Look at the beautiful view driving up. We were headed to our usual cross-country spot in San Giuseppe in the Valmalenco valley.
They must've had some fresh snowfall because there was an amazing layer of clean and powdery soft snow all over.
What I like about cross-country skiing:
1) Light equipment - skis, boots and poles that weigh much much less compared to downhill gear. So much easier to get from parking lot to starting point
2) 'Soft' boots - you can actually walk around in them unlike the stiff clunky downhill boots
3) Lower cost - where we go, the course is free. Elsewhere, it's usually only 3-4 euro per entry. And the gear generally costs less than downhill equipment.
4) Good workout - you can work up a good sweat in two hours or less. Great, if you're short on time. And it uses muscles in the shoulders, back, abs, butt, legs - an excellent all-around aerobic exercise.
5) Lower risk - there's less risk of serious injury compared to downhill skiing. Fewer steep slope = slower speeds.
6) Nature - all that and you get to enjoy the snow and the beautiful outdoors.
That's a good number of reasons!
I'm still practicing my skating technique. I think I'm very slowly getting the hang of it. It's tough teaching an old dog new tricks!
