Sight-Skiing Trips Overview Austria & Italy Norway Slovenia Factory Trip: Austria & Slovenia
Worldloppet Trips Overview Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga Marcialonga & King Ludwig France - Transju' Tartu & Finlandia Seefeld & Engadin Norway - Birken Iceland - Fossavatn Australia - Kangaroo Hoppet New Zealand - Merino Muster
World Cup Trips Overview Tour de Ski 2025 Trondheim World Champs Norway - Holmenkollen World Cup
Self-Guided Overview Austria & Italy: Seefeld & Seiser Alm Norway: Oslo & Lillehammer Canada: SilverStar & Sovereign Lake Canadian Rockies: Canmore, Banff & Lake Louise Montana & Yellowstone Vermont

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Lumi Experiences

As the world’s premier cross country ski travel company, Lumi Experiences offers boutique trips that introduce travelers to winter cultures where nordic skiing is a part of everyday life — from Austria to New Zealand. It’s a ski vacation like no other.

Lumi Experiences was founded by Minnesotan cross country ski Olympian Garrott Kuzzy, who is currently based in Innsbruck, Austria.

Along with a fun-loving team of local trip leaders, Garrott shares his passion for skiing and travel with people who want to experience snowy villages, crackling fires, forest gnomes and warm apple strudel.

After a week with Lumi Experiences you will be physically healthier, mentally calmer and totally invigorated. Our guests rave about their expert trip leaders, wholesome meals, comfortable accommodations and local libations poured and savored often. That’s what it’s all about!

 
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Ways to Travel

Lumi specializes in small group experiences for people who love cross country skiing, whether you’ve been skiing for years or getting out for the first time. Our range of trip styles includes:

Sight-skiing Trips

Week-long guided group adventures to some of the world’s renown cross-country ski destinations.

Sight-Skiing Trips →

Worldloppet Trips

Guided group trips that are similar to our Sight-Skiing trips, but with the opportunity to ski a marathon or two.

Worldloppet Trips →

World Cup Trips

Unique access and opportunities at international Nordic World Cup & World Championships events.

World Cup Trips →

Self-guided Trips

For just you and your crew. We take on the lifting and logistics, so you can relax and explore.

Self-guided itineraries →

Trip Protection

Follow the link to learn more about travel insurance →

 
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Our Lumi Experiences trip had an exceptionally talented group of trip leaders. It was well planned and full of fun surprises that enhanced the experience. Sledding was a hoot, and skiing to our hotel afterwards was awesome. I love the Dolomites and the Tyrol. Austrian curling was a blast. First class care and attention to detail made this a trip of a lifetime for us.”
— Jane & Mike Mandli
 
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WHO WE ARE

Lumi is a collection of people passionate about cross country skiing, travel and sharing our favorite places and experiences with new friends. Here are a few of the faces behind Lumi:

 
 

Garrott

Lumi Experiences was founded by Garrott Kuzzy. After traveling the world as a member of the US Ski Team and competing in the Vancouver Olympics, Garrott has spent the past decade sharing his favorite destinations and experiences through active travel. Garrott and our team of expert trip leaders would love to host you on your next ski vacation.

Lauren

Originally from Seattle, Lauren lives near Craftsbury, Vermont, where she is part of the Lumi behind-the-scenes team wearing lots of hats to help keep trips gliding along smoothly. She spends her winters in her cross country ski boots, either clipping into her Nordic ice skates or skis depending on the conditions. When there’s no snow or ice, she enjoys biking and running the gravel roads and trails around Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Beyond Vermont, she loves to travel to other rural landscapes for active adventures with friends, always fueled by good food. Ask her about snorkeling in Nova Scotia or biking in Sardinia.

 
 

Trip Leaders

Your trip leaders are your connection to the world you are experiencing. Heading to watch a World Cup event? Holly has skied 74 of them and knows many of the athletes personally. Skiing the Dolomitenlauf and Marcialonga? Kathi and Valentina each grew up on opposite sides of the Austrian / Italian border, but both speak German and Italian with native fluency and enjoy sharing memorable phrases. Got ski wax questions? Raphi has extensive experience waxing for the US Nordic Combined and Austrian ski teams.

 

Trip leaders Holly, Kathi, Anna and Raphi prepare a little surprise on the trail in the Italian Dolomites."

 

More than their experience, each trip leader is passionate about sharing their region and culture with you. The trip leaders are the first thing most guests highlight when reminiscing about their trip. Here is a sample of several trip leaders you might have on your next Lumi Experiences trip.

 
 
 
 

Anna

Anna, living in Villach, Austria near the Italian and Slovenian border, spends most of her time outdoors, She also speaks fluent German, Italian and English which comes in useful on cross-border adventures.

She has skied many of the European ski marathons as part of the Salomon team and particularly loves long-distance classic events. Anna recently moved from Seefeld back home to Villach to help run her family’s lumber business. You will often find her hiking, biking or running in the Alps and in the winter Skijöring with her dog Finn. Ask Anna about her experiences skiing the Dolomitenlauf, Marcialonga and other ski marathons.

 
 

Adele

Adele is a long-time bicycle tour guide and alpine ski instructor who fell in love with cross country skiing in the winter of 2020 when France’s ski lifts were closed. She lives close to Les Saisies and enjoys heading to the plateau for a few km whenever she has free time. Ask her about summers surfing on the French coast.

