By André Santos
Spain and Portugal are known for their beautiful cities, sunny beaches and great local food. But for cross-country skiers, they are also known for their possibilities for training camps, where they can combine training at high altitude with training sessions by the ocean. Now that the winter is coming and some athletes look for good training conditions during the autumn, we created a guide to show you where to train in the Iberian Peninsula.
Asturias – Home of the Angular
Located in the north of Spain, Asturias is a territory with some of the highest mountains in Spain. What makes this region special is the conditions for training, with more than 1,700 kilometers of roads for rollers-kiing and cycling. When training in Asturias, you will find steep uphills, just like the famous Angliru with a 23,5% grade, which is the location of one of the most hard cycling races in Europe. What about double-poling up the hill there? And unlike other parts of Spain, you will not find many cars on the roads.
The Pyrenees – The best ski location in Spain
There are a lot of places where you can go for a training camp in the Spanish Pyranees. The most known location is Beret, the home of the only long distance cross-country ski race in the Iberian Peninsula, Marxa Beret, which takes place at Plan de Beret at the altitude of 1,860 meters. During the winter, you can find groomed cross-country ski tracks, where you can ski for hours alone since it is a relatively unknown cross-country ski spot. During the summer, the roads are in great shape for roller-skiing and cycling, with maximum gradients around 10%. The region is known for its stunning views and picturesque villages, and you will be on the border with France. So, what about tasting that mix of Spanish and French cuisines after a long roller-skiing session?
Sierra Nevada – Training with a view to Africa
Located in the south of Spain, close to the old arab and exotic city of Granada and to the Mediterranean Sea, the Sierra Nevada, the third largest mountain range in Europe, is the national park where you will find the highest peak in Spain and Europe's southernest ski resort. There are not many places in the world where you can rolle-rski or run at the altitude of 3,000 meters during the morning and then enjoy a nice swim in the Mediterranean sea in the afternoon. There is more road traffic than in the northern resorts, but you will be challanged by its altitude. You can start roller-skiing from almost sea level to over 2,000 meters and then go running with your poles to the Mulhacen Peak at the altitude of 3,482 meters. And if the weather conditions are good, you will be training with a view to Africa – how exotic is that?
Mallorca – Summer training paradise for long distance skiers
The most known location for summer training, the island of Mallorca, attracts skiers during the off-season. A lot of Pro Teams competing in the Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour go there during the spring and autumn, because of its great training conditions. The place is perfect when the weather is not so nice for roller-skiing in Northern Europe. You will find warm and predictable weather, a mixture of terrain with uphills, downhills and flat zones where you can prepare for all the races of the Pro Tour. During your training camp, and on a day you feel fresh, you can try the Puig Major/Col de Soller climb. With its distance of 10.6 kilometers and average grade of 6%, it is the longest climb on the mountain. It is a true test for your Vo2Max whether you do it double-poling or striding.
Portugal – An unknown destination for summer training
If you don't want to face too many people while training like in Mallorca, you can always go for a training camp in Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal. There are a lot of roads in good conditions that take you to the highest point at 1,993 meters where the only ski resort in Portugal is located. It is a place with stunning views and demanding uphills, and you can train there for days on the trail network of about 300 kilometers at the altitude of almost 2,000 meters or just relax on the fluvial beaches. At the end of the day, you can recover by having some local cheese, which gives you enough fat for the next day’s long training session.
So, when you start planning your autumn training camp, consider these spots. If you are looking for roller-skiing challenges, sunny conditions, stunning views and great food, there are several options for cross-country skiers in the Iberian Peninsula.
