adventures in the snow and cold temperatures

For any hike at any time of the year, always carry the ten essentials with you. In addition to those essentials, I recommend reviewing your list and considering the following items you might need during winter hikes.

Backpack: Winter hikes require more equipment, and you will probably need space to store layers, we recommend using a backpack of 30L or more.

Navigation: Before leaving, I recommend downloading the trail map. You can use apps like AllTrails Pro and Avenza Maps. Keep in mind that phones and technology devices download faster in winter. It is important that you keep them in your chest pockets and that you consider carrying external chargers.

Footwear: Wear waterproof hiking boots for winter and consider wearing crampons. This will help keep you balanced and steady in the snow, as well as provide security and avoid falling on frozen roads.

Eyewear: Even in winter, sunny days are still strong. In fact, snow is the most reflective natural surface on the planet. Therefore, when the sun reflects off the snow, you risk snow blindness. Protect your eyes by wearing “glacier glasses” or polarized sunglasses.

Skin Protector: Cold and wind can be brutal to the skin. Avoid wind burns by moisturizing your skin and lips.

Trekking poles: Travel the trail with more ease and stability with trekking poles. Look for trekking poles that have snow baskets.

Hand and foot warmers: Always carry a pair of hand and foot warmers with you, these can be a great help for colder days and unexpected situations.

Hydration and Nutrition when doing Winter Hiking

For any hike, it is important that you include enough food and water. Even during winter:

Drink water before you are thirsty: Walking in the winter takes more effort and we may not realize that we are dehydrated when we are cold. So do not forget to drink water and stay hydrated as much, as in any other hike. Remember, hot drinks also help you hydrate.

Eat frequently: Depending on how long you will be walking, you may consider bringing a snack. Choose snacks that are full of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to help keep you energized.

Prevent Freezing: Use insulated drinking containers such as Nalgene, Hydro Flask, Stanley Thermos. Prevent the water from freezing by bringing it close to your body. Store your water bottle upside down, as ice forms on top first. Before the hike, cut bite-size chunks of snacks so your energy bars don’t turn into frozen bricks.

Avoid Frostbite

Whether you do an outdoor activity or not, I want you to keep this term in mind. Frostbite refers to the freezing point that occurs when skin tissues freeze, and most often affects the nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes. That is why it is important that, during the winter, you are always warmly dressed

Luisana is originally from Venezuela and is a Civil Engineer and Urban Planner by profession.  Luisana is passionate about serving and experiencing the city through the senses. Currently, Luisana leads Huellas Latinas, through which Luisana develops community projects in various areas. Luisana is deeply committed to the empowerment of women and emerging leaders, as well as the human and sustainable development of communities.

Existing at the intersections of Mountaineering and Alpinism

por Monserrat Alvarez Matehuala

The opportunity to participate in this professional development is not one I take lightly. As a local leader, I believe that it is my responsibility to continue to invest and make time for my personal development and expanding of knowledge at my own pace. When I started out working as an outdoor educator, I had very little technical knowledge in traditional “recreation” and for a long time, it made me feel like I did not belong. Throughout the years, my employers and mentors invested in my learning and helped become a better outdoor educator, climber, and eventually an aspiring mountaineer. As a woman of color, I put a lot of unnecessary pressure to overperform, know the most, and be “perfect” in my role in leading others outside. I have since then learned that I don’t need to be perfect, or know the most, but that my personal learning needs to be about me. Yet outside of me, it has everything to do with my community. When I am learning and growing in my role as a leader, my community learns and grows with me.


I find myself now in a place where I am looking to feed my curious mind and need for growth at my own pace, as well as growing with the needs of my community. Over the last two years of living in Colorado, it is clear to me that there are few spaces for communities of color to exist at the intersections of mountaineering and alpinism. There is one woman of color mountaineer in my community, that is it. While Ari is an inspiration and it fills my heart to see her lead ice, summit mountains, and teach mountaineering courses, it is also hard to grapple with the fact that for a long time she is literally the only one. This fuels my fire and personal motivation to gain more knowledge to offer mentorship and exposure to more technical terrain for the next generation of people.


Thank you Latino Outdoors for supporting me on this course. The two days I spent building winter anchors and practicing crevasse rescues would not be possible without the support of our regional leaders and national staff. I feel more equipped and ready to not only put my skills to practice but more importantly share what I have learned with my community. Whether it is offering mentorship or advice to someone seeking to enter the sport, or facilitating a skills share with my community, I look forward to passing it on.

