“Look at those ladies laughing,” my husband Radek said. He nodded to his left where two women in their mid-forties stood giggling. Dressed in outdoor leggings, close-fitting caps, wind-resistant jackets and sunglasses, they didn’t look that different from me. Except, perhaps, they were having fun.
The women’s long, thin běžky (cross-country skis) pointed in a pizza-shaped wedge and their arms made near-perfect right angles with their poles planted in the snow to keep from sliding down the gentle incline.
It was a Saturday afternoon in early January, and I was standing on a groomed Nordic skiing trail in the heart of the Jizera Mountains. Known to many Czechs as the mecca of cross-country skiing, the Jizera Mountains offer almost 200 kilometers of groomed trails (during good snow conditions). The annual Jizersky 50, the country’s longest and most popular cross-country race, is held there each February.
The Jizera Mountains are part of the Sudeten mountain range, which includes the Krkonose or Giant Mountains, and forms Northern Bohemia’s border with Poland and Germany. They are easily accessible from Prague and just a few kilometers from my husband’s hometown. Like many Czechs in Northern Bohemia, Radek grew up in an apartment. After school and on weekends, he’d throw his skis over his shoulder and walk to the nearest slope. I was basically skiing in my husband’s backyard.
Although our Czech/American family liked hiking, biking, gathering mushrooms, and downhill skiing in the low-lying mountains of my tiny adopted homeland (the Czech Republic is smaller than my home state of Virginia), we hadn’t taken our children cross-country skiing. Yet.
It wasn’t that I didn’t like cross-country skiing. Much to the frustration of my husband, who’d grown up traversing the very trail we were standing on, I just wasn’t very good at it. To date, each cross-country expedition had involved me drinking copious mugs of svařák (mulled wine) to stay warm and had resulted in a very sore backside and wounded pride. Read more about my previous cross-country debacles here.)
Why would I want to subject my children to the same embarrassment?
As a mother of three children aged 14, 11, and 8, I knew enough about the hassle of winter sports with children to approach the beloved Czech tradition of cross-country skiing with caution. Keeping chubby hands stuffed into mittens, peeling off layers of outerwear in a last minute dash for the toilet, fielding typical complaints of “I’m hungry,” “Can we stop for lunch now?” and “I can’t feel my toes,” were difficult enough to respond to when we were skiing in a well-equipped resort.
How would I manage to keep the children happy when we were out in the woods alone?
In his New York Times article, “What Cross-Country Skiing Reveals About the Human Condition,” Sam Anderson declares cross-country skiing the least glamorous of all the winter sports. He says, “Cross-country skiing expresses something deep about the human condition: the absolute, nonnegotiable necessity of the grind. The purity and sanctity of the goddamn slog.”
Still, cross-country skiing involved getting outdoors in nature, which was something our children loved to do no matter the season. And, I was optimistic that once they picked up the necessary skills, they would enjoy the satisfaction of having another way to tour the Czech mountains. At the least, they’d relish being better than their mother.
“Remember, this is supposed to be fun,” Radek called over his shoulder before he pushed himself ahead of me down the hill.
I looked around me at the wonderland of whiteness, broken only by tall spruce trees lining the path and dots of color that were other cross-country skiers. My surroundings were breathtaking. I had no business complaining.
My decision was made. I wanted someone to laugh with, too. Tomorrow we’d bring the kids.
Nordic Skiing as a Family: Round 1
When I proposed a family cross-country skiing day, Radek was game. Two of our three children were enthusiastic. Our middle child offered to stay with his Czech grandmother (perhaps he intuited the learning curve that lay ahead), but his siblings coaxed him to join us.
Finding suitable rental gear on a snowy Sunday morning for three child-size novices was a challenge. Families tend to rent equipment on Friday for the entire weekend or buy their own gear as Nordic skis are cheaper than downhill equipment and give families the flexibility to ski anywhere (even in Prague’s city parks) as long as the snow is good. Eventually, we found a shop in Jablonec, a mid-size city and gateway to the Jizera Mountains. For the meager sum of $25 USD, we got the three children geared up for the day.
Radek checked to make sure the children were outfitted with běžky se šupinami (cross-country skis with non-skid pads), which would help our children from sliding backwards down the hills they were trying to climb and prevent us from having to wax the skis.
We headed to a public parking lot a few kilometers from the historic Prezidentská chata. Our plan was to repeat the previous day’s track, hoping that hot chocolate at the lodge would be sufficient motivation for our first-timers.
At the start, our children were thrilled to be trying a new skill. Once they learned how to clip the front of their boot into their skis (cross-country skis clip only in the toe to allow the foot to move up and down), they took off sliding before I had managed to leave the parking lot.
