The Norwegian cross country national teams left for altitude training camps in central Europe on Monday this week. The plan is obliviously to become better, but the women, the men’s regular team and the sprint team are all using different theories for how to utilize altitude and become better.
The women’s team left for Seiser Alm, Italy and 1800-meters altitude. They will do no on-snow skiing. The plan calls for only dryland training.
The men’s development and regular national team are choosing Stelvio, also in Italy. They will live at 2700 meter and snow-ski at altitudes reaching 3500 meters.
The sprint team has chosen Les Diableretes, Switzerland. They will live at 1200 meter and ski on the glacier at 2800 meters.
All team will be gone until September 10. They will train at their separate locations until the last week when they will meet in Livingo for dryland training at 1800-meters elevation. Â
There are different reasons why the teams are prioritizing differently. Women’s coach Svein Tore Samdal says that he sees little value in skiing at the high altitude in Stelvio.
– You have to ski so slow that the technique benefit is very small.
The first part of the altitude camp is however an important part in all three team’s plan for peaking for this winters Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany and in their preparations towards the Olympics in Torino in 2006, where the races will hold at altitude.
The sprint team is also choosing to do things differently than the men’s team, they won’t live as high, but will still be able to ski.
The alternative with Stelvio is to live very high or to drive far to ski. We will loose a few quality sessions this way. As sprinters we need a certain amount of speed sessions, but we have to hold back at this altitude, says coach Ulf Morten Aune.
– We have completed the first part of the planned hard training this summer before departure. We will ski only easy distance on the glacier, but will do hard sessions every other day down in the village.
Aune is planning on holding back on the effort also in the week in Livingo.
– This is the first altitude camp this season and it’s important to not train to hard. We are for that reason doing high volume also in Livigno.
Some of the waxers are also at this camp. They will be picking skis at the factories located in Central Europe and doing some ski testing.
For more information  on the training location for teams, look at these links:
Livigno: www.livigno.com
Seiser Alm: www.seiser-alm.com
Les Diableretes: www.diablerets.ch/web
Stelvio: www.dolomiti.it/eng/inverno/sport/skiarea.htm?ski=45
Â
Â
Â
