Welcome to the Lumi Experiences blog, where we share stories and tips related to our trips. It’s more than just a collection of stories though. Scroll through the posts or click the dropdown menus below to search by country, topic, and year for updates about upcoming trips, travel tips or just to check out the photos. Enjoy!
Fall is my favorite season. Hands down. The snow starts to fall, trails begin to reopen, race season is impending and the excitement on the trails is palpable. At the same time, daylight wanes quickly, loops are small and often on artificial snow and there’s a rigid training plan to follow. These are all strong cases for the benefits of spring skiing…
Read MoreAfter our article last week about the amount of energy it takes to prepare ski trails, we were sent an article about the amount of energy used to produce an alpine ski. How much, you ask? About 23 kg of CO2 or about 60 miles driven in a car. Those 23 kg of CO2 are almost equally divided between energy used for (1) materials, (2) production and (3) packaging and transport.
Read MoreIn honor of Earth Day, we are taking a look at the sustainability of skiing and ski travel. Like little canaries, Nordic skiers see and feel the impacts of climate change on our sport. What is our impact? How might we ski more sustainably?
Read MoreWinter continues in Seefeld, Austria. This week marks 5 months of daily grooming since the trails opened last November. Huge thanks to the grooming team for providing impressive consistency in such an uncertain year. The combination of an extensive snowmaking system and excellent snow conditions have made for a great base that has lasted to (and through!) April 15.
Read MoreFrom the “Wait, that’s a sport?!” desk, we bring you … Figln.
That’s right, folks: Firn Gleiten. Firn describes snow as it transforms from early morning crust (harsch) into wet, sugary afternoon Firn, warmed by the sun. Gleiten is the German word for “gliding.”
The sport of Firn Gleiten, or Figln, evolved in Tyrol from spring hikers putting very short skis in their backpacks, then strapping the skis onto hiking boots in order to glide back down the mountain on the firn snow.
Read MoreSunny spring days and cold, clear nights. Assuming there’s still snow on the ground, this is the perfect season for crust cruising. Pack your skate skis and arrive at the trail shortly before sunrise. If the groomer made it out last night, you may find some icy corduroy on the trail. Today though, you’re heading away from the groomed trails to explore the snow-covered landscape.
Read MorePlanica is a place you want to learn to pronounce. You’ll be hearing it a lot in the lead-up to the 2023 Nordic World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. Planica isn’t a village. Technically, it’s the name of a valley in the northwestern corner of Slovenia, less than 10km from the 3-country border with Italy and Austria. For all intents and purposes, Planica is a Nordic ski venue. Specifically, a ski jumping venue, best known as host of the final ski flying World Cup of the year, the last weekend in March. That’s this weekend.
Read MoreThe Holmenkollen Ski Stadium in Norway was quiet last weekend, with no final World Cup of the season. No fans camped out for days to cheer on racers. No ski jumpers flying over Oslo. Still, like the rest of the ski world, they are already preparing for events to return next winter.
Read MoreHow does a kid get hooked on skiing? I was 7 years old the first time I saw the Engadin Ski Marathon in St Moritz, Switzerland. With a mom who worked for Northwest Airlines and a dad who grew up in northern Wisconsin, travel and skiing have long been part of my life. I remember the trains and sledding a lot more than the skiing on that trip. Still, that experience had an impact. In hindsight, there are many threads that string together life experiences. For me, the Engadin is one of them.
Read MoreIn a winter where hotels are closed and international travel is verboten, almost everyone on the trail in Seefeld is local from Tyrol. Lumi Experiences trip leader Raphi got out for a playful afternoon to inspire local kids to try Nordic skiing. There is much more to the sport than racing and Raphi shares some insights into his passion for cross country skiing, along with a few tricks. Enjoy!
Read MoreGreetings ski fans! While the virtual Birkie is underway this week, it is also the start to another big event: the Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. That’s right, folks. The World Championships. World Cups happen practically every weekend, but World Champs are only once every two years. Like the Olympics, the competitions are stretched out over two weeks.
Read MoreWith snow blanketing most of North America right now, I hope you're outside enjoying winter!! If you need just a little extra inspiration, this short video should help you get out the door.
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