However, the length of time it took to climb the short hill at the beginning of our track was discouraging. By the time all five of us had reached the top, two of our children had fallen repeatedly, and the third had threatened to take off his skis and walk back to the car. No one was laughing.
Radek alternated between sliding and skating beside us. Every few slides, he’d stop to give instructions like, “Don’t walk. Slide.” Or “Use your arms.” While his advice might have been helpful to more confident skiers, the kids and I were doing our best just to stand upright.
Yet, unlike me, the children weren’t afraid to let gravity take them. When the path dipped down, they crouched into balls and sped ahead of me (and other skiers) down the hill. As we worked our way across the meadow and toward the lodge, we fell into a rhythm.
Anna and I slid ahead of Radek and the boys on the uphills; they caught us on the down. When we reached the lodge, the children were tired, thirsty and ready for a break. After a round of hot chocolate and apple strudel with fresh whipped cream, we headed back. Since they knew we were on the way home, they didn’t grumble or even fall much, apart from one spectacular wipeout at the bottom of the last hill over which we, thankfully, all shared a laugh.
Although the children declared cross-country skiing wasn’t as much fun as downhill, they consented to do it again. With the caveat that next time they could ski with friends. We booked a trip with another family for mid-March.
Last winter I wrote, “5 Things You Need to Make Your Family’s Wintertime Trip to the Czech Mountains a Success.” I wondered what else I needed to know to help my family ease into Nordic skiing.
Nordic Skiing in the Czech Republic
“The Czech mountains are better for Nordic or cross-country skiing than downhill,” says Michaela Žertová, an avid outdoor adventurer who dons cross-country skis in the winter and paddles whitewater in the summer. In the spring and fall, Michaela cycles and goes mushrooming. “Many Czechs prefer cross-country skiing in their own country and downhill skiing in the Alps.”
In the Czech mountains, the Nordic trails are well-groomed and prepared for both classic and skating styles. Classic style looks a bit like walking (or sliding) with skis kept parallel in grooved tracks. Skating take place in between the two sets of grooved tracks with ski tips pointed outward in an opposite wedge shape. Skating requires more strength and is typically done by faster, more advanced skiers. (At this point, in my career, I’m a slider.)
Unlike downhill skiing, no one uses a “school” or an instructor for cross-country skiing, Michaela says. Most Czechs grow up learning to cross-country ski with their families.
Nordic Skiing with Children
Still, Michaela recommends waiting until a child is 6 before taking them out to cross-country ski. “It’s more physically demanding than (downhill) skiing, and younger children mostly don’t like it.”
Another avid cross-country skier, Kateřina Pinkasová describes her experiences with cross-country skiing as a child in the ‘80s. “Nice weather on a weekend morning, off we went to Orlice Mountains and climbed the highest peak (Velká Deštná).”
Kateřina says, “We always brought both downhill and cross-country equipment with us if we went for a week long holiday. My parents preferred cross country skis though, to my great disappointment. We would leave the car in a parking lot and go on cross country skis three kilometers, carrying our downhill skis, boots and all the stuff for the week in our ancient backpacks. What a horror. If there wasn’t enough snow on the slopes, we would never use the downhill skis anyway.”
Skier and mother of four, Jolana Kouřímová agrees the sport is best suited for older children. She says, “We took our infant daughter once in a backpack chair, only on a short circle track near a restaurant with no hills, no ups or downs. I think it was a bit too crazy and people looked weird at us. Our kids can do it all now, but I think in general kids don’t find it as much fun. It’s like running, you have to grow up to like it in most cases.”
How to Get Your Children Interested in the Sport
After Kateřina’s experience with her parents, when she had children of her own, she decided to wait for the moment when they themselves seemed interested. “When we went to a chalet with a couple of families, our good friend used to Nordic ski just for fun a couple of kilometers in the evening, coming back all smiles, saying how exciting it was. That’s when our oldest said he would love to try it too. So, we bought him a pair of skis, and he seems to like it ever since. We waited for the other two kids to get a little envious about their brother and dad going on a tour together, so we bought skis for the rest a bit later. Now all of them ski.”
Most of the parents I spoke with used a similar technique. Either their children were encouraged by watching other children Nordic ski or by seeing how much fun their parents were having doing it.
What to Bring with You (As Recommended by Michaela)
Layered Clothing
A common mistake anxious parents make is to dress their children too warmly. Cross-country skiing is very similar to running or cycling, and you need breathable layers and a windproof upper layer.
Extra Gloves & Tee-Shirt
Carry an extra set of gloves and one t-shirt with long sleeves for the kids. Take sunglasses (even if the weather is not sunny) for protection against wind and snow.
