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2023 Cross Country - can't get much better

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Then take up Cross Country and get out early!

Conditions are quite superb, even with the influx of grenoblois and lyonnais, visiting here due to poor snow conditions, more on that in an article here.





Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 15-01-23 11:57; edited 5 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
but...but.... that's effort though?! snowHead
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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?
Effort is not the worst part. It’s going downhill and NOT enjoying it rolling eyes
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It looks wonderful ! What’s the best way to start - book in with Esf for some lessons ?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
For people too tight to shell out for a liftpass!! wink Laughing
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
luigi wrote:
For people too tight to shell out for a liftpass!! wink Laughing


You still have to buy a pass Very Happy

And @boulevardier, yes the local ESF should be able to help you out, or any ski-school will have an instructor.

And there are two types of cross country, skating when they do just that, that's the one you often see on the TV with the biathlon, (shooting), so if you're fit, sporty and can skate, then might be worth considering that.

The other is Classic and that's when you ski, poling along in the grooves you can see in the photos, most beginners tend to opt for that first time around.

There's been plenty of good advice from SH's on here, though not too sure which would be the best thread to look at?


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 29-12-22 16:35; edited 2 times in total
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks ! I will investigate.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!



Plus you can practice all year round in the UK, the boots are same and clip into roller skis.

I’ve only had one morning at XC with boy, but enjoyed it - it’s hard work though
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
The scenery is still nice snowHead
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abc wrote:
Effort is not the worst part. It’s going downhill and NOT enjoying it rolling eyes
Worse, it's going uphill and not enjoying it either!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Jealous of the South Alps weather for once though... Puy St Vincent has a better snow cover than usual - compare to the (French) Northern Alps where we either ski on white ribbons or queue for ages.
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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.



And for balance - one of boy on snow - same boots!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
patrick! wrote:
abc wrote:
Effort is not the worst part. It’s going downhill and NOT enjoying it rolling eyes
Worse, it's going uphill and not enjoying it either!

You’re not suppose to enjoy going uphill no matter what sport you’re doing. So that’s never the issue. But in most of all sports, once you’ve got to the top of the hill, you expect to enjoy blasting down. Not so easy in floppy cross country skis.

(It’s perfectly possible to enjoy blasting downhill. It just takes lots of practice… especially practice in falling! Laughing )
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
abc wrote:
.....You’re not suppose to enjoy going uphill no matter what sport you’re doing.....



Hundreds of thousands who cycle the legendary Cols here might disagree with you, for sure they might ask why they are doing it, but they come back again and again.

This was a couple of days ago here


http://youtube.com/v/Cu6gx-H5S4I

And Boris can't think why your son enjoys it so much Laughing

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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Well , I had a go today and it was fab !
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Les Saisies is now offering Biathlon lessons. Presumably only for folks already competent skate-skiers.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@pam w, they've been doing tasters here in the beginners area, bit of a PR exercise. On the big range in the video they run smaller 5m ranges as tasters, and you don't have to really ski, though the whole point is to get you to shoot when you're still breathing heavily.
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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?
@Weathercam, yep when at home boy runs 400m flat out on track then comes into the range to shoot.

While I would encourage everyone to give it a go, it’s another sport which swallows money. The price of Biathlon guns is scary - plus the gun cabinet, ammo safe and police checks.
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Incidentally- if you have sporty kids who ski, look out for the British Biathlon development programme. No experience necessary, but some great opportunities for those who have aptitude.

Over last 18-months boy has spent a lot of time in Scotland, Germany, Norway, Canada and Sweden. With trips to France and US lined up in 2023.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
And straight from the horses mouth

https://twitter.com/britishbiathlon/status/1519735093375422464?s=46&t=4gMNpm5Ll_Vk2dYMQAj0AQ
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You'll need to Register first of course.
@Boris, Very Happy Very Happy
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
That's terrific, @Boris, good for him. A great advert for the sport.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Worth looking up laser biathlon for those who want to give it a try. Our local roller ski company organise a few sessions.... Quite realistic from the 'shooting challenge' perspective, altho clearly concrete and grass aren't the same as snow....
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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.
@Boris, brilliant advert for my philosophy, no pain no gain, great stuff! Chapeau to him.

A mate of mine, coach to an Olympic discipline has tried getting into it, and is finding how tough, initially it is !

But throw in a disclaimer here, skating is very intense, cross country skiing is, classic that is, can be very relaxed, so ignore all the skating testorone snowHead


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Fri 30-12-22 21:49; edited 1 time in total
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@Weathercam, indeed - I can really see the attraction for a relaxed ski in beautiful scenery on empty pistes. I loved it and will do it again.

His level is mental Laughing
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
On the flat stretches, even skating can be relaxing.

But when the piste tilts up, the intensity goes up with it too. In that, the effort in classic can be tailored more easily. You can ‘walk’ up when the grade is easy. And even on steep bits, you can ‘duck walk’ aka herringbone. But make no mistake, a long hard slog trot will work any cross country skiers.

Having classic skied many years, I found the difference between the two are in the perspectives. Many classic tracks winds around in the forest, brushing branches as it twist and turn, with glimpse of vista from time to time. Putting me intimately IN the beauty of the winter scenery. But in the open meadow and above tree line, classic skiing can sometimes feel like a hamster in a spinning wheel stareing at a stale view. That’s when skating comes in. With the rigorous effort, the countryside fly by the way side, distant vista rush into full view…

I like them both.
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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.
Thought I'd try the GoPro 360 today, and obviously had to rely on no poles, which is always a good drill, but the snow was very soft today without an overnight freeze, well that's my excuse for the erratic style Laughing

But does show where I'm going wrong!

As you can see Serre Chevalier has plenty of snow still, not something the British Media are aware of looking at all the reports in the press today Laughing


http://youtube.com/v/HQPPTBSfJPM
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Three days ago made the mistake of going out around 13:00 and temps were +6 and combine that with the British Army Medical Corps running a series of competitions on their final day, with the net result was that the pistes were either scraped to nigh on boiler plate affording little grip, or the snow was slushy concrete making the going extremely hard work.

So yesterday went out early, the XC equivalent of First Tracks / Lifts and was superb.

So good, did it again today, with the wife thinking I'm mad Laughing

The difference in speed and effort required is immense depending on the gliding potential.

New British army regiments are now in the valley and a load of them were training at the Biathlon range, with others doing classic sorties.

Picture of the day Very Happy



And the technique videos these guys have are very good.

https://nordicskilab.com/free-videos/

I'd like to subscribe as they are so good, but I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that my technique is a mish-mash of everything which is pretty parred for the course as you adapt to the terrain, today I was on some demanding reds and the climbs really sort you out!

And here in Serre the Nordic Serre Che Facebook is very good as that it where they update what pistes have been groomed and which ones are closed for competition and the like.

snow grooming groomed in French translates as dameuse de la neige damée

Hence the sort of amusing/ironic comment below, which you can probably work out what the inference is.

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