Getting on a tram on a Saturday morning in January with my skis, I feel the eyes of almost every passenger on me. I’m not bothered – several centimetres of snow fell overnight and I managed to rent the last set of cross-country skis which, along with the ski poles, I am holding tightly in my hand.
I get off at the bus stop for Bielański Forest in the north of Warsaw, the frost pleasantly prickling my face. I attach the long narrow skis to my boots and do a few warm-up exercises; everything seems to work alright. I can set off…
Poland doesn’t jump, Poland runs
In truth, cross-country skiing should be the Polish national winter sport instead of ski jumping. It is difficult for normal mortals to pop to a ski jump in a spare moment to imitate the exploits of Kamil Stoch, but anyone can clip on cross-country skis and go for the burn on them for several kilometres. Buying the kit is not such a great financial burden compared to, say, buying downhill skis and boots. And, in one day, it’s straightforward enough to learn how to ski reasonably well and get about effectively.
Even when only a few centimetres of snow have fallen, you can cross-country ski in the mountains, at the coast and on the lowlands; in the countryside and in the city. ‘City’ cross-country skiing in particular is seeing a marked revival and, across the country, groups of enthusiasts are getting together to discover cross-country skiing. There are multiple benefits to this type of recreation: exercising outside in the winter is inherently healthy, while cross-country skiing improves fitness and works on almost every muscle group. A one-hour cross-country ski burns between 500 and 700 calories, which can also be excellent ‘atonement’ for the excesses of Christmas.
Mr Tadeusz
Warsaw’s Bielański Forest is one of the most popular places in the capital for cross-country skiing enthusiasts. Thanks to being made a nature reserve in 1973, it has managed to retain its natural character, inherited from the primeval Masovian Forest, despite being practically in the city. Within the forest, numerous walking and skiing trails are marked out, which are excellent for cross-country skiing when blanketed in snow. There are several places to rent skis in the vicinity, and during winter weekends you can sign up for training with an instructor.
Upon entering the forest, I immediately spot the tell-tale parallel tracks left by someone starting from the same place. I was last on cross-country skis 10 years ago but, all in all, I move forward rather well. The snow is light, crunchy and fast, so as my endorphin level rises, I go faster and faster. Just as I am speeding along like Justyna Kowalczyk, an elderly gentleman in a tracksuit is coming down a side trail on a collision course and I realize that I don’t really know how to slow down; particularly when travelling down the ‘ruts’, like a tram on rails. Wanting to avoid a crash, I simply fall over on my side. This is how I meet Tadeusz, who has been skiing in the Bielański Forest for 30 years. “I worked at the Warsaw Steelworks for fifty years and founded the trade union cross-country skiing club. We trained every weekend; there were winters when here, where we are standing now, there’d be a group of more than a hundred people,” says the elderly gentleman, helping me up. “In the past, we had proper snow, and for the whole winter!” Tadeusz recalls. His greatest dream was to cross-country ski down the length of Poland, from Władysławowo (on the coast) to Zakopane (in the mountains). But just as he was ready to do so… he was refused holiday. The vigorous old man skis off and, as he leaves, issues an invitation: “Unusually, I don’t have the kit today, but next week at the same time I’ll be waiting for you with my skis.” I reply that I’ll try to be there and I set off as well; it’s starting to get cold and it’s time to warm myself up.
Snow whisperer
Cross-country skis are matched more to the weight of the skier than to his or her height. There are models on the market suitable for all types of terrain and ability, so first you need to decide where you are going to ski. On the slide, under the binding, most of the newest skis have a surface like fish scales, which gives a better kick off and prevents backsliding. Of course, cross-country gear also includes special bindings and boots, but we leave it to the reader to decide on the model and system. We recommend taking advice from a cross-country skiing shop. The editorial team of “Przekrój” would like to take this opportunity to make a short public service announcement: support small specialist sports shops!
One good solution for your first cross-country outing is to use a cross-country ski rental shop. There are more and more such places – you can find them in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz (and certainly in many other towns); just search the internet. “People find us mainly through Facebook,” says Marek, who runs one of the ski-hire shops in Bielański Forest. “If there is snow, you need to reserve equipment for the weekend a couple of days beforehand. Unfortunately, one never knows with snow,” he complains, and goes on to sum up the 2016/17 season. “We only had 17 white days throughout the whole winter. A bit too little to earn anything decent, but we managed to survive.” This year, Marek is counting on a solid, snowy winter. He has imported new equipment from Austria and is also planning weekend group classes and several larger events for skiers from all over Warsaw. “I just need it to go white early on and stay like that through to March. People won’t have any other choice. We will all be cross-country skiing,” he adds hopefully.
Renting a set of skis, boots and poles costs around 30-40 zlotys (£6-8) per day. The cost of second-hand gear is around 100-600 zlotys (£20-120) and the cost of new kit will depend on how deep your pockets are.
Kick step
After an hour on the snow I am moving rather fluently on the skis, and am now quite warm. I take in the Bielany nature reserve at a gentle pace. I have seen two deer, a wild boar and covered several hundred metres at Olympic speed when a ‘killer’ dog starts chasing me. The owner of the four-legged beast tells me in no uncertain terms that “the dog needs to run and generally speaking people don’t ski in the woods.”
Actually, you don’t ski in the woods; you run or walk. The technique for cross-country skiing is very natural and akin to running. The basic move is the kick step, part of the classic technique. The skis move, in turn, in parallel and, at the moment the legs come together, the skier kicks down on the ski, which is carrying all the body weight. The arms work alternately to the legs and the poles help the skier to maintain balance. You can work on this technique by yourself, but at the start of your adventures with cross-country skiing it is worth investing in an hour with an instructor, or linking up with people who already ski. A bad start can kill off the chance to discover a new passion for cross-country skiing.
Asthma and nerves
Justyna Kowalczyk, the undisputed queen of cross-country skiing, regularly delights Polish fans at the highest levels of competition; gold at the Vancouver Olympics and later, a historic moment for Polish sport in Sochi. Thanks to the successes of Kowalczyk and Tomasz Sikora, Poland has rediscovered cross-country skiing. However, at the professional level, the rivalry happens right on the limits of the rules. For several seasons now, there has been much discussion about the plague of ‘asthma’ among the best professional male and female skiers, and their use of banned substances. Our champion woman has publicly admitted to experiencing depression as a result of the continual pressure.
Frightening wild boars at night
I return to Bielański Forest and Mr Tadeusz. Here, people cross-country ski for health, pleasure and fun. “Once upon a time I used to ski mainly at night. That’s when the snow is best and, with a full moon, you don’t even need a torch. I knew that I would be short of sleep because I went to the Steelworks for six in the morning, but I went skiing anyway,” the old man tells me during our meeting in the forest. “My wife thought that I had a lover, but the boys from the club and I were frightening wild boars in the woods at night,” he adds, recalling how one of his friends was so badly trampled by a wild boar that they had to carry him to the nearby Bielany Hospital. I don’t expect such strong emotions from cross-country skiing, but I decide to go on a night-time expedition at the first opportunity.
Pending
Unfortunately, the snow didn’t even last until the next evening. However, I am keeping my skis to hand just in case; I hope that it will soon turn white again.
Waiting for the right snow conditions – which is taking ever longer recently – is probably the only serious drawback of recreational cross-country skiing.
Translated from the Polish by Annie Krasińska
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