How I made Snow Labyrinths at Lermoos (Austria)

Staying at Lermoos for some days I was animated by the deep snow everywhere to enter it and leave my tracks in form of labyrinths. Said more exactly: In the form of Ariadne’s thread. Since this kind of producing a labyrinth requires to walk immediately the way, not to mark first the walls. And it requires to do it correct, because one can not correct anything.
If one has started, one is always in search of the next nice spot.
Also the labyrinths became bigger and bigger. Big means that the distance between the lines is greater than a “side jump”. That is: Further than one can hop sidewards from a standing position. This means that one is forced to step the whole way back from the middle and that there no abbreviations are possible by changing the trace.

Threadpattern

I have chosen the type of  the classical 7-circuit labyrinth and started to the left. And I told to myself over and over the path sequence: 3-2-1-4-7-6-5-center. One starts with the 3rd track, while swinging out on the 2nd track one has to leave enough place for the later 4th track, and then can turn generously outwards to the 2nd and 1st track. The 4th joins inwards parallel to the the previous tracks, and then it becomes difficulty (for me at least): The changing to the 7th track. There must remain enough place for the later 6th and 5th tracks. From 7 to 6 it is easier, above all if there is place for the 5th track. And hopefully still the place for the twist from 6 to 5 on the left side. This was always critical for me because it was too close. On the other side I had much place between 6 and 4 for the 5th track.

Thus I created 7 labyrinths which are to be seen in this slideshow.

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As the attentive viewer can ascertain by comparing the red ideal line (above in the drawing) with the real lines in the snow that there are deviations. In general the labyrinths got broader than high. This results from the fact that it is more strenuous to step uphill. And the center was also much bigger. There I could mostly draw a small heart.

To whom that sounds too bewildering, should give it a try. Best with a pencil on a sheet of (white) paper. This replaces the snow.

Related Link
Or better follow the instructions of Grahame Gardner from Scotland:

• Walk away winter blues with a snow labyrinth