Snacks & Hot Tea
Unlike downhill skiing which is contained within the boundaries of resort facilities, cross-country trails often lead into the forest with no pubs or refreshment. Check trail maps to plan lunch and snack breaks around restaurants, chalets and trailside stands. It is also useful to take a few snacks like fruit, muesli bars and chocolate. A thermos of hot tea comes in handy if children get cold or thirsty before the rest of the group needs a break.
Offline Maps & Weather Forecast
Check the snow situation www.ceskehory.cz before you go. You can use the app mapy.cz for trail maps. Since the GPS signal doesn’t work well in many parts of the mountains, consider downloading an offline version. The advantage of mapy.cz over Google maps is that you can select the winter maps with marked ski areas, lifts and cross country trails. Paper trail guides are also available at most rental stores and information centers in the mountains.
A Rope
To pull smaller kids up steep hills, a rope can be useful. ☺ (Your child is happy being towed and you are burning twice the calories by working double time.)
Motivation
To motivate her own children, Michaela often takes swimming suits with them on their cross-country weekends. After skiing, they head to a swimming pool, aquapark, or sauna to wash and relax. She also plans weekends where the first day is dedicated to cross-country skiing (the children are fresh and rested) and the second day is reserved for downhill skiing as a reward. Other treats could be a lunch break at a restaurant. From my own experience, candy and chocolate work in a pinch.
Ski Equipment
Although we rented our children’s skis, the Czech parents that I spoke with had their own gear even for the kids. If you go more than twice a year, it might make sense to invest in your own equipment as it gives you the freedom to get away from crowds and service centers and out into the woods.
Where to Go with Children (or Novice Adults)
Jizera Mountains
The Jizera Mountains are ideal for beginners, although during peak winter weekends beware of the heavily trafficked “magistrala,” which is the track where the famous Jizersky 50 is run. There is a public parking lot a few kilometers before the Prezidentska Chata, which is where we chose to start/finish our children’s first experience.
Click here for other routes. Ski rental options are plentiful.
Krušné (Ore) Mountains
Krušné hory (known in English as the Ore Mountains) are another great place to take children for their first cross-country ski experience. Although there are many trails in the region, there are two short, looped trails (5.6 km or 12.9 km) specifically designed for children called Ježíškova cesta or Baby Jesus Trail.
Along the Baby Jesus Trail (which is supposed to lead to where the Baby Jesus lives who brings Czech children Christmas presents), there are small huts with maps of the trail and tasks for the children to complete.
Stop at the tourist office in the town of Boží Dar to purchase a trail workbook for 30 CZK. The proceeds from the workbooks are used for trail maintenance.
Skiing the Baby Jesus Trail was our children’s third cross-country experience. Despite poor weather (heavy winds) and no friends to ski with, they voted it a success.
Cross-country ski rental is possible in Boží Dar at YettiSchool. Check here for updated snow conditions in the region.
Sumava Mountains
In late March last year, my children got their wish and we spent a lovely, sunny weekend sliding across the trails of Sumava with their friends. Due to excellent weather conditions and mostly flat, well-groomed trails, this weekend getaway was rated by my children (and myself) as our best family cross-country trip to date. Along with covering a distance of 20 km in a day (which was a record for them), the children enjoyed watching cattle being fed and goofing off in the snow during breaks.
We stayed in the Klostermann Lodge. Ski rentals are possible at Sport Shop Kvilda. Find trails in Sumava here.
Other trails
A quick Google search reveals many additional resources for cross-country skiing throughout the Czech Republic, depending on desired location, skier’s ability and actual snow conditions.
In early December, the Czech Tourism website posted a column in English titled Best Known Trails for Cross-country Skiing Fans. The popular Czech travel website Kudy z Nudy (Where to Go When You’re Bored), also offers several articles on Nordic skiing, including 40 Tips On Where to Go Cross-Country Skiing, 2017 in Czech) and a more recent 20 Tips On Where to Go Cross-Country Skiing, 2019 in Czech).
Bezky.net gives four tips on where to ski for beginners (listing Velká Chuchle in Prague as Tip #1). Although it has been several winters since snow conditions have allowed for much cross-country skiing in Prague, older Czechs remember winters spent sliding through Stromovka and Hvězda parks on their Nordic skis.
In Closing
As my family gears up for our second season of cross-country skiing, I am reminded of Michaela’s closing words to me, “I am not an expert on cross-country skiing with my kids. I mostly listen to my instinct and watch the map.”
I hope to do the same. If my children and I can share a few laughs along the way, even better.
Emily Gates Prucha has lived in the Czech Republic for more than 15 years. She has written about multicultural family life and outdoor adventuring for The Prague Daily Monitor and Prague.TV and currently blogs at Half ‘n Half. She joined IWAP in 2018 to meet new friends and share her experiences in this country that has become her adopted home.
