Today, we’re not offering you a book for dummies, but an article for cross-country skiing beginners like Brenda and me! We’d like to give you our impressions and advice on how to start Nordic skiing! Let’s get started!
She’s Brenda and I’m Anaïs. We’re not just fun, friendly people. Above all, we’re curious and sometimes daring.
New things don’t scare us, as in this photo of us testing the electric scooter on the Col de la Faucille. We won’t lie to you. It doesn’t always work out the way you want it to, and sometimes there are minor accidents.
On a scooter, it was a masterful fall. We won’t mention the name of the person who pulled off this unforgettable feat for the passers-by and ourselves. But all I can say is that it wasn’t me 😉
A great day out for cross-country or Nordic skiing!
At the start of the new year, we had a great opportunity to try Nordic skiing at La Vattay. For those who don’t know, the La Vattay Nordic ski area is one of the biggest in France, with 150 kilometres of pistes. So here we are at 9am in the Vattay car park, with the sun shining brightly, ready for an adventure! And what an adventure it was! At this hour, the car park was almost empty. Only the inveterate cross-country skiers were there. It was a bit intimidating…
A word of advice: come as early as possible to take advantage of the nearest parking to the Nordic area and to be alone, or almost alone, in the middle of the spruce trees.
Head to the sports shop, La Vattay Sports, to get your boots, skis and poles.
Fear is starting to creep in, at least for me. I didn’t tell you: I’ve never been on skis before… We agree, I’m off to a bad start, but the desire to discover is stronger than the fear! At least for the moment. Let’s get on the slopes!
We were so keen to get started that we didn’t look at the time! We’re a bit too early! That’s what we’re all about, being impatient! In the meantime, we’re trying to get to grips with our skis – well, especially me – before we start the initiation.
Brenda will be in the skating initiation group. Unlike me, she’s a mountain woman and I’ll be in the alternative beginners’ group.
Find out more about our respective experiences below. We guarantee you, they’re worth the diversions. Happy reading 😍
My experience on skis
A difficult start…
So off we go for a 1? hour introduction to Nordic skiing, or so we think! We follow our instructor for classic cross-country skiing, Alain Girod. He’s the king of the domain here! Everyone knows him and everyone wants to learn from him. We’re so lucky to have him on this course. We’re going to be the envy of many!
So we start heading towards the loop. First difficulty for me: there’s a slope! I’ll be honest with you for the second time: falling is my biggest fear. As I said earlier, I’ve never been on skis before and this is my first time at 28! There has to be a first time for everything, but still… Alain immediately reassured me and showed me how to position myself. I’m now ready to discover this winter sport.
We’re in the middle of the forest, and the scenery is magnificent. The firs and spruces are still covered in snow from the recent falls, and the sun is with us. We’re in paradise… What more could you ask for? Then the drama begins! In front of me, a real descent, a steep slope with a bend to boot. Oh dear, what am I doing here? Alain shows me how to position myself. So I go for it and ??? To no one’s surprise, I fall. It had to happen. But, as you can see, it wasn’t that bad. The instructor showed me how to get back up and in two minutes I was back on my feet and ready to go again.
But an unforgettable memory!
We’re continuing our journey with our small, very supportive and friendly group. For many of us, this is a first. At last we feel less alone… It’s around 11am when we arrive on the plateau. The sky is blue and the expanse of snow stretches as far as the eye can see. The view is breathtaking! I made my third descent without falling! I can’t tell you how proud I am!
Alain Girod gives us a few tips during our journey! So we’re making good progress, little by little. But on the way back, we were getting a bit tired. We’d already been on the slopes for 2 hours. And that’s when the falls start to happen. I fell a good 5 times, always on the downhills. My skis were a bit full of it, but when we got to the starting point, a new feeling came over me… Pride. Yes, I was proud that I’d managed to overcome my fear of the unknown and my preconceptions about this sport, and proud that I’d managed to do the loop like everyone else.
Is the proverb true? "Nothing ventured, nothing gained! "
Brenda’s experience
A smooth start
With equipment in hand and ski pass in my pocket, I’m off to hit the Nordic ski slopes! Well, not quite … help me, how do you attach cross-country skis? I realise that putting them on is no mean feat when you’re used to big alpine ski boots and bindings! Fortunately, with the help of my friend Anne-Marie, who was certainly born with skis on her feet, it’s immediately easier!
For this initiation, I decided to try my hand at skating, because I find it so elegant. As we waited for our instructor, we cautiously made our way down the beginners’ slope, a little fearful at first, but after a few back and forths we became bolder. Now we’re ready for adventure! And just as well, because our instructor for the day is none other than Laurent Thévenard, father of Xavier, the famous ultra-trail specialist. For the moment, it’s not yet time for adventure, but for learning.
White Paradise
Skating steps, bending the legs, planting the stick (no, this isn’t a film), moving forward, little by little we learn the vocabulary and movements of the perfect cross-country skater. Now it’s time to get practical! Some of my friends have discovered a real vocation. For me, it was a bit more rigid (!), but then I decided to let myself be guided by my sensations and the efforts began to pay off! But just when I’d let go completely, there was a crash! A bit of concentration never hurts.
After 1 hour’s training, we set off on the Nordic ski trails through the forest. Between two pushes, I marvel at the spectacle of nature: the trio of snow, forest and nature has always been one of my favourite landscapes. Despite this, I can feel my muscles (some of which I’d never felt before!) crying out that they’re at the end of their tether and it’s time to stop. I hang on a little longer, though, because the view that awaits me at 100 metres is so sublime that I can’t resist it!
In front of me stretches the snow-covered plateau, with the Dôle as a backdrop and the spruce trees seemingly reaching for the sky. The perfect opportunity for a photo break … or photoS rather! After this oxygenated break, the return journey is child’s play, and my last few moments on skates are pure pleasure. It has to be said that after the uphill sections on the outward journey, the return is mostly downhill, which my muscles appreciate!
Hunger in style!
That’s it, we’ve thanked our instructor for the day and returned our equipment. But we want to extend the moment and we can feel our hunger pangs. Blimey, we hadn’t planned a picnic! Fortunately, this winter, the La Vattay restaurant-bar is serving snacks, crêpes and drinks every day, as well as hot meals to take away. So we ended our introduction to Nordic skiing with a nice hot meal in the sunshine and fresh air.
What a pleasure! So, who's next?
Before leaving you, here are our two faces during our apprenticeship! We don’t look too traumatised, do we! We hope our adventures have inspired you to get out there and try out activities you’ve never tried before! As you’ve no doubt gathered by now, we have no regrets whatsoever!
We look forward to seeing you soon, who knows, perhaps for other adventures in the Pays de Gex – Monts Jura!
Thematics
