XC skiing

[Gambatte]

Anyone else here excited about XC skiing?
It's the bestest sport I know.

I just entered the Ludwig Koening Langlauf, 50km skating, on Sat 5th Feb in Oberammergau in southern Germany. I live in Northern Germany, will travel by train the day before, will return the night after the race.
My first ever skiing race at almost 50 of age, with 8 days of "training" in the last 2yr before the race, I will probably not beat every Norwegian but hey it's still going to be exciting.
Wish me luck

[Travs]

I have never done any skiiing of any kind... however i love watching the XC Skiing on Eurosport. The Biathlon Relay was quite good this lunchtime.

Good luck to you Gambatte

[Mossdog]

For combining max 'fitness-making', with being in the great, wide outdoors, it really is the very best of sports. Up until a few years ago, I spent many a Christmas in Norway XC skiing.

I'm very envious of you and wish you the best Gambatte. Enjoy.

[molehill]

I image it is a good sport, though (idea of) the biathlon does appeal as it has the added dimension of having to go from 100mph (or BPMs) to zero and head in the zone.
Good luck and enjoy 👍.

[Mike T]

I can remember reading a research article about the long term health benefits in participants in a long - and longstanding - XC skiing event - I think it was the Vasaloppet - 90 km. They had followed up the participants for years, and they had far better health than average, and it had nothing to do with how well they did in the race - it seemed to be simply an association with participating that gave the benefit.

So enjoy it on more than one level Gambatte!

[Gambatte]

Thanks all for cheering up.

I spent many a Christmas in Norway XC skiing.

I've always wanted to go there but never been yet.
Where did you go? Lillehammer, I guess..
And how did you find everything, the place, the skiing, the food, the costs...?

[Mike T]

I've always wanted to go there but never been yet.
Where did you go? Lillehammer, I guess..
And how did you find everything, the place, the skiing, the food, the costs...?

My partner, daughter and I spent 2 weeks downhill skiing in Lillehammer about 20 years ago - or at least that had been the plan. The skiing was so limited we left the resort early and spent a couple of days in Oslo, which was fantastic. Lillehammer had very limited nightlife - or we could not find it - and alcohol was so expensive we drank none - and I have not had an alcoholic drink since. The people were lovely, and the transport systems ran like clockwork, though the pushing and shoving in the ski hire centre was the worst I have ever seen, and the food on the hills was sub McDonalds level.

This was of course 20 years ago, and downhill rather than XC skiing.

This was just before my second London Marathon - the running in the evening after skiing was good, and I ended up doing what is still my marathon PB.

[Mossdog]

Thanks all for cheering up.


I've always wanted to go there but never been yet.
Where did you go? Lillehammer, I guess..
And how did you find everything, the place, the skiing, the food, the costs...?

Always north of lillehamer, with most trips in the Rondane National Park. See for example https://www.visitnorway.com/listings...y-skiing/7160/

We first went with a GB company called Waymark, who were later taken over by Exodus. Once we got to know the ropes we organised our own trips, as a group. Waymark were great and you could stay in some very basic hostel type accommodation deep in the countryside, if you were so inclined (we were ). You can XC around Lillehamer but the taint of the more commercial downhill skiing 'experience' rather pervades. Having said that, in Norway (and so I've heard for Sweden and Finland too) it's easier to avoid the trashy experience that can dominate in some Ski resorts in other parts of Europe. Each to their own. I've always found that downhill skiing vs XC skiing is like the distinction between the cultures of roadrunning vs fellrunning

[Wheeze]

I was taught to XC ski by the Army back in 1988. My abiding memory is that is bloody exhausting! But, as a gnarly fell runner, I soaked up the pain and enjoyed the workout. I even bought a pair of XC skis from the Schafer factory. Tried to use 'em just once to ski to work. Fail!

[Mossdog]

A couple of years ago, while running up Green Bell in the Howgills, I was stunned to be passed by two guy kiteskiing up to the trig. Just for clarification the stunning came from the sight of people skiing with kites not my 'being passed'!

I made a mental note to give it ago when I'm too old and fragile for running - tsk!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDRdFHy4Ebw