Norwegians treat cross-country skiing the way the British treat queuing — a national practice absorbed in infancy — and Sjusjøen, in the hills above Lillehammer, is the gentlest place to join in: 350 kilometres of groomed trails rolling through spruce forest and open fell. Lessons get complete beginners shuffling happily within a morning, and the workout is sneakily enormous. February has the most reliable snow and forgiving gradients. The trailside waffle huts are not optional; they are the point.
Featured in Ten winter adventures beyond the ski piste · Adventure