The alarm goes off early. It’s still dark outside. I blink away the sleep, have a good stretch and swing my legs out of bed. We have a lot planned today. First we’re going cross-country skiing ourselves, then we’ll watch the pros at the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding. So a hearty breakfast is a must. And at this hour, we have it almost entirely to ourselves. Other guests only gradually start trickling into the breakfast room. By then, we’re already fueled up and ready to hit the trails.
Off to the most beautiful trail in the region
“Your best bet is to head up to Hemmersuppenalm,” a local tells us. Up there, 40 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails await, and they’re supposed to be especially beautiful. We take the advice and catch the shuttle bus up, which runs about every 30 minutes. The bus has snow chains on its tires. There’s no access by car. We wind our way uphill along a snow-covered road that also serves as a sledding run. Outside, snow-covered trees rush past. It’s truly idyllic here.
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Cross-country skiing in a winter wonderland
Our timing is perfect. As soon as we arrive, the first rays of sunshine appear. We strap on our cross-country skis and, just a few meters later, find ourselves completely alone in a winter wonderland. Everything feels so peaceful and unreal. Nature is in a deep winter sleep, tucked beneath a blanket of soft snow. Snow crystals sparkle in the sun. The wide-open alpine pasture lets our gaze wander into the distance. It’s so beautiful here. The thought keeps coming back to me. And as we ski, our eyes dart from left to right, trying to take it all in. Two and a half hours fly by.
A stop for refreshments
Skiing makes you hungry. A glance at the clock tells us there’s still time for a quick meal. We head back toward the shuttle bus, but first we have a fairly steep descent to tackle. As a cross-country skiing beginner, I still find going downhill a bit of a thrill. Concentrating hard, I make it around three steep bends in a snowplow and am glad when I can finally take off my skis. Made it! I’ve almost worked up more of a sweat on those last few meters downhill than I did skiing on the flat. Now we’ve really earned the mushroom dish we order at the Hindenburghütte.
My first cross-country skiing event
Until my first attempts at cross-country skiing in October , I didn’t really care about the sport. Now I’m at the point where I’m watching the Biathlon World Cup in Ruhpolding LIVE. I’ve never been to a cross-country skiing event before, and I don’t know what to expect. I’m excited to find out. We have tickets for the men’s relay and spots right by the shooting range. Hopefully that’s where we’ll see the most.
An electric atmosphere at the Biathlon World Cup
The atmosphere in the stands far exceeds my expectations. Surrounded by biathlon fans, we’re packed shoulder to shoulder on the steps right in front of the shooting range. Suddenly, it gets louder. I look around. All eyes are fixed on the track in front of us. People are shouting, cheering the athletes on and throwing their arms in the air. I follow their gaze and spot the three biathletes racing neck and neck. They’re gone as quickly as they arrived. What a thrill!
I guess I still need a little more practice
Even as we’re leaving the stadium, I’m still amazed by how fast the biathletes are. I think back to my attempts on the trail that morning. While the pros make it look so easy, every step was a challenge to my coordination. And I’ve already improved a lot since I started. I’ll probably never be as fast as the biathletes anyway. But I’ve discovered a new sport for myself, and I’m looking forward to finding more beautiful trails like the one at Hemmersuppenalm.