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I’ve never been into Christmas, probably since an early teenager. The best memories/ use of this time of year is to escape- in the past I have done the festive 500, trained for the Puffer, run the coastline of the Isle of Wight over 2 days etc to get away from it all.
This year I have a 1 year old, a MiL and a heavily pregnant (due on the 29th) sister-in-law, coupled with little endurance fitness.
Inspire me with your tales of adventure over Christmas and New Year, local, cool places, even sunny climes (looking at you all the cyclists in Gran Canaria!). What have you done/ are you doing this year?
I've a very mixed experience of the Christmas period.
Main downside is living with an alcoholic depressive MiL who just expects Christmas to be a certain way, and far more excessive than we would want. We've managed to tone things down a bit over the years, but there's parts of the whole experience that has me gritting my teeth and wishing for escape!
I'll manage 45 mins bike ride/run whilst my elderly parents are at church Xmas morning. But planning on a bigger ride Boxing Day, and then some steep/techy stuff with my adult sons the following day, so that's the escape I'm looking forward to!
f0r the last 30 years I have pretty much avoided celebrating chistmas. I worked most christmas days. Adventures on the day when I wasn't working have varied from a local walk to some XC skiing to taking my fatbike up into the cairngorms
But really its just another day to me. I feel no great need to do anything special
If you have a one year old I recommend investing in a running type buggy or kiddy backpack. Bairn needs an afternoon nap everyday so in the buggy and off for adventures. The only issue is if your route has stiles then two people are often needed to lift it over. Bridleways no problem.
If the kid isn't asleep then they get to sare the adventure, taking time to stop, look and explore.
Like this buggy but get a second hand one as you will get it muddy, scratched etc and they last nearly forever. Ours cost £80 and sold it about 5 years and 2 kids later for £50.
I seem to have found a new christmas tradition. the bad back. Last year was really bad - I could hardly move. Last night I put my back out again. FFS. I might not even get my bike ride!
@slowol don’t worry, our backpack and running buggy already have a lot of miles on them!
Glad there are others out there who like to escape, just need to work on planning next year better to facilitate more outside time and less oppressive family!
I must admit I'm not a massive fan of the Christmas excesses. Unfortunately my wife loves it and so I go along with a pretty much wasted week of nonsense to keep the marital ship sailing true north. If it was up to me I'd be in a tiny cottage in the middle of some hills with a few beers, my guitar and a couple of books but hey ho.
So I tend to abscond whenever I get a few hours or even minutes. Today I managed a very muddy walk along a riverbank which was excellent with loads of wildlife to spot. Even this morning I walked to the shops for last minute stuff instead of driving and saw plenty of squirrel action plus a kestrel. I was going on a ride but ran out of time as is so often the case.
After boxing day we are driving the MiL back home to North Holland and staying for a few days and so I will be out every day on the awesome Dutch cycle paths at least.
Tomorrow I will definitely drag everyone out for a walk!
Pre kids, I used to love getting out on Christmas day.
My wife would work on the day (nursing) to allow the mums in the ward the chance of staying home with the kids.
Suilven one year was particularly memorable, lovely quiet drive up there too .
Travelling to the mo in law for Christmas in Manchester.
Perfect excuse for a detour into the Peak 🙂
Not Christmas day but a few years back on new years eve we stuffed our bags with a bivi, Christmas cake and whisky, then set off in the fog to a local dun in the woods. Tarp up under a tree, then snugged up and feasted. Woke up to a new year with a spring in our steps
Seeing as we are tied to school holidays we go skiing. In Åre at the moment.
Much like mrhoppy - always go away.
10 days in Orkney this year
I married someone who has zero interest in Xmas. In 19 years of marriage I've never had a traditional Xmas lunch with her.
Christmas morning now and I'm at a camp site with her and the kids 8 hours drive from home with no gifts, no idea what we're eating today (there's a loaf and some peanut butter somewhere in the car just in case), will there be anything available en route to home?
Most of the other campers seem to be speaking languages other than English and there's no sign of xmas decorations.
These days we often do long drives while the traffic is quiet, but in previous years we have done things like sleeping in the car before starting multi day hikes on Xmas day.
Other half and I weren't feeling fussed about Christmas this year so we've just driven our motorhome for the last 3 days and arrived this evening on the Med coast a few miles from the centre of Valencia. Just had a roasted French chicken with brussel sprouts and will walk into the city tomorrow for a look around and some food. Then we'll be heading into the hills for some riding. I would happily make this a Christmas tradition.
My Xmas lunch was excellent 
Best Christmas ever, Thailand. It was a lifetime ago, pre-children, but there's now only us at home, so...
Having worked many Christmases for 30 years, it's just a few days with the added inconvenience of nothing being open
Absolutely recommended. Currently en route to southern India for 3 weeks of motorbike riding, hiking, wildlife spotting, surfing, nice food, and a bit of climbing if the hire Enfields get us to Hampi
Did a similar thing in Vietnam last year and we're totally sold on the Xmas big trip now
First Christmas on my own this year.
Opened presents with my daughter then her mum picked her up. Walked dog, used the gym, fished on the sea kayak (caught a ray!), cycled into the city and back then just made meat balls to eat while watching a film (probably grand Budapest hotel). I'll walk dog again later this evening when it's cool.
Definitely filling my time but been a great day.
It sounds like I'm amongst like minded people . In 2011 after our son pressed the self destruct button via alcohol once too often we thought how far can we go before coming back . 3 weeks in New Zealand was just amazing!
Thankfully he turned things around and we can now have Xmas the way we want .
I need to see my kids on Boxing Day but as a prelude to Xmas we had 3 weeks in Cuba. No advertising, no Christmas music, sun, all great stuff.
Holed up on Tierra del Fuego (cl) Weather surprisingly good. Just wish I booked earlier and was in the remoter bits where the good stuff is. Lots of driving, gravel but roads are getting paved.
In the very dim and distant past, cragging in the Costa Blanca has served me well as a way to avoid Christmas at home; Calpe and environs. Getting married put paid to that game.mum and my brother went out on Stapeley Hill near Corndon this morning. Fair play, she's nearly 91, and he's rocking a stoma bag and a chemo hangover.
I usually avoid Pen-Y-Fan like the plague all year around but wanted a decent mapless 4hr'ish walk so did the horseshoe today, was blowing a gale with crap visibility on the ridge but the peaks were out of the clouds / semi inversion, was quite busy as expected but a really nice treat of a day out on my own.
Hiding away in a little cottage in a small village on the edge of the North York Moors. Bliss.