Monserrat Alvarez Matehuala is a Guachichil & Mexica mujer was born to Mexican immigrants in Ventura, CA but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina where she fell in love with the outdoors. Monserrat is an outdoor educator, instructor, community organizer, climber, and danzante. As a bilingual instructor, she uses her language skills to teach Spanish-speaking communities as a certified Single Pitch Instructor, Apprentice Alpine Guide, JEDI consultant, and Master LNT educator. By day she works at the American Mountain Guides Association, by literally any other minute she can spare she is either supporting the outdoors community or tending to her flock. Along with being an LO volunteer, she is part of the national leadership team for Brown Girls Climb, a women of color owned and operated organization that uplifts and celebrates women of color in climbing. She also instructs part-time and loves to work with communities of color.

Time to raise Latinx voices for Nature

From the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow.

por Miguel Booth

Growing up I don’t recall seeing Latinx environmental champions on the TV, do you?

I remember being inspired by Sir David Attenborough or Jacques Cousteau. I marveled at the beauty of nature and the outdoors in far-flung places brought to me by the BBC, National Geographic, or the Discovery Channel but never by Univision, Televisa, or other Latino media giants featuring local talent.

It’s not that Latin American or Latinx environment champions weren’t there, of course they were. From Ushuaia to Alaska, and all around the world, we find inspiring examples of people caring deeply about nature, making it their purpose to protect it and going as far as risking their lives for it. Chico Mendes, Berta Cáceres, Joan Baez, Cesar Chavez, and countless others laid the foundations in the fight for human and environmental rights for all. But it seemed it was always in the context of intense struggle and sacrifice, correcting the wrongs that had fallen upon their communities not hosting a feature documentary or given a prominent platform on TV to inspire audiences to love and protect the outdoors.

And now, in our ever digital and synthetic reality, there is a sense that many people are distancing away from nature. This trend may have deeply disturbing consequences. How are we to love and care for nature and the outdoors if we have no emotional connection to it? Perhaps one of the most important ways is by keeping the connection alive through stories, images, and films that bring nature into the cities.

As a kid growing up in Mexico, my escape into nature ignited a curiosity that eventually steered my career choice. It was an unconventional journey for sure. As my friends turned to careers in finance, business, engineering and law – I chose wildlife and environmental filmmaking. I got a lot of puzzled looks, was that even a career? Latin America had zero schooling options for it, so I headed to New Zealand.

I was one of the lucky few. The first Latin American to graduate with a Natural History Filmmaking and Communication Degree and soon joined the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Massachusetts where I spent 10 fulfilling years traveling the world highlighting animal rescue and conservation efforts. Later, I moved with my family to Nairobi, Kenya, and took up the position of Head of Multimedia for the UN’s Environment Programme

Picking up a camera was always just an excuse for me to go outdoors, to travel, and explore. And surely if others could see what I film out there, they would care and they would also worry about how fast it’s changing, right?

I’m now writing this from the sidelines of COP26 in Glasgow. This is the United Nations’ climate summit, a space where governments, private sector, civil society, activists, and observers come together to come up with a way of limiting warming to the 1.5°C target set out a few years back in Paris. I won’t sugar coat it, we’re a long way from achieving the target. In fact, a +2°C is practically guaranteed and even a 3°C increase is in the cards. Governments are moving slowly and cowardly, businesses are operating ‘as usual’ prioritizing profit and growth over everything else and sadly even many NGOs are happy to play along with greenwashing if it allows them to continue operating.

Now more than ever, we need the Latinx community to take extreme ownership for the environment. Why? Because it’s in our DNA. We are the sons and daughters of Chico, Berta, Joan, and Cesar. The outdoor spaces that we love, those that we depend on for our very survival are on the brink of collapse.

So, my call to you is grab your camera or mobile phone next time you’re outdoors. Take photos and video and share that around. Become the next Attenborough or Cousteau. Tell everyone how you enjoy it out there and why it’s important to act now. Inspire us with nature’s beauty but also report on the ugly. The air and water pollution, the clearcutting of forests, the dwindling presence of insects, birds, whatever you see.

Follow and help amplify the message of other Latinx champions that are fighting to protect the planet. Young activists like Alexandria Villaseñor, Xiye Bastida, Jamie Margolin, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and also urge Latin American institutional leaders like Patricia Espinosa and Christiana Figueres to level-up on their side. There is no time to waste.

On my side, I’ve recently launched Dreamcatcher, a purpose-driven group of filmmakers and nature expedition experts to inspire a deep love for our natural world. We’d love for you to check out what we’re up to and join us in one of our upcoming adventures. We are inspired by the Latino Outdoors community, and we’re excited to grow together.

Hasta pronto.

A seasoned filmmaker and adventurer, Miguel Booth has produced films in over 60 countries in the past decade. His award-winning films have been showcased by National Geographic, GoPro, Discovery, CNN among others. Miguel served as the UN’s Head of Multimedia for the Environment from 2016 to 2019. In 2020, he founded Dreamcatcher with his wife Gabriela – their films and expeditions look to inspire a global community to love, protect, and live in harmony with nature.