totally nordic
independent cross country ski instruction
Independent cross country ski instruction.
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What we do
Trips & Locations

Hochfilzen

05/02/11 – 14/02/11 All Levels + Koasalauf ski marathon (for those who wish)

13/02/11 – 20/02/11 Skate Week.

20/02/11 – 27/02/11 Classic Week, learn the art of classic skiing & waxing.

Our trips combine first class cross-country ski instruction on some of the world's best trails, with the challenge of taking part in accessible 'ski marathon' races.

Hochfilzen is home to the Austrian ski federation and is the national training centre for cross country skiing and biathlon. It is connected to a vast network of ski trails that run for over 120 km with easy skiing around the town of Hochfilzen and more challenging tracks on the biathlon world cup course. Or ski down to St Ulrich which hosts FIS continental cup cross country ski races. We plan to use both training centres for this week leading up to the Koasalauf ski marathon weekend, which is only a short trip to St Johann.


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The plan in brief
The week will have world class ski instruction in classic and skating techniques, video work some days and trips to some of Austria’s best kept secret cross country ski trails around the Hochfilzen and St Johann area. There will be ski waxing classes, and for those who wish, a chance to take part in the Koasalauf Ski Marathons at the end of the week.
The coach & instructor
The week will be led by Alan Eason, one of the UK's leading cross-country ski instructors and a former British cross-country ski champion. Alan is ski school director and head instructor at Australia's largest cross-country ski resort, Lake Mountain, and has taken part in FIS Cross-Country Ski World Championships and many ski marathons. We will also be using other instructors over the week to give a more individual instruction and coaching when needed.
Who is this trip for?
The week for both experienced skiers and those who are new to skiing on snow for the first time (but have good fitness and preparation). An interest in racing on snow is not essential, as the Koasalauf weekend is for all - racers and non-racers.

If you have any doubts about the trip's suitability let us know and we can advise.

If you are preparing for other ski races or other longer skis later in the season, this will be an ideal week of training and instruction, and will fit in well with roller skiing.

Logistics and planning for the 5th - 14th
Training & instruction
The week will start with the fundamentals of classic and skating. Each day the lessons will be broken down into small and simple steps which produce a greater level of progress in classic and skating. The programme for the week will be structured to each person's needs, and what they would like to improve on.
A few days before the race there will be a trip to the race location to ski parts of the course, test skis and wax, go shopping and relax.

Each day there will be two training / instruction blocks, classic and skate and in the evenings waxing talks, ski selection information and videos on training methods.

For those who would like to have a go at a sport that is a little different, then Hochfilzen has a 3 km long toboggan run and a restaurant at the top for an evening meal then a fun ride back down into the village.

Skiers are not expected to attend all sessions, and are free to explore the trails.
With Hochfilzen so well situated, we can ski from the village each day, and make regular trips to St Ulrich.
Hochfilzen hold the first of the central European biathlon world cups, and do whatever they can to have this event up and running, this means that there is always snow on the biathlon and cross country loops.
If anyone would like to stay on after the week, there is the option to head to some of the alpine slopes in the area and lean telemark skiing, and also do some ski touring up into the mountains using local guides.