TIRED of skiing down the same old slopes day after day?

If you have ever wondered if there were more to winter sports then it is time you have then it's high time that you were introduced the liberating world of cross-country skiing.

By being able to ski not only down, but also across and even up a slope, the cross-country skier can venture deep into the hushed quiet of a winter-bound landscape, far away from the queues at the ski lifts and their grumpy operators.

Now if you are thinking that cross-country requires the stamina of an Olympic athlete think again.

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“You don't have to be super-fit to enjoy cross-country skiing,” said Stuart Montgomery who heads up the leading cross-country specialist, XCUK. “You ski at your own speed and go as far as you feel like.”

One of the company's most popular destinations is Hoveringen, a tiny settlement consisting of nothing more than a smattering of farms and unassuming hotels perched on the edge of the Rondane National Park in central Norway.

With commanding views across snow-laden forests to distant sparkling mountains, the Oigardseter Fjellstue is a simple but comfortably cosy family-run hotel that is the perfect base for cross-country novices.

To get started you will find that cross-country ski equipment is unlike that used for downhill: the boots are much comfier and attach to your ski only at the front, crucially leaving your heel free at the back enabling you to ski uphill.

The skis themselves are also longer and much lighter than their downhill equivalents and fit snugly into the cross-country ski tracks, the parallel grooves cut into the snow by special machines.

Once you have mastered the straightforward cross-country technique of kick and glide you will be ready to head out on to the vast network of tracks that surround the hotel.

“When you're out skiing it's so peaceful and quiet,” says 48-year-old Cathy Fish. “I love the lack of crowds and the fact that there are no ski lifts anywhere spoiling the view.”

In these eco-aware times, there is a growing recognition of cross-country's minimal environmental impact compared to that of downhill which is far more environmentally destructive.

As well as its environmental credentials, cross-country is also benefiting from increasing numbers of people who've grown bored of downhill skiing and are now giving cross-country a go.

“Downhillers pick up cross-country much faster than complete ski novices,” says Stuart Montgomery, “consequently this season we've laid on a special fast-track course specifically for downhillers.” If all this fresh air and exercise sounds a little too healthy, don't worry, as the hotel's chefs will soon have you piling back on the calories.

Be warned though that if you're wanting a glass or two of wine with your roast reindeer, this being Norway expect to pay more than £25 for just a so-so bottle of red.

Not surprisingly then, après-ski is a low-key affair, however this isn't really a problem as the combined effect of a soporific sauna and a crackling fire will soon put pay to any thoughts of partying.

How to do it

One week at the Oigardseter Fjellstue costs £895 and includes full board, equipment, instruction and guiding, and return flights from London Heathrow to Oslo with SAS and transfers. There are options from Manchester and Aberdeen with a £70 supplement. www.xcuk.com tel: 01753 538241

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