UK-bound, puzzled
 

Hey fellow RSNers,

I just accepted a job offer at a university in the UK (Leicestershire). I am prepared to rollerski most of the time, but where would the closest XC skiing be (suitable for a weekend visit)? Also, where's the closest wilderness/solitude backpacking? I haven't seen any "woods" on my drive from London to Leicestershire, only non-fields and sheep. The Apls seem to have only huts/hotels, so I am likely staying away.

UK-bound, puzzled
 

runcyclexcski wrote:
Hey fellow RSNers,

I just accepted a job offer at a university in the UK
(Leicestershire). I am prepared to rollerski most of the time, but
where would the closest XC skiing be (suitable for a weekend visit)?
Also, where's the closest wilderness/solitude backpacking? I haven't
seen any "woods" on my drive from London to Leicestershire, only
non-fields and sheep. The Apls seem to have only huts/hotels, so I am
likely staying away.

Look for cheap Norwegian (or Ryan if you have to!) flights to Oslo?

Terje

--
- Terje.Mathisen at tmsw.no
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"

UK-bound, puzzled
 

On Thursday, July 4, 2013 2:43:13 PM UTC-4, Terje Mathisen wrote:
runcyclexcski wrote:

Hey fellow RSNers,



I just accepted a job offer at a university in the UK

(Leicestershire). I am prepared to rollerski most of the time, but

where would the closest XC skiing be (suitable for a weekend visit)?

Also, where's the closest wilderness/solitude backpacking? I haven't

seen any "woods" on my drive from London to Leicestershire, only

non-fields and sheep. The Apls seem to have only huts/hotels, so I am

likely staying away.



Look for cheap Norwegian (or Ryan if you have to!) flights to Oslo?



Terje



--

- Terje.Mathisen at tmsw.no

"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"


Terje - yes, good one, and this is what I will do for sure for extended trips. But I also need regular weekend getaways.

UK-bound, puzzled
 

Found this place:

http://www.skiweardale.com/about.html

I wonder if anyone has skied there!

UK-bound, puzzled
 

On Thu, 4 Jul 2013 11:09:40 -0700 (PDT)
runcyclexcski wrote:

Hey fellow RSNers,

I just accepted a job offer at a university in the UK
(Leicestershire). I am prepared to rollerski most of the time, but
where would the closest XC skiing be (suitable for a weekend visit)?
Also, where's the closest wilderness/solitude backpacking? I haven't
seen any "woods" on my drive from London to Leicestershire, only
non-fields and sheep. The Apls seem to have only huts/hotels, so I am
likely staying away.

I suppose these folks would know about snow and probably other
adventures: http://www.rollerski.co.uk/. If I've got my people right,
isn't Daruba (sp?) in England and related to doogiski
(http://nordicxplained.wordpress.com/)?

OTOH, Andrew Musgrave seems to train everywhere in Europe but England,
while his sister does hers closer to home.

Gene

UK-bound, puzzled
 

On 7/4/2013 2:09 PM, runcyclexcski wrote:
Hey fellow RSNers,

I just accepted a job offer at a university in the UK (Leicestershire). I am prepared to rollerski most of the time, but where would the closest XC skiing be (suitable for a weekend visit)? Also, where's the closest wilderness/solitude backpacking? I haven't seen any "woods" on my drive from London to Leicestershire, only non-fields and sheep. The Apls seem to have only huts/hotels, so I am likely staying away.

I have heard Scotland is the place to go!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...rsports.skiing

http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.co...ry-ski-tracks/

UK-bound, puzzled
 

I have heard Scotland is the place to go!
I'll second that.
But just remember this is a small island crammed with people into
villages towns and cities with narrow winding ancient roads and
merciless autostradas we call motorways, so travelling any distance to a
place of interest can be fraught, particularly for winter sports.

