One day I'm going to do it, Vikingarännet. There is nothing I love more than cross-country or Nordic skating, there is nothing more Swedish, there is no better way to enjoy the winter than to get out on the lakes and skate.

Nordic skating in kind of like normal skating and kind of not. It is easier, and more enjoyable, more exiliarating. You can go long distances, see beautiful places, be out getting fresh air and lots of of exercise too. You need a good pair of boots, the type with the square toe that can also be used for cross-country skis, and a pair of blades.

You also need ice picks to hang around your neck, they are handy to have in the event that you do get out on thin ice and need to pull yourself out of the water!

Vikingarännet

Is an 80km or 49 mile marathon from Uppsala to Stockholm, along the old Viking route. It is a legendary event with entrants coming from all around the world, despite the fact that it only dates back to 1999. Vikingarännet is organised by Friluftsfrämjandet (the outdoor association) to promote long-distance skating in safe conditions and encourage membership of the organisation.

In the mere 12 years it has been runnng warm winters and unsafe conditions have forced organisers to cancel the race at least a couple of times. 2010 will probably go down in history as one of the best winters with 80km of solid track, and at least 10cm thick ice.

It was really cool today watching them wizz by. The kids and I stood on one of Stockholm's greyer days, amazed by how many people were out skating, vowing that one day we too would join the thousands of entrants.

If you too want to skate on a lake then this is the winter to do it and there are plenty of opportunities around Stockholm, in fact in many places around the country.

Alliansen is a local organisation, part of Friluftsfrämjande, for the hard-core skaters. They offer courses for beginners to tour leaders as well as guided or leader-led tours for members. Their site is a wealth of skating resources such as where there are ploughed tracks (a nice smooth track on the open ice), an equipment guide, as well as general ice information. Unfortunately it is all only available in Swedish so you might need some help with this one.

For more information on Nordic or cross-country skating in English click on the above photo - or if you need to be convinced the link will show you enough photos to have you heading to your local sports store to see if they stock all the necessary equipment.

I know the kids and I will be back out again next weekend practising, if not sooner!