Winter Games List
Geraldine Ferraiz
As of 2024, a large majority of the Games (41 out of 54) have been hosted in Western Europe, the United States, Canada, or Australia. Eight Games have been hosted in East Asia, three have been hosted in Eastern Europe, and two have been hosted in Latin America. Rio de Janeiro became South America's first Olympic host city with the 2016 Summer Olympics. Africa has yet to host an Olympic Games. Other major geographic regions that have never hosted the Olympics include the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Central America, and the Caribbean. Between the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and the last ones to be held in the same year as the Summer Olympics in 1992, the Summer and Winter games took place in the same country three times.
Host cities are selected by the IOC membership, usually seven years in advance.[5] The selection process lasts approximately two years. In the first stage, any city in the world may submit an application to become a host city. After 10 months, the Executive Board of the IOC decides which applicant cities will become official candidates as based on the recommendation of a working group that reviews the applications. In a second stage, the candidate cities are investigated thoroughly by an Evaluation Commission, which then submits a final short list of cities to be considered for selection. The host city is then chosen by vote of the IOC session, a general meeting of IOC members.[6]
Winter has got to be the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp. I trekked in February and, as winter is the dry season, it generally boasts the clearest skies in the Himalayas. We were able to get amazing views of Everest and the incredible surrounding landscape as we hiked.
This variation in weather and temperature meant that packing was all about layers. I also planned to carry all my kit myself (with the exception of my rented sleeping bag and on occasion my bigger coat) so it was important to stick to the essentials. I managed to perfectly fit everything on this packing list into a 40-litre rucksack. This also made sure I kept the weight to around a manageable 10kg as well.
I took sport leggings and fleece-lined tracksuit bottoms. I live in leggings all the time anyway so this was an easy one. They are easy to move in and dry quickly. In fact, it worked so well that I never wore the tracksuits to trek in, instead saving them to throw on when we reached our teahouse for the night.
I invested in merino wool Icebreakers, and it was such a good decision. Merino wool regulates temperature and wicks moisture so is perfect for wearing in winter trekking conditions. I wore them under my sports leggings every single day without fail and never too hot nor too cold.
I went for a thin merino wool jumper and a thin down jacket. Initially I did question whether I was going a bit far with balancing out weight over practicality. However, this turned out to be an ideal combination. The down jacket packs down into a tiny bag and is really light. Moreover, merino wool is an absolute dream when it comes to warmth, and it has anti-microbial, wicking properties as well. This makes it amazing for a freezing, two-week trek with minimal changes of clothes. Long live natural fibres!
Thin gloves are important to have under the thicker gloves or mittens. Specific thermal glove liners are great, but thin, woollen gloves work just as well. In fact, I rarely wore my thick gloves, sticking mainly to my thin liners.
Because fewer supplies get carried along the trek during winter, luxuries like chocolate or fizzy drinks are expensive and hard to come by. Even in Kathmandu, trekking snacks were catered to tourists and thus expensive. Anticipating days when I would need a pick me up, I brought a massive amount of snacks with me from home. While some were the more sensible fruit and nut bars, I mainly packed chocolate. Highly recommend.
Mine was metal. What seemed like a smart, ethical decision ended up frozen for most of the trek, though it made an excellent hot water bottle in the evenings. This is one of the only occasions I would recommend a plastic bottle if you want to save yourself some hassle. My friends had Nalgenes and loved them.
Trekking in winter, it was often hard to stop hiking even for a moment because I knew that the cold would hit me as soon as I stopped moving. Having a platypus hydration bladder was perfect because it meant I could sip away without stopping. I relied on this much more than I thought I would after my water bottle froze!
Hiring walking poles in Thamel was the biggest revelation of my trek. I could rave about them for hours! In fact, I did in my post about 10 underrated essentials for the EBC trek. The poles were really cheap and so worth it, especially to stay steady on the icy, winter terrain.
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To view online, -list/2024-winter-term/
The following gear list is intended as a resource for winter day hike preparation. Not every person will need to bring every item. When you head into the backcountry, you are responsible for assessing the terrain, current conditions, and what items you should have in your pack to survive if you encounter a mishap or sustain an injury. If you are staying at the AMC Highland Center in New Hampshire, our staff can help equip you for a day hike using gear from our L.L.Bean Gear Room.
One of the best ways to stay safe on a backcountry winter outing is to keep your feet warm and dry. Strong, dry feet are vital not only to keep moving on a backcountry hike or ski, but to rescue yourself should an emergency arise.
Microspikes: Chains and small spikes that are worn over your hiking boots for additional traction on relatively flat to moderately steep terrain. Make sure that your spikes fit over your hiking boots before hitting the trail.
Base layer: Leggings or long underwear made from wool or synthetic material. Depending on the temperature and weather conditions, you can choose to either begin the hike by wearing or packing this layer.
Crampons: Traction devices used to travel on snow and ice in steeper terrain. The number of points, or spikes, on the bottom of crampons generally increase when needed for more technical terrain. For example, most snow walking and general mountaineering crampons will have 8 to ten points, whereas crampons used for ice climbing will have 14 points or more. Make sure to fit your crampons to your boots before going on a hike.
Avalanche beacon: An electric device worn on the body that both emits and receives radio signals. If someone is buried in an avalanche and their beacon is turned to the receive setting, other members of their party can use their own beacons to locate the victim under the snow. Taking an avalanche safety course is highly recommended if you plan to recreate in areas with avalanche risks.
Extensive first aid kit: A medical kit that treats minor injuries, such as blisters or cuts, as well as more serious ones, like a broken bone. We highly recommend taking a Wilderness First Aid Course so that you are properly prepared to deal with injuries in the backcountry.
Tinted Goggles: Ski goggles or glacier glasses that will help protect your eyes from sunlight reflecting off ice and snow. Overexposure to UV rays in winter can cause a painful conditions called snow blindness.
Ice axe: A 65 to 75 cm long mountaineering axe with a strap. Shorter technical ice climbing axes usually do not work as well if you are trying to self arrest, which is stopping yourself from sliding down an icy/snowy incline. Taking a mountaineering or outdoor skills course to learn the proper technique for self arresting is highly recommended.
When hiking in cold weather, your body requires much more fuel to keep moving and stay warm. For a typical winter day hike, the energy expended will be 2,000 to 3,000 more calories over what you normally eat. Hiking in these conditions is not the time to diet. Make sure you are eating and drinking water frequently in order to avoid dehydration and depleted energy levels.
Water: At least 2 liters. You can prevent the liquid from freezing by insulating your waters bottles with a bottle holder or an old wool sock. We do not recommend hiking with water bladders because they often freeze.
Food: High-calorie energy food that will not freeze. Some examples include, dried fruit, candy, bagels, bread, preserved meats or cheese, fruitcake, small sandwiches, nuts, and cookies. Remember that you will need more food and snacks than you would for a hike during the summer.
Backpack: Medium to large size with an adjustable waist belt. You typically carry more gear in the winter that is bulkier and heavier. Make sure your pack can accommodate everything that you need.
Whistle: Helps others locate you in an emergency. A whistle is a more effective way to call for help in the backcountry than your voice. Blow three loud, short blasts to make a distress call.
Headlamp: Light source for hiking on the trail, reading your map, or setting up camp. Make sure to check the batteries before you use a headlamp on a hike and pack a spare set of batteries.
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