Cross Country Ski Course: Become a Better Skier!

Course dates
2025 dates:

18th – 25th January 2025

8th – 15th February 2025

Course price

2025 price

From:

27 950 NOK

per person, no single supplement

Book this course here

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Booking

  • Easy online booking
  • Optional account to manage your booking
  • No deposit required, card details secure your place*
  • Choose your preferred type of room
  • Solo travellers – you can choose a shared twin room, contact us
  • Add any extras as you book
  • If you have any questions, please get in touch

*late cancellation charges may apply, please read our booking terms and conditions


Cross country ski grade

Intermediate to advanced. This course will suit cross country skiers with a foundation of classic technique.

See our cross country ski grades page.

Small group size

Minimum 4, maximum 9.

Minimum age

18 years

An innovative cross country skiing course in Norway

We promise that you will become a better Nordic skier during this week!

On this cross country skiing course we integrate ski coaching and movement coaching. Using this approach, we’ve seen skiers develop both their confidence and their technique. As your understanding grows, and you experiment on and off your skis, you’ll have the opportunity to make long term improvements in your cross country skiing. All of this is playful and fun so learning is easy.

A unique approach

Combining ski and movement coaching is a unique approach for a skiing course at this level. This offers recreational cross country skiers a style of coaching usually reserved for top skiers. There is a relaxed atmosphere and so the week also makes a great cross country ski holiday. Our time together is social and stimulating, as everyone makes discoveries and improves their skiing. In this friendly group environment we’ll help you to transform the foundations of your skiing.

Develop mastery while having fun

Our coaching will help you to master the fundamental skills that are key to becoming a better skier. Great cross country skiers share similar qualities: their posture is good; their balance is excellent and their movement patterns are effective. These elements can all be improved with awareness and practice (dare we say it, whatever your age!). As your understanding improves, you will continue to improve your skiing into the future. These skills are also common to many sports making cross country skiing an excellent cross training activity.

Passionate about cross country skiing

We love cross country skiing ourselves and love to coach. The group atmosphere created in these weeks is quite special as the group have fun with the process of learning, and there is also wonderful skiing in one of the most beautiful ski areas in Norway!

This course suits:
  • Cross country skiers who enjoy learning
  • Experienced cross country skiers who would like to develop their skiing and have fun in the process
  • Skiers who want to enjoy longer cross country ski tours, skiing efficiently
  • Skiers who would like to take on one of the classic cross country ski races
  • Solo travellers: the majority of our course participants are solo travellers and Venabu’s friendly and inclusive atmosphere ensures that everyone feels welcome

highlights

  • Expert teaching and coaching with two BASI nordic ski instructors.
  • A full six days skiing.
  • A supportive environment so you can improve your skiing in a relaxed group atmosphere.
  • Small group size.
  • A clear individual action plan to develop your skiing.
  • Excellent cross training benefits. The gains you make this week will overflow into your other sports and fitness activities.
  • A great cross country skiing holiday in Norway.
  • Venabu, Norway, is the perfect location for technical cross country skiing and training. There is immediate access to over 140km of superb Nordic tracks. The area is beautiful and the terrain is varied. Venabygdsfjellet has a good snow record.

Course programme

Day 1. Arrival
This evening we will meet at the hotel and have dinner together with the coaches. We will talk about the week ahead, but our more detailed briefing will be over coffee the following morning. After a day of travelling this is an evening to meet everyone and settle into your week.

19.00: Dinner is served.

Day 2

a.m. We’ll meet after breakfast for our briefing before gathering in the ski waxing room to wax the skis. There is plenty of time to prepare for skiing. This morning there’s a short ski to help you find your ski legs and see where you are with your current skiing.

p.m. Understand and develop the foundations. These are good posture, balance and weight transfer. We develop these using off snow exercises followed by on snow activity.

16.00 Pilates-based movement and recovery session. Reaffirm your learning and prepare for the following day on your skis.