 
 

Annette

Annette has ties to both the US and France. She lives in Bois D’Amont, one of the villages along the course of the Transju’ and has a long history with the event. As past Event Director and Board Member, she loves to share her passion for France’s Worldloppet event. Ask her about her travels to many of the Worldloppet ski marathons.

Elena

Elena, from Italy, has been guiding for decades. In the summer, she leads groups on bike tours through Italy. Her winters are typically spent as an alpine and telemark ski guide in France...when she is not leading Nordic ski trips in Italy and Austria. Between seasons, Elena can be found kite surfing and adventuring on her own. Ask her about lava-rock skiing on the Mount Etna volcano.

Elisa

From Lake Garda near Verona, Italy, Elisa leads walking and cycling trips in the summer and teaches cross-country skiing in the winter. She considers the Dolomites her home and especially loves the scenery and grooming at the Passo Lavazé trail network, above Cavalese, Italy. Ask her about her favorite walks and experience skiing the Marcialonga.

Holly

Holly Brooks is originally from Seattle. Shortly after college she moved to Anchorage, coaching for the Alaska Pacific University Ski Center. In 2009 she set a “crazy dream goal" of making the 2010 Vancouver Olympic team and when she did, life took an exciting turn. Holly spent the next four years competing in two World Championships, another Olympic Games and earned the first-ever US team World Cup relay medal. Holly is also a 2-time American Birkebeiner Champion. Upon retirement from professional ski racing, Holly spent a season competing in Worldloppet ski marathons around the world. Today she runs her own private practice, Holly Brooks LLC, and is a professional counselor specializing in the athlete population. Be sure to ask her about twin toddlers, sports psychology and Alaskan adventures!

Kathi

Kathi, from Carinthia, Austria, has spent a lifetime on the Nordic ski trails and alpine slopes throughout the region. Growing up in the three-country border town of Villiach, Kathi grew up speaking German and Italian, even going to high school and earning her degree in Italy. She spent several years coaching the women’s national team. In the summer, you can find her hiking or exploring new mountain bike trails. Ask Kathi about the pump-track she rides in her back yard.

Krissi

Krissi, from Tyrol, Austria, has spent her life growing up in the Alps and playing outside, on foot, bikes and skis. She is also almost impossible to catch on a sled. When Krissi isn’t exploring the Alps, she’s busy collecting passport stamps on her world travels. Tokyo, Cape Town, Los Angeles and Hong Kong are all cities she’s been to this year. Be sure to ask about how she spends so much time on the road… or in the air.

Matija

Matija, living in Jesenice, Slovenia, is a native Slovenian speaker, and speaks fluent English, Italian and German as well.

He spends his summers as a bike tour guide and winters on skis in the Alps. Between seasons and trips, Matija travels with his teenage daughters on adventures across Europe. Ask Matija about growing up in Yugoslavia and childhood adventures across the border to go shopping in Italy.

Oumar

Oumar, from West Africa, lives in Minneapolis. He was Captain of the ski team at St. Johns University. Later on, after interning with Salomon and working as an Event Coordinator for Minneapolis ski shop Gear West, Oumar founded his own business. Ask him about being trailside when Jessie won the first-ever individual gold medal for Team USA during the World Championships in Slovenia last winter!

 
 

Petra

Petra, from Austria, has spent a lifetime on the Nordic ski trails and alpine slopes throughout Tyrol. Most years, she teaches English in her hometown. A sabbatical this year has given her more time to ski on her own and lead us through some of her favorite trails in Tyrol. Ask her about her recent bike tour around New Zealand’s north and south islands.

Polona

From Hribi, Slovenia (Hribi meaning mountains), Polona works for an outdoor apparel company during the week and on weekends, she teaches ski lessons and guides mountain bike tours. Ask about her favorite places to ski in Slovenia and which Worldloppet ski marathons she completed to receive her Worldloppet Master gold medal.

Raphi

Raphi, from Tyrol, Austria, has spent most of his years and free time skiing, climbing and running through the Alps. Raphi coached at Stamms, the world's oldest ski academy, and spends most of his waking hours outside. He is also a wax technician for the US Nordic Combined team in Europe. Ask Raphi about the two years he spent saying "ya to da U.P., eh?"

Valentina

Originally from Bruneck in South Tyrol, Italy, Vale has spent a lifetime skiing in the Alps and exploring the world. She grew up skiing in Toblach and Antholz, two of Italy’s most renown ski areas and spent several years coaching at the Ski Academy in Mals. Currently, Vale works as a physical therapist in Bolzano, when she is not outside playing in the mountains. Ask her about traveling the length of South America or which four languages she speaks fluently.

 
 
 
 

From the Founder

Lumi Experiences is a small travel company offering cross country ski vacations to some of the world's renown destinations. We see cross country skiing and travel as a way of life and want to share that experience with you.

Does your ideal vacation include skiing fresh corduroy beneath snow-capped peaks? Someone to wax your skis for you? A hotel close to the trail with a relaxing sauna? Raising a cold beer with friends to celebrate the day? You have come to the right place.

Take advantage of our of expertise in cross country skiing and professional travel design. We take care of the details and logistics so you can relax and enjoy your vacation. Fill out the form below for a personal follow-up and more information about our trips. We would love to host you on your next ski vacation.

See you on the trail,

 
 
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Founder, Lumi Experiences

 

Looking for more? 

Send a quick message to receive a detailed itinerary of any of our trips, or simply to say hi. We look forward to hearing from you!