Sports & Fitness · Part of Skiing & Snowboarding
Cross-Country Skiing
Not about going down: this is distance running on snow
Almost a different sport from the downhill ones: no lifts, no interest in steepness, and you generate the distance yourself, burning more per hour than running does. The gear is lighter and much cheaper than alpine kit, and many city parks groom tracks in winter so no mountain is required. Classic and skate are two techniques.
First stepRent a set at a Nordic centre with groomed tracks, shuffle two kilometres in the classic grooves, and practise getting back up after a fall.
Barriers
Cost to start
$50–300
Going deep → $300–2k
Alone or with people
On your own
Effort
Demanding
Without a teacher?
Self-taught
One session takes
A full day
same as parent · Skiing & Snowboarding
Where
A special place
Why people take it up
Related guides
Try a hobby before you buy the gearStarting costs $50–300Skills
BuildsAerobic base ↗