Slip sliding away

By JUDITH DOYLE

This is how you fall," our ski instructor began. "Forwards. Like this. Never backwards." Odd way to start a ski outing, I thought - but this was no ordinary lesson. It was not even an ordinary New Zealand skifield.

It was my first day at what Scandinavians call "langlauf" and it was something I had never tried, maybe because only one skifield in the country offers it. I was about to try my hand at cross-country skiing, or as it is known locally, classic skiing.

SnowFarm - opposite the Cardrona skifield - makes classic skiing its speciality. The sport involves skiing, or shuffling, in man-made "railway lines" - twin grooves, made by a mechanical digger, that snake round the hills of the 5000ha property.

I joined a class of novices, all of us kitted out with free-heel boots, skinny, cross-country skis and long poles. The long, narrow skis feel unstable at first compared to the fatter, shorter downhill skis I had been used to.

The early warning about falling was as fresh in my mind as the morning's snow. nteIn a previous group, we are told, a learner in her sixties injured her back on day one of her skiing holiday by falling the wrong way. Injuries are rare, though, in cross-country skiing, unlike downhill skiing.

Mary and John Lee, who developed and own SnowFarm, worry if they have more than six or seven injuries a season - which can be the injury tally in a single day on a downhill skifield. Because injuries are few and far between and it's gentler on ageing muscles, many older people take up cross-country skiing. One of our group is 68 and has never been on skis in her life. Others are former downhill skiers anxious to continue skiing but not wanting to risk further injury.

Six of SnowFarm's ski trails curve round the central basin, defined by wooden fencing. Others lead along valleys and ridges, into the backcountry and even up towards Mt Pisa. There are some 55km of trails in all, varying from beginner to expert levels.

We start on Main Street immediately outside the ski-hire room at SnowFarm Lodge. We practise the forward-lean and the exaggerated arm swing/leg stride - like marching but with a glide thrown in.

Soon we are on Mary's Trail, a gentle, circular run round a hill near Alpine Lodge, which the Lees built in 1999. Later, we graduate to the long, sweeping curves of Merino Glen, Hanging Valley, Sunset Trail and The Loop.

Very soon I'm proficient at skiing in the railway lines (it's not as difficult as learning downhill skiing) and gradually develop that wonderful gliding rhythm.

Towards the end of the week we set off for a full day's outing on River Run, with lunch, camera, drink and spare clothing in our packs. Like the trails nearer SnowFarm, River Run has twin grooves that have been prepared by the groomer.

I had watched this giant groomer from my bedroom window before breakfast, as it ruffled the surface of the snow to get rid of any bumps and hollows, then smoothed it over and dug out the twin grooves.

It's easier to balance when you ski in these grooves, except at sharp corners when you either step out of the grooves, or keep your inner ski in the groove while using your outer ski to control the bend - a manoeuvre that we'd practised earlier in the week.

River Run winds along the valley beside one of the many streams on the property. Great blobs of snow like marshmallow overhang the water and sometimes join to make a snow bridge across the stream. The famous Roaring Meg that later surges through Kawarau Gorge, starts in these hills.

Immense rocks rise up in the snow from time to time and one of our party sees profiles in all of them - "Alfred Hitchcock" loomed over the trail as we approached Meadow Hut.

Backcountry skiers, those intrepid souls who ski well away from trails (there's plenty of untracked snow on this property, too), can stay here in winter. In summer it's the trampers' turn.

After lunch on a timber table in the snow, we start on a long, winding, uphill trudge to Bob Lee Hut. When the slope is gentle, we can walk in the grooves, the fish-scale indentations on the soles preventing backward slide. But where it's steeper we must step out of the grooves and use the herringbone step which makes us look like ungainly ducks with planks on our feet.

Bob Lee Hut commands a great view of the Southern Alps and the Pisa Range. It's named after John Lee's father, who farmed here from 1922 until John took over 38 years ago.

