march-2011

PHOTOS © SELLER YAN, ALAMY, CORBIS, PHOTOLIBRARY (PREVIOUS SPREAD)
wide) and they’re not clipped in at the heel,
so they do take some getting used to.
In the past I had only tried “classic”
cross-country skiing – a kind of backwards/
forwards shuffl e where your skis are set
in tracks, which is generally easier for
beginners to pick up but also relatively slow.
This was my fi rst time trying the “skating”
style – quicker but also requiring more
physical effort, as you shift your weight
from side to side like rollerblading each
time you push off. It’s no wonder pro crosscountry
skiers have thigh muscles the size
of a small Balkan nation and form part of
the tiny group of people who actually look
good in brightly coloured Lycra.
I, on the other hand, was wobbling along
wishing I’d turned down that extra helping
of sticky toffee pudding, and thinking that
maybe a few laps around the park at home
would have been a good idea before coming
out here. I was having a lesson with local
instructor François Petitjean and brother
and sister Christian and Erika Rose from
New York, who were over on holiday and
taking a break from downhill.
“What’s the most important thing to
remember?” asked Petitjean as we hopped
off the gondola in the Super Morzine area.
“Looking cool?” I suggested, as a group
of hip snowboarders clattered past.
“Non,” came the deadpan reply. “It’s the
snow plough.” Which, as I was to discover,
was a very fair point.
After our fi rst exercises, which seemed
to mimic the waddle of a penguin, we
were progressing quickly, though my lack
of fi tness showed compared to my two
FEATURES | GENEVA | MORZINE
GOING THE
DISTANCE
➳ STRAP ON YOUR SKIS
FOR EUROPE’S BIGGEST
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI RACE
Do you fancy yourself as a cross-country
ski star? Or maybe just an enthusiastic
amateur? Then head over to the woods
near St Moritz in Switzerland this month
for the race of the year. Thousands
of people take part in the Engadin
Skimarathon, one of the world’s biggest
cross-country ski events, and this year’s
takes place on 13 March.
The competition began in 1969, and
now more than 14,000 people from 35
nations come together to complete
the 42km course. As long as you’ve
registered it’s open to all, so there’s a
good mix of seasoned pros and newer
skiers of all ages. A bonus is that the
valley in which the race takes place is
known for its good weather, with an
average of 322 days of sunshine per year.
All in all, it’s a great day out whether
you’re taking part or just watching.
engadin-skimarathon.ch
MARCH 11 | TRAVELLER | 61