Why this winter will be your cross-country skiing winter

No one really wants to stand in long lines in front of the lifts, deal with large crowds, or ride in closed gondolas this year. How nice that you don't have to do any of that when cross-country skiing. Here, you can simply put your skis on the trail, start right away, and only stop again when you want to take a break or have finished your round.

If you're looking for a Corona-friendly alternative to skiing this winter, you'll quickly land on ski touring. Also nice. But if you compare cross-country skiing to ski touring, you'll find that cross-country skiing has even more advantages. Here, you are not exposed to alpine dangers and still get to enjoy the impressive alpine mountain sceneries. Especially beginners can forgo avalanche knowledge seminars, avalanche transceiver equipment, and the like, while still fully enjoying the untouched, remote snowy landscapes. The entire gear is significantly (!) cheaper, and for endurance and calorie burning, cross-country skiing is the best sport.

The best news for beginners: Cross-country skiing is easy to learn. The first attempts on the thin skis may still be a little slippery – but the technique can be learned quickly. No prior knowledge is required. And once you get the hang of it and find your "flow," you'll realize: This sport has a lot of addictive potential!

Another very good piece of news for beginners: The equipment for cross-country skiing is significantly less expensive than that of many other winter sports. Especially at the beginning, you can rent skis on site and test which ones you handle best. This is particularly important when deciding: Skating or Classic? Those who eventually decide to buy their own equipment do not have to dig too deep into their pockets. The same goes for clothing: most people already have the right items in their wardrobe. Tickets for the trails are also affordable and easy on the wallet.

Cross-country skiing engages an incredible 90 percent of the muscles in the body. 90 percent! The fitness factor in cross-country skiing is extremely high, making it a true fat burner. So, anyone looking for a real full-body workout should hit the trails. This is especially interesting for cyclists, runners, triathletes, soccer players, and anyone wanting to improve their endurance over the winter.

Cross-country skiing trains almost every muscle in the body while also being easy on the joints. The rhythmic, gliding movement over the snow makes this possible. Therefore, even people with existing health limitations such as joint damage can enjoy cross-country skiing. Additionally, the risk of injury is very low. You don’t have to worry about serious falls – more often than not, you’ll just get a few harmless bruises from falling. And if you do need help: our trail rescue is with you in an average of 9 minutes, no matter where you are on the trail.

Cross-country skiing is quite strenuous – therefore, one hardly spends a whole day on the trails. Those who have little time can fit in a good workout in just 1 to 2 hours. Those with more time can extend their rounds. Thanks to long opening hours and illuminated trails in the evening, one can train whenever it suits them. This way, there is still plenty of time to do other things. Relaxing comfortably in the cabin and enjoying the sun, strolling through the village, taking a leisurely walk through the winter forest, tobogganing with the kids, ice skating, or rejuvenating in the wellness area – all of this can easily be done before or after cross-country skiing.

Not only a real advantage in the Corona winter: on the ski trail you have distance from everyone. Plenty of distance. Due to the long skis, poles, and the motion of skiing, you naturally have to maintain this distance, and most of the time you are almost completely alone on wide trails in the lonely snowy landscape. This slows you down – in the movement you find peace. Completely without crowds or après-ski hustle and bustle, you can relax.

Many of us had to go cross-country skiing with our parents or grandparents in the past – but we don't always have great memories of it. It was somehow boring with mom and dad, and definitely uncool in school. The dusty image that cross-country skiing is a sport for retirees has stuck with many. But: Cross-country skiing is becoming a real trend sport among young athletes. More and more young people are hitting the trails, especially the skating technique is really popular. Cross-country skiing is no longer uncool, but actually quite stylish.

Toddlers can snuggle up warm in the trailer and glide along the slopes with Mom & Dad. The trailers are available for rent in numerous shops, so the cross-country skiing holiday becomes a fun family experience. On the quality-tested sledding trails, wheelchair users can also train perfectly and enjoy the landscape.

Enough talk – now it's time to hit the trail! It's best to pick a trail already. Tip: The trails in Leutasch are particularly flat and therefore suitable for beginners, as well as the iconic A1 at Seekirchl in Seefeld. It gets really nice on the Kaiser-Max-Runde: it is the longest contiguous trail in Austria. You can find an overview of the rental shops in the region here. Especially at the beginning, it is worth taking a course and getting tips from the instructor.