Cross country experience in Paganella
Our winter break has started in the best way in Andalo: clear skies, freshly fallen snow, the magnificent Dolomites in front of us and my family here with me.
Today we'd like to try a new experience and, thanks to the suggestion given by the ski instructor Danilo, we decide to wear a pair of skis. Anything weird so far, except that the skis are not those for alpine ski, but those used for cross country disciplines! My husband and I have already tried skiing in the past, although we are still at a beginner level, while Thomas and Mary Magdalene, our children aged 9 and 6, have never tried to ski at all.
We head to the sports center, near the lake of Andalo; the cross-country trail runs around the little pond with a possible variant in the woods near the Tana dell'Ermellino hut: a truly romantic and relaxing spot, the magic of the forest and a unique nature's silence broken only by the delicate birds' voices.
We initially decided to use the binaries as it seemed to be the easiest choice, but we realized soon that it wasn't the most effective solution since having the heel of the foot off the hook didn't result as practical and in addition the tracks were reducing our movement's options. The ski instructor introduces us to the free technique and we start practicing it skating along the route ; after several attempts we begin to get familiar with the equipment and sliding on the snowsoon started to be the most natural sport in the world. The landscape that surrounds us enriches the new experience: the Brenta's Dolomites (Unesco World Heritage Site) are a natural spectacle not to be missed; the frozen lake of Andalo created a fairy-tale atmosphere and the calm of the place made this moment even more intimate.
Well beyond our expectations, this experience turned out to be really exciting, especially for our children! We thought that cross-country skiing was a sport only for "insiders", but it is actually not true at all, it's really a sport for everyone.
Takeaway of the day: not assessing any activity before having tried it at least once. That's why tomorrow we'll go snowshoeing!
