03.03
2014 Mountain activities

To make learning cross-country skiing more entertaining, fun spaces have been created in the French Nordic skiing areas, with moguls, modules, figurines… and even sometimes a ski lift!

To make learning cross-country skiing more entertaining, fun spaces have been created in the French Nordic skiing areas, with moguls, modules, figurines… and even sometimes a ski lift!

 “Over the last few years, play areas have appeared in numerous cross-country ski resorts, and we encourage this change”, says Thierry Gamot, Director of Nordic France. These are initiation areas with small moguls, figurines, poles…to learn sliding and balance by having fun. These areas – which are often used for events – are generally located at the start of cross-country skiing pistes, but separated from sledging areas to avoid collisions. Some have snow carpets or small ski lifts to take learner cross-country skiers to the top. These are either free, or accessed with a cross-country skiing pass.

On the plateau de Beille (Ariège), two fun cross-country skiing areas coexist - one at the entrance to the Nordic site, with moguls and modules; the second slightly steeper, with raised turns, figurines, poles and a small ski lift. Every Saturday during the school holidays, a ‘Race for Laughs’ is organised for beginners in the snow-front area. The aim : to encourage children to learn cross-country skiing. Métabief (Doubs) also has two fun zones, one on the Fourgs site, the other at Mont-d’Or. Along the same lines, they offer learner Nordic skiers hoops with bells, a mini-slalom, objects to pick up…

These fun zones contribute to giving a younger, more fun image to cross-country skiing.This reinforces the current renewed interest in this sport, in which our athletes have won lots of medals", underlines Thierry Gamot.

Amongst French cross-country skiing resorts with fun zones, you will also find:

Les Saisies (Savoie)

Le Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie)

La Bresse (Vosges)

Autrans (Isère)

Molines-en-Queyras (Hautes-Alpes)

Val-d’Azun (Hautes-Pyrénées)©Plateau de Beille

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