Cross Country & Lift Passes

Can anyone help inform a discussion we are having here?

Do cross-country skiers need to get lift passess, or is that something only downhillers need?

Majority of cross country piste are lower down in the valley so no need for a lift pass, a very cheap way of skiing but too much like hard work for my liking -)

Ian Wickham wrote:Majority of cross country piste are lower down in the valley so no need for a lift pass, a very cheap way of skiing but too much like hard work for my liking -)

That's the way I looked at it too, but have no experience so thought it better to get an informed view.

Lot of lifts have no provision for walkers/cross country skiers so you are let on free. I know this as have been restricted to skiing up pistes and lifting down of late.

Here in Switzerland they do charge, as in a downhill ski area the trails have to be prepared. Costs vary depending on the length of the trails, a day ticket for a small area usually costs less than 10 Francs and one for a larger area about 15 Francs. A season pass for all of Switzerland's cross country skiing trails costs 120 Francs.

In Austria some Loipe (cross country tracks) are free, some larger resorts with a lot of prepared Loipe charge a small fee (e.g. 3Euro). I have not come across any requiring lifts, as cross country is only possible on nearly flat ground, or with small hills for skilled Langlaufers.

Downhill pistes are free for those who walk up on touring skis (but ski resort car parks are often out of bounds, and I was once caught and charged a penalty for parking at a resort then pulling touring skis out of the car). Of course, that is ski touring, and nothing to do with cross country.

Thank you for all your comments