The History of Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing has always been the domain of Scandinavians. This is not surprising: in Sweden and Finland—especially in Norway with its long distances—cross-country skiing was absolutely essential even before the age of the automobile, for example, to transport food and drinks. The first endurance running competitions were documented in Norway as early as 1843, while the first major competition occurred in 1892 at Holmenkollen in Oslo. In Central Europe, skiing only became popular from 1870 onwards, when Norwegian students brought their skis to Germany.

In addition to being gentle on the joints, cross-country skiing strengthens the leg and core muscles and trains the often neglected shoulder girdle and arm muscles. It promotes strength and endurance while improving coordination and balance.

In the Saas Valley, the cross-country ski trails are open from mid-December to the end of March (depending on temperatures and snow conditions). With enough snow, 23 km of trails are available in the classic and skating disciplines. The current condition of the trails can be found on the website: https://www.bergfex.ch/wallis/langlaufen/saastal/loipen/