cross country skiing lessons

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 gilliesp 12 Dec 2014
Is there anywhere in Scotland my wife and me could try cross country skiing in the classic stride technique. We saw this on the Hardangervidda plateau last Spring and the locals made it look effortless. There is also a pisted ski park up the road from Rjukan (Skinnarbru) with the gentlest of hills as part of the trails. We need to learn how to glide, stop, turn, up and downhill technique. Oh! and get up from a prone position....
 OwenM 12 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

For lessons try googling Huntly ski centre.

You can do it in the forest around Glenmore,
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glenmore-Cross-Country-Ski-Machine/499478100...
OP gilliesp 13 Dec 2014
In reply to OwenM:

Huntly looks ideal but it's a bit too far for a day outing from Glasgow on wintry roads - but not impossible, so will discuss it. Thanks.
 Doug 13 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

Although I'm sure lessons will help develop good technique, its possible to teach yourself the basics from books & videos, plus getting out on skis. There used to be very active XC ski clubs in Edinburgh & Glasgow, worth checking to see if they are still active
 Green Porridge 13 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

I would second Doug. I'm sure that taking lessons will help you develop faster and with a better technique, but they're not absolutely necessary. The nice thing about classic cross country skiing is that you normally come to a stop fairly quickly! Take a look at some YouTube videos and see what you think. It's how I learned and I manage ok!
 rif 13 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:
Slightly nearer than Huntly, and holds snow for 2-3 months most winters:
http://www.slochd.co.uk/nordic.html
But I've no knowledge of their tuition.

OP gilliesp 13 Dec 2014
In reply to rif:

Thanks to you all. My mate gave me advice this morning along the lines of advice given above. Said Huntly was excellent. Couldn't find his self tuition book but said a lesson then practice should do the trick to get going and not select the wrong skis and bindings.
OP gilliesp 13 Dec 2014
In reply to rif:

Have emailed Slochd so we will see how it goes. We are in our sixties and they seem to cater for our modest aims. Cheers
 Nemo9 14 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

You can hire cross country equipment from the shop at Glenmore http://www.aviemoreski.co.uk/glenmore-shop/hires/x-country-ski-hire/ . Was out on the trails on Friday and yesterday and they were in superb condition. As others have said, its quite easy to teach yourself from books or videos. Compared to alpine skis getting up after a fall is quite easy ! Been milder today and rainy so not sure how the trails will be now though.
OP gilliesp 16 Dec 2014
In reply to Nemo9:

Cheers for that. I will look into this and give them a call but I am interested in what Slochd has to offer - I now realise ski tuition is an expensive business but hopefully worth it. Glad the conditions lent themselves to your enjoyment.
 Henry Iddon 19 Dec 2014
In reply to Doug:

I'd totally disagree with that.

Classic style XC skiing has IMHO to be one of the most subtle and technical forms of any snowsports. Timing of your kick pressure distribution and glide is vital - how you learn that from only reading books and watching videos in any ones guess. Moving up hill without skins and relying on grip wax and technique is all about technique and efficiency. Let alone all the subtle aspects of grip wax.

Get in touch with the guys at Huntly - which is where a lot of the GB XC racers including Andy Musgrave sprung from.
 Doug 19 Dec 2014
In reply to Henry Iddon:

To do it well, sure, coaching helps & is probably essential. To have fun? not really.
OP gilliesp 19 Dec 2014
In reply to Doug:

Okay guys. I am just going to say I agree with you both. Hope that's not too paradoxical . I think I know where we are going with this one now. Sincere thanks for the advice.
 Billhook 22 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

Do you know any ex (or serving) Royal Marines?? The few I know are all expert x-country skiers and one I've been out with a few times was a good instructor to me.
OP gilliesp 25 Dec 2014
In reply to Dave Perry:

Actually Dave, I do know ex forces skiers and others with BASI but it's not been easy to coordinate this help and we would need to get skis and boots. Also they baffle me with waxes, fish scales, skins, ski length, breadth, boots etc. They might give us a turn once we have started with proper instriction and have sourced skis.
 TobyA 25 Dec 2014
In reply to Henry Iddon:

> I'd totally disagree with that.

> Classic style XC skiing has IMHO to be one of the most subtle and technical forms of any snowsports. Timing of your kick pressure distribution and glide is vital - how you learn that from only reading books and watching videos in any ones guess.

I think you might be over stating it somewhat. Most people in Finland learn by going with their mums and dads as little kids. By the time you get to school, you're likely to ski in PE lessons, so you're meant to know what you're doing. Go to the big parks in central Helsinki on a nice January weekend and the tracks will be heaving with people from 4 to 84 all out skiing. You learn by doing I guess. When I first went to Finland we were lent some skis and boots and expected to keep up!
 TobyA 25 Dec 2014
In reply to gilliesp:

> Also they baffle me with waxes, fish scales, skins, ski length, breadth, boots etc.

If you are track skiing stuff like that isn't super important - you would never use skins on with track skis for example. If you want to do more touring in wilderness areas, then what is the right equipment starts getting more complicated, but for spending a few hours out on tracks, you can get a basic set up (boots, bindings, skis and poles) from big supermarkets or sports shops in Scandinavia for somewhere between 100 and 200 euros. It doesn't have to be a very expensive sport if you don't want to be racing. But how often they have good tracks for that sort of XC in Scotland is a different question! Not so often I guess.
 HeMa 26 Dec 2014
In reply to Green Porridge:

> I would second Doug.

Thirded...

The classic way for Scandihooligans is to strap skis on on them 3 year olds (sometimes even younger) and let them roam free. Sure they'll fall, but that's all in the game.

You don't really need a lot of lessons to learn what works and what doesn't. As far as basic technique goes. What might require a lot more is proper waxing, but nowadays the kick tape helps when it comes to traction and glide waxing is rather easy.

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