19.00 Dinner is served.

Day 3

a.m. Today we focus on the different techniques of classic skiing. During a ski tour we will break down the classic ski techniques. This session is about developing your understanding of the correct movement patterns.

p.m. Integrated exercises to improve your movement patterns in the different techniques.

16.00 Pilates-based movement awareness and recovery session.

19.00 Dinner is served.

Day 4

a.m. Building on yesterday’s experience we will coach cross country ski techniques indoors. The aim is to refine your understanding and then transfer this outdoors onto skis. We will video the ski session.

p.m. Using video review we will identify which fundamental elements of your skiing to work on. We create an action plan and do further practice indoors. There is then a ski session to consolidate.

16.00 Pilates-based integrative movement and recovery session.

19.00 Dinner is served.

Day 5

a.m. Cross country skiing hill skills. A change today as we focus on cross country ski techniques for ascent and descent. These include: step turns; plough, plough turning and herringbone.

16.00 Pilates-based movement awareness and recovery session.

19.00 Venabu serves its special dinner: ‘A Taste of Norwegian Tradition’.

 

Day 6

A long ski tour to enjoy and consolidate.

16.00 Pilates-based integrative movement, awareness and recovery session.

19.00 Dinner is served.

Day 7

During the day we will accommodate what you wish to work on individually. Together we will create your personal action plan to support your ski development.

19.00 Dinner is served.

Day 8. Departure day
Departure after breakfast.
This itinerary may change to adapt to snow and weather conditions and to the needs of the group.

Each day may start with a short ski waxing session to prepare our skis and there will be a short ski specific warm up to prepare ourselves: to tune in and wake up our bodies. We finish the ski day with recovery and stretching.

Skate skiing

Although we don’t include skate skiing in this programme if you would like a skate training session then we can include one. Skate skis are available to rent from Venabu.

Your coaches:

Joy 

BASI Nordic Ski Instructor

e: [email protected]

Portrait-woman-in-outdoor-jacket
Joy O’Flanagan is an experienced BASI Nordic Ski Instructor and International Mountain Leader. She is also a movement specialist: a qualified physiotherapist and Pilates instructor. Joy is happiest out and about in the mountains: skiing, climbing or running.

Ewen

BASI Nordic Ski Instructor

e: [email protected]

Portrait-Ewen-Martin
Ewen Martin has been teaching skiing and mountaineering for 30 years. This includes Alpine, Telemark, ski touring and Nordic. Ewen is a Nordic International Ski Teacher and a German military high mountain Guide. He also works as a trainer for BASI: teaching and assessing instructors. Ewen’s expertise and enthusiasm enable him to get the very best out of each skier he teaches.

What’s included

  • Expert cross country ski and movement coaching on six days
  • A clear individual action plan to support your ski development
  • Ski waxing demonstration – we demystify the dark art of ski waxing
  • A session introducing cross country ski racing for the curious.
  • Seven nights accommodation on a three-quarter board basis: breakfast and dinner are substantial! Plus a packed lunch made up at breakfast. Thermos filled with your choice of hot drink.
  • Our special weekly food event: “A Taste of Norwegian Tradition”
  • Ski hire and ski wax, if required
  • Transfers to and from Ringebu at the start and end of your stay
A homemade blueberry tart Venabu Fjellhotell

“Brilliant!”

“The best place I have ever skied .. Brilliant! Thanks for a very welcoming friendly stay.”

Ava and Christine (UK)

Travel to Venabu

Venabu is an easily accessible three and a half hours north of Oslo.

Read more about travel to Venabu here.

Optional airport transfer to and from Oslo Gardermoen airport. You can choose to add airport transfers when you book your holiday. The service must be booked in advance.

“Fantastic holiday!”

“We had a fantastic holiday, new snow, fantastic tracks, superb hotel, food out of this world, staff so helpful and polite. Already booked for Christmas.”

Martin, Ruth and Keir (UK)

Portrait-woman-in-outdoor-jacket
Questions about your holiday?

Get in touch

e: [email protected]

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