Blue skies. White panoramas. Imposing mountains. Your destination, the Alps. Your partner, HF Holidays. Gently glide over peaceful winter landscapes. Rest at charming hotels, relax with warming wine. All ages, all abilities, all welcome. Time to put your snow shoes on? Time for cross-country skiing?

Discover the Alps in winter - wonderful mountain vistas laden with snow, blue skies and endless snowy meadows. Cross-country skiing is a lovely way to explore this peaceful winter landscape by gliding
across the snow using skis. The skis are light, the shoes soft and flexible and the technique similar to walking, with tracks specially prepared to make it easy.

There's also plenty of relaxing stops at Alpine huts, where y ou can sample local food and hot wine, while surrounded by fantastic snowy views and sunshine.

It's simple to pick up and incredibly good for the body and soul. Anyone with reasonable fitness can do it - so have a go!

• Small friendly hotels
• Beautiful winter destinations
• Well-planned programmes
• Considerate, experienced leaders

Detailed information

	Accommodation
	Travel Arrangements
	What's included
	What is cross-country skiing?
	Choosing the right level for you.
	Essential holiday information
	Cross-country skiing equipment

Your accommodation

We use a wide variety of hotels ranging from small, rural inns to large hotels with a range of facilities. Our choice of accommodation depends on what is the most suitable option in the resorts that we visit. Our preference, however, is for friendly family-run hotels where we know that our guests will be made particularly welcome.

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Travel with us

For your comfort and peace of mind we work with many of the leading airlines using mostly scheduled flights. Wherever possible we offer direct flights from London or Manchester and can often arrange connecting flights from UK regional airports.

Alternatively all our holidays are available without flights allowing you maximum flexibility to drive to the resort or make your own flight arrangements, perhaps from overseas or with one of the many 'low cost' airlines.

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What's included

Great holiday atmosphere
Whether you're learning a new skill, or simply enjoying being in the outdoors, you will find supportive leaders and congenial company. Evenings are a chance to get together and share the experiences of the day and enjoy the evening meal with a group of likeminded people.

What the price includes:

• Holidays 'with flight' include a return flight from the UK to the destination airport and a coach transfer to the hotel.
• Half board accommodation - breakfast and evening meal.
• Accommodation in twin en-suite rooms.
• A full programme of winter activities.
• The services of HF Holidays' skiing leaders.
• Service charges and local taxes including UK airport tax.
• Special discounts are available for children and groups.
• Specialist equipment - ski, shoe and pole hire or snow-shoes.
• VAT at 17½%.

What's not included

• Insurance
• Porterage
• Local transport costs
• Lunches and drinks

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What is cross-country skiing?

There are principally two different kinds of cross-country skiing; classic and skating. Classic is the traditional form of cross-country skiing, which we will learn during the holiday. Long, light skis are used which fit neatly into parallel tracks cut into the snow. The technique is very similar to walking except that you push and glide over the snow before taking your next step, using your poles to help propel you forwards. Skating is a much faster version where you ski outside of the tracks in a movement not dissimilar to ice skating.

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Choosing the right level for you.

Cross-country skiing is suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. We have three levels that you can choose from:

• Beginners & Winter walking
  A great way to learn cross-country skiing at a very relaxed pace. You'll also have the chance to enjoy guided walks in the area. Walks require only stout walking boots and are typically 3-6 miles with 300ft-1,000ft of ascent.
  Available: Kandersteg (Switzerland); Seefeld Plateau (Austria) NEW
  
• Beginners
  This option is suitable for those who've never skied before and those who would like to go over the basics again. Daily trails typically last 3-5 hours with plenty of guidance and breaks for coffee, cake and hot wine!
  Available: Kandersteg (Switzerland); Cogne (Italy); Seefeld Plateau; Dobbiaco (Austria) NEW
  
• Intermediate
  This option is ideal for those who want to improve their technique, and progress to longer tours and more undulating terrain. Typical trails are 4-6 hours, requiring a good level of fitness.
  Available: Kandersteg (Switzerland); Seefeld Plateau; Dobbiaco (Austria) NEW

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Essential Holiday information

• An HF Holidays' leader will accompany each holiday to co-ordinate all local arrangements including equipment hire, advise on suitable skiing or walking areas and to lead the day's activities. Your leader will offer plenty of assistance and encouragement, particularly to beginners; the style tends to be informal rather than formal classes.

• All equipment hire and ski trail passes required are included in the cost of your holiday.

• Each holiday offers 5 days of activity plus a free day when you could ski or walk on your own or visit a local place of interest.

• For maximum flexibility local transport and chairlifts are not included in the cost.

• Where snow-conditions are insufficient to provide a full programme of skiing, your leader will organise a flexible mix of cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing or winter walking.

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Cross-country skiing equipment

Skis: Cross-country skis are narrower than their downhill counterparts and considerably lighter. They come in a variety of designs depending on the type of skiing you plan to do. Skaters use skis that are short and flat, better for their sideways strides. Classic skiers use longer cambered skis, bowed in the middle, so that when you put your weight on one ski it grabs the snow, allowing you to push off into the next stride with the other ski.

Boots: Your boots should feel like running shoes. They serve two important functions; keeping your feet dry and warm and connecting your foot to the ski. Cross-country ski boots only connect to the skis at the toes, which allows the heel to rise off the ski so you can extend your glide. Grooves on the bottoms of the boots fit over ridges on the binding to permit better control in curves.

Poles: Downhill skiers use poles for balance, but cross-country skiers also use poles to propel forwards by planting the poles slightly behind the foot at an angle. Cross-country skiing poles are much longer than downhill poles and should fit comfortably under your armpits when you stand on the ground.

Wax: In colder areas to help you glide on the snow, you will need to apply wax to the base of your skis. There are several different kinds of wax and which one you apply depends on the temperature and the type of snow. Your leader will show you which waxes to use and how to apply them.

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