I believe our friend may be going to Loughborough University, its known
for its sporting activities and support.
Patrick Winterton our leading sports commentator and former British
Nordic Ski manager went there, he's now with Eurosport and covers
Adventure and Nordic activities.
The Cairngorms are a mountain range in Scotland in a rough triangle
Inverness, Aberdeen, Pitlochry.
Aviemore in the west has the Cairngorm Biathlon and Cross Country Ski
Club with Mike Dixon our former biathlete and now also a Eurosport
commentator. Its a DH ski centre but trails are cut thru the low lying
forests. Huntly in the east (inland from Aberdeen) has a thriving Nordic
Ski Centre in the town with tracks on matting and trails laid in the
nearby Clashindarroch Forest, which is a snowholding miracle and catches
the snow blown off the high mountains.
Both places are in the forefront of developing our nations skiing
youngsters.
This specific area is an absolute delight for mountain walking in
wilderness conditions over centuries old tracks and forest trails alone
or in groups sometimes with the chance to travel light and sleep in old
derelict shepherds hovels they call mountain bothies.

I sent an email to our friend giving webpages with club info, race
venues and locations for rollski activities. WH Smiths is one shop on
the High Street which has dozens of magazines on display for all outdoor
sport activities. Shops selling clothing for these activities also sell
guide books, trail guides etc which our friend will find interesting.
So he won't be puzzled for long!
DD

UK-bound, puzzled
 

Just as an aside-
We've heard only recently via the press that Americans coming to UK for
the Olympics, Royal Events and Wimbledon etc are arriving with an
inbuilt National belief that British Coffee is unpalatable.
Quite surprising since we import the best coffee grains from around the
world for our domestic use and its the lower grade coffee shops like
Starbucks and Costa which seem to attract our visitors.

We are told that US troops arriving here during the second world war
gave rise to this belief. Our nation was under seige, we were not
getting imports from anywhere so we made coffee substitute by grinding
chicory root.
Another puzzle solved
DD

UK-bound, puzzled
 

On Sunday, July 7, 2013 6:50:09 PM UTC-4, dardruba wrote:
I have heard Scotland is the place to go!

I'll second that.

But just remember this is a small island crammed with people into

villages towns and cities with narrow winding ancient roads and

merciless autostradas we call motorways, so travelling any distance to a

place of interest can be fraught, particularly for winter sports.



I believe our friend may be going to Loughborough University, its known

for its sporting activities and support.

Patrick Winterton our leading sports commentator and former British

Nordic Ski manager went there, he's now with Eurosport and covers

Adventure and Nordic activities.

The Cairngorms are a mountain range in Scotland in a rough triangle

Inverness, Aberdeen, Pitlochry.

Aviemore in the west has the Cairngorm Biathlon and Cross Country Ski

Club with Mike Dixon our former biathlete and now also a Eurosport

commentator. Its a DH ski centre but trails are cut thru the low lying

forests. Huntly in the east (inland from Aberdeen) has a thriving Nordic

Ski Centre in the town with tracks on matting and trails laid in the

nearby Clashindarroch Forest, which is a snowholding miracle and catches

the snow blown off the high mountains.

Both places are in the forefront of developing our nations skiing

youngsters.

This specific area is an absolute delight for mountain walking in

wilderness conditions over centuries old tracks and forest trails alone

or in groups sometimes with the chance to travel light and sleep in old

derelict shepherds hovels they call mountain bothies.



I sent an email to our friend giving webpages with club info, race

venues and locations for rollski activities. WH Smiths is one shop on

the High Street which has dozens of magazines on display for all outdoor

sport activities. Shops selling clothing for these activities also sell

guide books, trail guides etc which our friend will find interesting.

So he won't be puzzled for long!

DD


Hey-hey,

Thanks a lot for the great response! I am actually going to Leicester U to teach biochemistry and biophysics. Know of any sustained rollerski climbs in the East Midlands? Anything above 500 ft elevation change counts!

Is that WH Smith store in Loughborough? If yes, I should pay it a visit as soon as I move!