Nordic Skiing and Diamond Lake
25th-26th AUGUST
It was an early start with Maurice collecting us in the van just past 6.30 on Saturday morning. We met four more of our party at the Snow Farm Base which sits at the top of Pisa Range. There was little time to wake up before the lesson, in which the crew was taught the Cross-Country skiing rudiments of double-poling, diagonal striding, the herring bone (to go uphill – very awkward, and even more so to look at) and stopping. A few of us had a bit of trouble with the last essential skill and just had to sacrifice our bodies in a more abrupt (and bouncy) braking technique.
A timely lunch-break gave some skiers time to recoup their energy for a ski (shuffle) out to Meadow Hut. It was a picture-perfect day with snow-covered rolling hills and blue skies as far as the eye could see so the 2.5km ski to the hut was more a delight than a hardship. You can stay at Meadow Hut and there’s also half a dozen snow-caves surrounding the hut so that will be us next year !!! A couple keen skiers, Jane and Di, pushed on to Bob Lee Hut to complete the loop back to base. A few more decided, prudently, to mind their frames and try to perfect their cross-country skills on the trails.
All twelve of us reconvened at the end of the day, body-worn, a bit bruised, but really happy with what we’d achieved. Dinner at Francesca’s was an excellent reward.
The next day, seven of the team donned their tramping boots and headed up the 3 hour return Rocky Ridge walk at Diamond Lake. The crew got to stretch out their tired muscles from the day before and said the views at the top were totally worth it. They got a flawless panorama of Wanaka and Mt Aspiring and Handy-Nev was able to pinpoint and name each mountain.
A double-scoop icecream in Omarama was the perfect ending to a great weekend.
Anna
