Langlaufskiing (Cross country skiing) at Les Près-d'Orvin

Today, for the first time in many years, we tried cross country skiing. We had a great time, but discovered that we have very much to learn and re-learn about cross country skiing. I used to go skiing around my family's farm until I was about 18 and went away to college, and MrB had skied only once or twice before. That was very different from today's skiing on the well prepared trails, and on even the small slopes that we encountered today we had some difficulties. We have a lot of practicing to do, hopefully on a flatter area at first, to get our 'ski legs'.

It was a beautiful day for it, very sunny and about 4-5°C (about 40°F). There was an occasional gusty wind blowing, but it was not too bad. We drove through a gray cloudy layer on the way up, and it was not till we reached very near the top of the hill/mountain (1000-1350 m altitude) that we started to see any snow, and the sun.

I had forgotten how much work your whole body does in this sport. It is amazing exercise, working your legs, shoulders, torso, and uses different muscles than walking. It is even harder work when you are first learning (or re-learning) how to do it. I'm sure we will be quite sore for the next few days, both from working new muscles, and from falling! Going downhill is much trickier than it looks. We have yet to learn the snowplow technique. I never had to use it on the tiny hills I skied on at the farm growing up.

We stopped on the way out for some soup, coffee and beer at a little restaurant that was also a cow farm where they raise Scottish Highland cattle. I had to take a picture, because these are what my mom and dad raise on their farm now. I was a little surprised to see them out here.

Thank you very much to our friends V and N who kindly drove us and patiently waited while we muddled along, giving us tips and helping out. I think V skied about twice as much along the trail as we did because he kept coming back to check on us.

As we drove away from the parking area, a magnificent view of the Alps came up on our right. I tried to get a photo, but it was a bit too dark, and I still have much to learn about the camera. I include it here anyway.