The rise in Nordic skiing
For years ski holidays have been synonymous with all things luxury, especially in the elite ski resorts. Now as people search for the ever-elusive powder, they are ready to leave behind the beauty of a perfectly groomed piste is search for pastures new. With a sudden bid to regain the purity of the sport beyond pretensions of resorts and the ease of modern technology, many are trying their hand at downhill skiing’s little known relation. Nordic skiing includes disciplines such as cross-country and telemark skiing and takes place off-piste like backcountry skiing.
There has been a rise in recent years of ski touring, where people go off for days, skiing from hut to hut across untouched landscapes. This alternative style of skiing requires a completely different set of gear that is far more light weight and mobile as you are no longer going simply down-hill. Unlike alpine skiing where the heel is firmly attached to the binding, the technology allows a ‘free heel’ for greater ease going up-hill or across the flats.
Though this sounds like an ultimate experience for any powder hound or snow sport purist, it does involve a lot of work. With a strong cardio element, it is impossible to watch any cross country skiing races without being awed at the effort required, impressed at their stamina and knowing a whole day of that would leave you begging for respite.
If you are unwilling to leave the comfort of yourMeribel Chalet, you can always opt to go off-piste and indulge in a little backcountry skiing. Though this may mean a lot of poling, there are still ski lifts and amenities. You may already have seen skiers indulging in Alpine skiing while wearing cross-country skis. The lighter and more carving-orientated technology makes them suitable for down-hill skiing, with the added comfort of the ‘free heel’. As the sport has become more popular, more of the big brand ski names have begun exploring and manufacturing their own cross-country skis with Salomon being the most recent brand to have brought out their own Nordic range.
Image Credit:Robert Engberg