First Langlauf Experience!

Day 4 of our winter vacation in Switzerland and still enjoying it! As promised in my earlier post, I’m sharing you my doodle sketch about our first ever cross country skiing experience, otherwise known as Langlauf in parts of Europe. We were very excited to give it a shot after noticing all the skiers during our walk in the snow and booked a private lesson to see what it was all about. And we loved every minute of it! We were initially surprised at how light and narrow the skis were compared to the downhill ones. And the shoes are softer, lighter and easier to fasten, let alone walk on! So that’s a good start.

And how did the skiing go? Although my partner is a very experienced downhill skier unlike myself, he did struggle a bit in adjusting to a different technique like balancing on narrower skis, typical in cross-country, and having been dependent on downhill ski boots which give more ankle and heel support. But he’ll soon get the knack in no time! As for myself, I don’t have issues in skis per se but have a fear of heights and can’t manage sliding down full speed so I felt the cross-country suits me better. According to him, I got the hang of it pretty quickly especially as I raced ahead of him! It’s likely because I do a lot of fitness at home and have reasonable stamina and core strength for balance. Both of us have different strengths and advantages then, but we can learn from each other! So tomorrow another lesson. Look forward to it!