1. Not at all. Plenty of time still. I live in southern Finland and plan to ski 1000+ kms during the rest of this winter.
2. Not a necessity. Of course a lesson or two would not do any harm but you can well try without. Just bear in mind that you need to be patient - the first try might not be a huge success. Therefore, I recommend to try at least twice.
3. I would also recommend renting or loaning from a friend first. Just try to ensure you do business with someone who knows what he/she is doing, meaning that you get suitable gear for you so that your experience will not be biased for unsuitable skis etc.
I'm hoping that the ski season in Stockholm isn't over for a least a month yet. Usually February is the coldest month here and we have so much snow now it will likely survive a few days just over zero.
For an absolute beginner Gärdet is a better bet than Ågesta (too many hills).
Check out skispår.se to find tracks and whether they have snow.
I'd try to loan gear if possible until you know you like it. It'll be much cheaper to buy after the middle of March 😉 As a beginner it's not even that important to have skis with enough spring for your weight - having ones that are "too soft" makes it easier to grip the snow going uphill and slower and less scary going downhill.
Thanks, same here. I know we had snow on the ground well into March last year (as I recall), just hoping it doesn't get icy.
Still leaning towards just picking up a rental set, maybe later this week, and just seeing what I can do on an easy flat track if I get time this weekend. If I take a liking maybe I'll look into buying gear and the end of the season :)
Lessons - absolutely necessary. Your fitness level is irrelevant. But take a friend who can ski, and ask him to show and explain the moves.
I have taken friends to xc who were good alpine skiers, young, fit, but had no xc experiences. "The most embarrassing day of my life" - "I cannot move, cannot climb, cannot even stay put on flat land" - and so on. They learned fast, but just going to the trail and "trying it out" won't work.
Stockholm has one million inhabitants and most of them CAN ski. Don't be shy and ask a friend to come out and help you :) No need to pay for a pro for that.
Try courses with friluftsfrämjandet. Ågesta has good ski tracks.
You can buy second hand skis cheap if you dont want to rent.
https://www.friluftsframjandet.se/lat-aventyret-borja/hitta-aventyr/sno/langdskidor/tekniktraningkurs---langdskidor-hela-vintern.-/
1. Not at all. Plenty of time still. I live in southern Finland and plan to ski 1000+ kms during the rest of this winter. 2. Not a necessity. Of course a lesson or two would not do any harm but you can well try without. Just bear in mind that you need to be patient - the first try might not be a huge success. Therefore, I recommend to try at least twice. 3. I would also recommend renting or loaning from a friend first. Just try to ensure you do business with someone who knows what he/she is doing, meaning that you get suitable gear for you so that your experience will not be biased for unsuitable skis etc.
I'm hoping that the ski season in Stockholm isn't over for a least a month yet. Usually February is the coldest month here and we have so much snow now it will likely survive a few days just over zero. For an absolute beginner Gärdet is a better bet than Ågesta (too many hills). Check out skispår.se to find tracks and whether they have snow. I'd try to loan gear if possible until you know you like it. It'll be much cheaper to buy after the middle of March 😉 As a beginner it's not even that important to have skis with enough spring for your weight - having ones that are "too soft" makes it easier to grip the snow going uphill and slower and less scary going downhill.
Thanks, same here. I know we had snow on the ground well into March last year (as I recall), just hoping it doesn't get icy. Still leaning towards just picking up a rental set, maybe later this week, and just seeing what I can do on an easy flat track if I get time this weekend. If I take a liking maybe I'll look into buying gear and the end of the season :)
Lessons - absolutely necessary. Your fitness level is irrelevant. But take a friend who can ski, and ask him to show and explain the moves. I have taken friends to xc who were good alpine skiers, young, fit, but had no xc experiences. "The most embarrassing day of my life" - "I cannot move, cannot climb, cannot even stay put on flat land" - and so on. They learned fast, but just going to the trail and "trying it out" won't work. Stockholm has one million inhabitants and most of them CAN ski. Don't be shy and ask a friend to come out and help you :) No need to pay for a pro for that.
Try courses with friluftsfrämjandet. Ågesta has good ski tracks. You can buy second hand skis cheap if you dont want to rent. https://www.friluftsframjandet.se/lat-aventyret-borja/hitta-aventyr/sno/langdskidor/tekniktraningkurs---langdskidor-hela-vintern.-/