These cross-country skiers seemed keen to pursue their sport through thick and thin, as they made their way to the Goms Valley in Switzerland on Monday on just a fine layer of snow.

The Goms region is well known among skiers for its picturesque Nordic tracks that stretch over 100km, thanks to its location 1,300m above sea level.

Skiers usually go there from as early as November to whizz through the snow-covered landscape.

But a white Christmas has become a rarity in most parts of Switzerland over the past few years, according to a report by news website swissinfo.ch. Last weekend saw temperatures rise to unseasonable highs. Meteorologists expect the earliest snowfall to arrive only after the New Year.

News website Mail Online noted that the shortage of snow in the Alps has led to an increase in accidents in recent years as more skiers cram onto narrow runs.