Cross country skiing is the oldest form of skiing and indeed the word 'ski' comes from the Old Norse word 'skid' which means a split length of wood. In days gone by the only means by which folk from the far North were able to move over snow-covered terrain to hunt and visit other communities was by strapping two planks of wood to their feet. Although cross country skiing was initially a necessity, it eventually developed into a sport in the late 19th century. Today it is an Olympic sport which is not surprisingly dominated by the Scandinavian countries who have XC skiing in their blood. XC skiing centres Cross country skiing is gaining in popularity as a leisure activity in mountainous regions all over the world. In the Pyrenees, there are several dedicated centres at which both the classic and skating styles of cross country skiing are catered for. The classic style is usually adopted by people new to the sport as it involves sking in ready made ski-wide pisted tracks. You can ski at your own pace with no pressure and simply enjoy the feeling of movement in the snow. The skating style however is done on packed-smooth pisted snow and can be an intense cardio workout, often used by professional sports people as cross training. It is a completely different action to the classic style and requires both upper and lower body fitness and coordination. So why should you consider trying cross country skiing rather than sticking to the downhill slopes on your winter holiday? Cross country skiing is easy to pick up It has been said that if you can walk you can cross country ski. Using the classic style and with skinny skis attached to your flexible boots, you propel yourself along the tracks using ...
Cross country skiing is the oldest form of skiing and indeed the word ‘ski’ comes from the Old Norse word ‘skid’ which means a split length of wood. In days gone by the only means by which folk from the far North were able to move over snow-covered terrain to hunt and visit other communities
