The valley

Heading up the valley as the sun spills over the surrounding peaks is an exhilerating start to the day.  Crisp, clear mountain air, uncrowded trails and an excellent snow record, make Livigno a great place to start to the ski season.

Riverside

Ski tracks follow the river valley, weaving across meadows, past traditional farms, through woods and up the valley sides.

The first hill

Head away from the ski stadium up the valley and there's a deceptive hill - it may not look dramatic but the long, gradual incline really gets the lungs working and tests technique.

The village of Livigno

Old stone farmhouses with animals stabled on the ground floor stand alongside smart shops and chalets.  Churches reach for the heavens as they rub shoulders with duty free supermarkets.  Livigno mixes charm and commerce in its pedestrianised lanes, with free ski buses skirting the long village.

Cornering

[Click to see full image]

Coach Peter Moysey worked hard to get us cornering better - get down low, hands out front and step round - he made it look so easy.

Ballance

Every year Livigno hosts an international ice sculpture competition, Art in Ice.  We hadn't checked out the titles when posed in this one called Ballance [sic] - but it was the most appropriate one for cross country skiers.  Balance, co-ordination and rhythm being the essentials of cross country ski-ing.

Author at Art in Ice

I'm posing amongst the Art in Ice sculptures in the afternoon sun before having a delicious, thick hot chocolate in the adjacent bar - we had time to relax too.

Sunshine colours

It was warm enough to sit on the terrace in the sun and display your true colours?

LRNSC skiers

Time for a chat - discussions about technique or which shop to visit ...

La Sgambeda start area

16.12.07 10.30 am, -18C at the start area for La Sgambeda race.  Time for a last minute warm-up before heading off on your choice of the 42 km or 22.5 km distances.

Some of the LRNSC racers

And they smiled after the race too ...

More LRNSC racers

I'm disguised as number 2231.

Another pair of LRNSC racers

Who's going to be first over the line?

Peaks in the clouds

Livigno is set in a broad valley at around 1800m ringed by majestic peaks.  It's good for nordic and alpine skiers alike.