Get Ready for the Most Grueling Cross-Country Ski Race of Your Life [PICTURES]
Listen up all you winter sports lovers! February 11 and 12 are the perfect excuse for you to fulfill both your need for cross-country skiing and getting out of the states. That’s the time you need to be making your way up to Quebec, Canada for the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM), the longest, and perhaps most grueling cross-country ski race on the planet.
And guess what? You don’t have to sit on the sidelines.
Every February, diehard cross-country skiers from amateurs all the way up to professional racers, flock to the Laurentian Mountains, just north of the Ottawa River, and take part in this two-day event. Overcoming all the physical demands often means covering as much ground as 160 kilometers.
The course is broken down into 16-kilometer segments, with aid stations available at the end of each leg, while the trail stretches through beautiful woodlands and gorgeous countryside.
Don’t worry folks, not everyone is cut out for this kind of physical stunt, which is why you can opt for one or more shorter race legs along the way.