Penguin walk + spikes

Even though I have spent winter months in Helsinki before (November, December, January, February, March), I have never had my mobility so impaired. There is no train, or tram, or bus problem, however, and I have been driven by car several times, too. The challenge is that you have to move on foot occasionally between such means of transport. Like down the street a bit. But the cycle of light snow, light rain, steady temperatures around freezing, and people tromping about on the sidewalks have made  a simple stroll into an ordeal that could only please an American personal injury lawyer. 

I have now seen three adults simply fly off their feet...and what is amazing to me is that there is not more public slipping. In fact, it is impressive how people move over walks that can qualify as Olympic curling lanes, if Olympic curling lanes would be occasionally sprinkled with gravel, more ice added to top, then more gravel sprinkled, etc. How do they do it? Finns have told me there are two solutions (both of which I reported on earlier):

• Do the penguin walk
• Wear spikes (built into footwear or strapped on)

I thought I could waddle as well as any penguin, and often I have. I have learned to take shorter steps, pay attention to each footfall, maintain a steady pace with no sudden slowing or acceleration, grab a railing when going up or down stairs (I don't know how penguins can do that), avoid turning corners quickly, avoid turning corners at all, and never to get too cocky (Hey, look at me go, I am moving so wellllllll.....).

The penguin walk is not sufficient. And I am sure I have seen some of those Funny Animal Videos of penguins slipping and landing on their backsides. So it is time to get serious, and to accept the challenge. I have actually purchased my first set of spikes since my 8th-grade football team. But these spikes are not meant for running around on a soft, grassy field like those dull, rounded plastic football cleats; these are thin, metal spikes meant to dig into ice. Bonus: they make a satisfying crunch when you are walking on ice, even if they make a sort of embarrassing clink if you have to cross an occasional piece of uncovered pavement (rare in some areas, more common in others). The spikes do work…you can still slip a bit but at least you have a chance that the spikes will dig in before your feet leave the ground. A combination of the penguin walk with your new spikes gets you moving along just fine.