Hikes in the Alps in December

December takes us back to the Prealps and the valley floors: the days are the shortest of the year, the snow now covers the high ground and, depending on the year, the ridges above the lakes as well. The hikes on this page are the ones that, with the right weather, can be done even in midwinter, short or medium in length, starting close to villages and returning without forcing you to walk in the dark. As in January, the list includes spring routes that are dry in a dry December and better postponed in a snowy one: the criterion is the weather, not the date.

The protected path on Monte Barro above Lecco and the Cima di Morissolo above Lake Maggiore are our safest choices, both two hours of walking or less. In Valchiavenna, the loop of the Acquafraggia waterfalls with the villages of Savogno and Dasile and the balconies of Daloo and Lagunc above the Piana di Chiavenna make half days full of mule tracks and dry-stone walls, while the Valle Antrona loop remains an easy walk around two lakes. On Lake Como, Alpe Giumello and Monte Croce di Muggio are the choice for an afternoon, and the longer climbs, from Monte Cornizzolo to Monte San Primo, are best kept for days without snow.