One of the things I wanted to learn to do while in Sweden was to cross-country ski. On the
first sign of snow last year, Tina and I eagerly purchased a set and used them
three of four times each such was vagueness of the 2013/2014 winter. I didn’t
even really get a good feel for what it was as the local tracks in the nearby
Ursvik forest were not even groomed; and playing around on the local fields
just doesn’t really cut it in the world of cross-country skiing.
So we were both looking forward to a proper try this winter. 2014 ended up as vague winter
wise (and even warmer) than the end of 2013. But thankfully come mid-January,
some half descent snow started to arrive and despite some annoying positive
temperatures in between we eventually got enough for the track makers to get to
work and open up the popular Ursvik area.
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| Some decent winter weather... about time! |
I actually know Ursvik pretty well. It has a half decent mountainbike track
circumnavigating it which I’ve done quite a few times, there are walking and
running tracks that we have explored on a regular basis, I’ve participated in
one impromptu orienteering event there and I have actually ridden the cross
country skiing trails many times in the summer on my cyclocross bike.
The weekendthe trails were groomed was a busy one and we both only managed to fit in a quick effort around
the local park on the skis. I gave up after five minutes as the warm
temperatures (+1 C) meant that snow kept balling on the wax on my skis making
it impossible to actually ski…well for me anyway. Actually the person who had
got the best ski in was Ana who delighted by the loan of a full set of skis,
sticks and boots from a colleague of mine, got used to sliding away remarkably
quickly. There were opportunities to go, but to be honest the thought of
battling it out on the narrow trails at Ursvik with thousands of needy Swedes
(the trails hadn’t been groomed there for the last year and a half) just
didn’t sound that too attractive. By 7’oclock Sunday night, it was a now or never moment. I changed
into my skiing attire (if truth be known, ancient cycling lycra), strapped the
skis on the mountain bike, donned the lights and off I went.
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| Start 'em young in Sweden. |
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| Have bike, will travel. At the start of the popular Ursvik Forest Area. |
Ursvik was pleasantly empty. No real surprise for 8’oclock on a Sunday night. There were a
few keen bods (who looked like they knew what they were doing) still out and
about, but as I locked my bike up, unpacked the skis and got myself ready for
departure it looked like I was going to have virtually the whole forest to
myself. My ineptitude at what I was about to do would remain largely a
secret.
The trails were colour coded according to difficulty and length. I had ridden the black
route on my mountainbike and had absolutely no thoughts about being able to
even attempt that route in the near future. I went for an easy 5 km yellow
route instead. I started off finding my way to a set of grooves (one for each
ski) that theoretically guided me around the course. The reality was that since
the trails were groomed at the end of last week, thousands of people had skied
and largely destroyed the groves and what was left was a snaking piece of ice
about three metres wide that wound its way up and down through the forest.
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| One of the lit trails at Ursvik... way too icy for a virgin cross-country skier like me. |
At first the trail went up. I concentrated on my technique and was actually quite
surprised that I was going upwards rather effortlessly in a way I thought must
look quite elegant. ‘This cross-country skiing lark isn’t as hard as its beat
up to be’ I thought. This was going to be fun. The track levelled out and
tucking down I pushed my poles behind me and began to pick up some speed. I was
really going for it now. The grooves, still largely present at this state
glided me around the first couple of corners and then started to head down a
small slope. Actually I know for certain that this is a small little slope as I
have walked, ran and cycled up and down it many times. But on skis, well, it
was enormous. Suddenly my skis took off. I tried to wedge my skis to slow
myself, but my skis were two and half metres long, pencil thin and there was no
cutting edge (I'm really starting to sound like I know what I'm talking about aye?). Once more, they were stuck in those stupid bloody grooves!
I should at this point also point out that I can’t actually ski! Well, that’s a bit of
lie, but I’ve been three times. Of course those three times have involved fat
downhill skis and a cutting edge to slow down with. No such chance of that now.
After crashing at least a dozen times, I took the shortcut off the 5 km course
to complete the 2.5 m course. I crossed the mountain bike path – complete with
fresh tyre prints in the snow and was starting to wonder why I hadn’t simply
gone mountain biking – something I am actually good at. However, by the end of the
2.5 km course, I wasn’t falling off too much, and with a bit more confidence,
went off and did it again. Bruised and battered but pleased to have actually
got out and done some ‘proper’ cross country skiing I packed up the bike and
off home I went.
The next week bought warm weather (I need to clarify that by warm I mean 1, maybe 2
degrees Celsius). The snow slowly melted and by the end of the week if was
virtually gone. Another bloody fickle winter… here we come. It then snowed
non-stop the following weekend but with the temperatures still basking in the
positives it just meant slush. Luckily, by Sunday evening the temperature
started to drop and it was a snowy ride to work come Monday morning. I nearly
got buried in a large pile of snow as an over-zealous speeding snow-plow shoved
about half a metre of snow on top of the cycle path as it cleared the road on
the way to work! But I smiled, the snow was looking good. It continued to snow
all day and by days end everything that wasn’t hot, moving or been driven on
was covered by a good 20-30cm of the lovely white stuff. Time to ski! I had been feeling a
bit average over the weekend so Tina got the first ski pass while I settled in
for a night of parenting duties. By Tuesday I was feeling much better and after
the kids were in bed, I eagerly loaded up the bike and off to Ursvik I went.
On arrival I was surprised by the number of people. But I soon figured out that conditions
were good and the conditions when I had been the Sunday before were absolutely
horrible. I was nervous about skiing the main trails though as I was afraid of
been a hazard to everyone else. But after a few laps of the learning field, I got the
confidence to give it a go and off I went… this time determined to do the 5 km
loop. To my surprise, I actually passed someone going up the first climb. But
it wasn’t the up bits that I was worried about. However, the icy path of last
Sunday was now rather pleasant and the descent seemed more like the little
slope that it really was. Once more, I actually surprised myself in that I could turn, go
fast, and not fall off… well not too much anyway. Once more I was a similar
speed to many other people on the course. Although I should put a disclaimer on
that, they had style, my technique was still… evolving.
Back at the start I practised some more on the field and started to feel some fluidity
to the whole thing. Oh… I like this.
Tina and I alternated nights for a while and I slowly graduated to the long 12 km ‘unlit’
course – evidently the only thing not an icy death trap after a few days
without snow. Ironically, I actually learnt to mountainbike in the dark, probably
not the safest way for a novice to negotiate their way down the steep Port Hills
in Christchurch at night but I figured it out in the end. It seems I am now
learning to cross-country ski in the dark, it feels a little like deja vu.
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| Sking in the dark. Not a bad way to spend the evenings. |
When I wrote this it was Sunday night, exactly two weeks since my first ski and I really feel I am
getting there, and am yes I am getting addicted. I’m learning a whole new world
of what wax to apply and when; what types of snow are fast, slow and shear
bloody treacherous; and a whole new technique that involves opposite movements
where one side of the body pushes and slides and the other stays still and
slides, yes it is possible. How good I get (Tina can already do it) is totally dependent on the
weather gods. I think I can confidently claim that I can now
cross-country ski, something I would never have believed I would be saying in
such a short time two weeks ago. I doubt I’ll be lining up for the Swedish Olympic
team any time soon, but the New Zealand one? Now there’s a thought!
As a footnote, by Monday, temperatures were racing into the single digits and Stockholm was melting. Ugh, not yet, it's too early, we want to ski!
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| Way too much sun and too warm. Can't believe I'm saying that. |
