 Poster: A snowHead
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So my husband and I are off to Yllas in Finland in January for a holiday with some skiing (as opposed to a ski holiday). It would seem bonkers not to try cross country skiing whilst we're there so we've found an hour and a half lesson to show us the basics in skating style. Will this be enough to get us off on a trail on our own for a day? We're both downhill skiers - and don't want to be those people who think we can just climb on the terrifyingly skinny cross country skis just because we can go downhill - but by the same token, we just want to try it out and have a bit of fun, we're not looking to become experts (yet...).
Any thoughts? Do we stand a reasonable chance of muddling through once someone has shown us the basics for an hour?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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An hour and a half may be enough. If you can already skate, that helps. But you will ache in places you didn't know you had. Have fun. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@SLB79, I have only tried classic cross country, not skate. It's far more difficult than it looks. After around half a dozen attempts I still cannot control my speed and feel very unstable. I will keep trying, it's much better for fitness than alpine skiing. Skate looks even more difficult to me!
Good luck!
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Thanks @Awdbugga, we both fancy skating as we're both (reasonably competent) on inline and ice skates - hoping this might help in some small way?!
@queenie_pretty_please I've seen some videos of people going down slight slopes and it does fill me a little with trepidation - my downhill skis are all mountain and quite wide so this will be a huge adjustment!
Our aim would be just to try and get to one of the huts for food and back so hoping that we can find a reasonably easy trail - I have a suspicion that we're going to love it!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@SLB79, going downhill the only way to slow is snowplough, but it’s not done the same way as with alpine. You fold your knees in together more. Skating is used a lot to turn corners.
One of the key things, is to get the length of the poles correct and get the length of the wrist straps just right so you can push your arm back behind you and the very end/butt of the pole handle sits in the groove between your thumb and fingers. It’s difficult to explain but when with you push backwards with your arm, the pole should end up being extended and in line with your arm, which is straight behind you. Get the straps correct and it will allow you to get leverage behind you with the pole, but have the pole handle come back straight into your hand when your arm comes forward ready to plant the pole again.
It’s a lovely way to travel. But I found the muscles at the outside of my hips ached like hell to begin with.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you are fit and strong and slim and determined, with good proprioception have a good instructor you will make some progress with skating, but you will struggle on anything other than a flat track. Most people start with classic - which is far harder to do properly than you might think!
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As mentioned above most people start with classic and then move on to skating. I started classic last year and can confirm that even the slightest hill is terrifying 
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Good luck @SLB79! Im about to do the same. Ive just bought some skating skis which I'm going to take out at NY. Im a cyclist really but used to play ice hockey and can skate well. I ski and snowboard so figure ill just crack on and pick it up!
Now, i realise that its almost certainly a lot harder than it looks and i will probably cry quite a lot but ill report back and let you know how it goes.
My slight worry is that the nearest accessible track where im heading is a red and quite lumpy. Its also very visible from the lift stations so i might have to try and find a quiet bit of road in our village first!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I don't think you need lessons, it's not that difficult. I just muddled through. Elegance and style will take practice as with everything, but getting around in snowy forests is pretty straight forward.
If you're adult and can't ski in Finland, and don't have an obvious instructor, they'll assume you're drunk, so that's maybe a reason to take a lesson.
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If you aim to "shuffle around the tracks" (as Pam_w would say) then it is not too hard to make forward progress and an hour lesson will not turn you into Kaisa Mäkäräinen anyways. Seeing people who've never cross-country skied before always gives other people a bit of a laff - maybe wear padded MTB pants for your first outing . As you are already alpine skiers you stand a good chance of being able to stand on skis and move forwards and descend.
The correct techniques for efficient skating are not intuitive (even for skaters or bladers) and beware that practice makes permanent if you have poor technique.
If your aim is just a little shuffle in the Finnish woods then it is perhaps not that important to you.
Generally start with classic (although the kick is hard to get right) as some of the technique that is easier to master on classic skis translates later to skating technique but that is just a guideline, not a rule.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The easiest way to slow down is to leave one ski in the track (loipe) and put the other ski into the snowplough position. You can also drag the poles into the snow behind you and gradually increase the pressure to help slow your speed. When snowploughing start with little edge (gliding plough) and gradually sink lower into a braking plough, the trick is not to edge to quickly as you don't have metal edges. With regards to starting to glide just bend the knee forward on one ski to start with and gradually put weight on that ski, this will start to move you forward. Then do the same with the other ski so that one follows the other, this will help you with forward motion and the start of the glide.
hope this helps, it is a lovely sport that gives you access to all sorts of terrain and scenery
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@gazza330, if they're skating they won't be in tracks.
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Been to yllas xc skiing holiday. It's beautiful. I do classic style. I have had a couple of lessons on skate and can honestly say it's hardest thing I have tried! I stick to classic now as I can get around, uphill and down all but the most steep, then I just take skis off and walk down! For me it's just about being out in the country away from the crowds. Certainly an hour and you will be able to cope with classic style. Good luck and enjoy yllas.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks all, lots of good advice and things to think about!!
It’s interesting that most of your advice seems to suggest we try classic instead so we’ll give that some thought.
Sounds like we need to do lots more fitness prep than for downhill skiing?!
I’d love us to be naturals but I’m fully expecting us to embarrass ourselves in front of the locals - but it’s all part of the fun!!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@SLB79, in our skate ski journey her nibs had two 1 hour lessons iirc, and I have had 3. We both bladed.
And that’s us quasi independent.
Must say though that we can manage about 45 mins and that’s enough! It’s seriously hard work.
But I am looking forward to getting back on the skate skis!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@SLB79, If you want to start with skating then go for it. People suggest classic because you can get around pretty much by walking with less concerns about balance as both feet spend a lot more time on the ground (this is not good technique but it gets you around).
The big difference compared to Alpine is gravity is not your friend but your enemy. In Alpine lack of technique doesn't stop you spending a week descending slopes and getting about. In cross country it makes it hard work, as the poster above says.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@SLB79, Classic is easier to master than skating. Skating kinda comes in when going down hill and turning, when not in tracks. You push the outside ski outwards in a skating motion to go round corners. it comes naturally though to be honest. Most kids had roller skates.
It can be a relaxing way to travel if you try and lope along and use the glide of the skis as much as possible before kicking for the next glide. As others of said, even when kicking and gliding as far as possible, it is still far more tiring than Alpine. Have fun.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Classic isn't easy to master though it's easy enough to shuffle round a flat track. Provided it's not icy. But if you just want to get around in all kinds of terrain and enjoy the scenery, snowshoes maybe more satisfactory. 
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True enough. Mastery is a different thing.
However there tends to be less snow overall in Finland than for example Canada, so I've seen relatively little snow shoe use there especially around resorts. Pretty much all the paths everywhere are used for skiing, so they're well prepared and any fresh snow isn't really an issue and it's not that hilly. Hence although snow shoes are easy for anyone, cross country is pretty easy in Finland.
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