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Alpine and Nordic skiing couldn't be more different. A quick kick on the one hand, smooth gliding, rhythm and meditation on the other. With cross-country skiing, it is the next step which counts, not the whole. And this is where the potential for addiction comes into it!
A world of its own, that’s cross-country skiing. Anyone familiar with Alpine skiing who has never before used the 42mm cross-country skis will find it hard to anticipate what awaits! In terms of challenge and aching muscles (because the whole body is put to use) and technical finesse. But in particular the potential for addiction. Once you have found your pace, the energy can flow and you can give free reign to your unbridled joy. Original winter landscapes glide past on the left and right, far away from the ski pistes and mountain railways. And it could continue forever, this pattern of using your sticks and legs - propelling yourself forward using your own energy. Despite - or perhaps because of? - the exertion, there is a sense of peace in your body and mind.
143 km of well-maintained skating and classic cross-country trails of all difficulty ratings await in Sölden and the Ötztal valley. You can train your fitness levels over a distance of 45 km on the wide, curved, flat routes of the valley basin in Längenfeld. Or are you ready for a taste of biathlon on the sunny Niederthai plateau?
This small ‘local trail’, as we call it, starts and ends at THE SECRET and consists of two loops. The Windau loop is 900m long and virtually flat. If you want to add on the Hofer-Böden loop as well, you can cover a total of 1.9 km over an altitude difference of 12m. Ideal at sunrise or for a cool down after skiing!
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The 4.3 km Untersölden trail is classified as medium-difficult with some small ascents and descents. It leads to/from the Hotel Sölderhof via snowy meadows to the Untersölden district of Kaiser and back again. The mountains of Sölden tower up to the left and right of the valley.
A glance at the cross-country map for Niederthai reveals: this is a cross-country paradise! Easy, medium-difficult and difficult routes lead over the sunny plateau and around the snowy forests. Combine various sections with one another and enjoy an extensive and varied day of cross-country skiing.
It might look easy on TV but in reality proves much more difficult than you could imagine! Have you ever tried shooting at a target with a laser gun while your heart is still pounding from skating? You give it a try twice a week at the biathlon target shooting range in Niederthai. Have fun!
You do not need any tickets for your cross-country skiing fun in Sölden or throughout the Ötztal valley. Access to the cross-country trails is free! You can obtain your cross-country hire equipment from our partner at the Gaislachkogelbahn valley station, at Sporthütte Fiegl.
Cross-country skiing by night brings an extra dose of fascination to the fascination of Nordic skiing. The world is more peaceful and there is something magical about gliding through the wintry landscape by night. Monday to Friday in Niederthai, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Umhausen.
