What is Cross Country Skiing? Why is it Gutsy Girls winer sport of choice?
We’ve picked cross country, (or nordic) skiing as our winter sport of choice at Gutsy Girls, here’s a little bit of info why!
It is really easy to pick up, especially compared to alpine (downhill) skiing. It normally only takes a couple of days to really feel like you know how to ski! This means that after a couple of lessons, even a beginner can ski the same tracks that the experts use, and although they may be travelling at a different pace, this creates a great sense of achievement and a satisfying feeling of rapid progress. It does not require expert balance and is an activity that almost anyone can take up from scratch and enjoy.
We focus on great coaching, sparking a new passion and progressing your skills during your time with us. And there’s still plenty of thrills and laughs to be had from going downhill too!
Cross country skiing can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people and has many benefits. As well as being an exciting sport which provides great exercise and can be excellent for our health and fitness, it is also simply a really peaceful and wonderful way to explore and take in the winter landscape.
We don’t need to travel at high speed; there are no mechanical ski lifts, and we glide across the snow (mostly in prepared tracks), powered by our own bodies. Cross country skiing opens up new wilderness spaces - because there’s no reliance on ski lifts, we don’t need to ski in the same area as everyone else. This means we can get away from the resorts and crowds and really immerse ourselves in nature! And you know that tired, relaxed and happy feeling after a long active day in the fresh air? Where your body feels worked, your cheeks are rosy and you're ready for bed at nine o’clock after a mountain of food? That feeling is guaranteed after a day of cross country skiing!
The clothing and equipment needed for cross country skiing is not complicated or highly specialist, which is another reason for choosing this winter sport! If you have the right clothing for hiking, running or other outdoor activities in potentially cold (and wet) weather, you won’t need much extra! We’ve written a blog about the sort of kit we recommend here. The lightweight skis and boots that we use will be rented (and this is included in the cost) from our hotel.
Scandinavia is the home of skiing - which has evolved since prehistoric times, initially as a means of travelling in winter. We’ve chosen Venabydsfjellet, the snow covered mountain plateau on the edge of Rondane National Park, in the heart of Norway as our base for cross country skiing. With over 140 kilometres of marked and prepared trails, there’s a whole host of adventures to be had in this snowy paradise!
On the prepared trails, the snow has been pressed to create a smooth gliding surface with two parallel tracks, and we will learn the techniques we need to travel across the snow, and up and down gentle gradients. The terrain is gently rolling, for the most part, so there are very few steep or difficult sections. As we progress with our skiing, we can explore outside the pre-prepared tracks.This is fun and adds an element of adventure, whilst allowing us to explore more of the wild Norwegian nature at a gentle and appropriate pace, to suit the group. The hotel has amazing food, a sauna and a yoga studio - which we will be using for our relaxing group yoga sessions too!