The old hut is locked today as it is being used as the good guy's hideout in a film by American producer Warren Miller. Providing snow locations for feature films or advertising shoots is a good business now for the Lees.

We start for home along The Loop, hares' paw-marks dotting the slope (hares are not as unpopular with farmers as rabbits as they don't burrow into the ground).

Further along we pass a high fence which indicates another of the Lees' business enterprises: an automotive testing ground. Many of the world's leading motor companies fly their new models south during the northern summer for ice and snow testing at SnowFarm.

The car-testing business not only subsidises the skiing and pays for the maintenance of the mountain road up from Crown Range, it also funded the building of Alpine Lodge, where we are comfortably ensconced for our week's stay.

From our high trail, we're soon looking down on Meadow Hut again, minuscule from up here but a haven if you're struggling against the elements. We're not, on this gorgeous day. We revel in the sparkle of the banks of snow and the blue of the sky which deepens against the snow. This section is called Roller Coaster - up and down, up and down.

It doesn't take too long before the landscape starts to look familiar and we're nearing SnowFarm with its swoop after swoop of ski tracks bordered by fencing.

We watch one skier, clad in scarlet Lycra, who is a master at "skating". This is another variation of cross-country skiing. He takes wide, long strides, his skis rising with each skate. This is done on the groomed trails but not in the railway lines.

During our day's outing we have met just three other groups of skiers. Even as we approach the home trails, there is only a handful of skiers. This lack of crowds amazes those of us used to busy downhill ski slopes often with the threatening rumble of snowboards on your tail.

It's a tiring slog up to the lodge. That hot shower (all rooms have ensuites except for the budget rooms), long drink at the bar and delicious food - there was a Japanese chef when we were there - pulled like a magnet at the end of the 14km we skied that day.

The property's higher slopes, at nearly 2000m, are snow-covered for about three months of the year. While other farmers dread winter's onslaught, the Lees look forward to heaps of the white stuff on their high-country farm.

snowfarmnz.com

When to go

Mid-July, August, September (according to snow conditions).

How to get there

By car: from Wanaka, take the Crown Range highway and turn left 200m past the Cardrona Alpine Ski area. From Queenstown, take the Crown Range highway and turn right 1.5km from the Cardrona Hotel, before the Cardrona Alpine area. Drive up the SnowFarm mountain road to the lodge.

By air: from Queenstown Airport, take Edgewater Adventures (one hour) to SnowFarm for $45 each way. Bookings ph (03) 443 8422.

Day rates

An adult day pass costs $25 and hire of basic equipment is $20. An adult-group ski-school lesson is $20.

Accommodation

Cost of a twin share room is $300 a night fully inclusive with a 10 per cent discount for people staying the week. Two people in an ensuite room costs $1990 a week including breakfast, dinner and trail fees. Two people in a room with shared facilities costs $1600 a week with breakfast, dinner and trail fees. Ski hire, bike hire and lessons are extra.

Hire of equipment

Skis, boots and poles can be hired at Alpine Lodge for $120 a week. Learn-to-ski packages are available for $60 including introductory lesson and occasional guiding on trails.

What to do

As well as daytime skiing, there is floodlit skiing in the evenings and a gym. Fun to watch are the regular ski races held at SnowFarm: Snow Triathlon (bike, ski, run) on August 3; the Merino Muster, the largest cross-country ski race in New Zealand, on September 7; dog sled races August 22-29.

Eating out

Wanaka and Queenstown are about an hour's drive from SnowFarm but accommodation costs are inclusive of evening meals. There's also a picturesque bar overlooking the Southern Alps.

Further details

SnowFarm, ph (03) 443 7542;
fax (03) 443 9717.

Getting fit

* Aerobic exercises such as running, biking, stair walking, jump-rope or skating are excellent conditioning exercises. You should start exercising slowly and work up to 20 to 30 minutes at least three times a week before your ski vacation.

* If your leg muscles are weak, do weight-lifting exercises such as leg extensions, hamstring flexing and partial squats to build up strength in your upper legs.

* To prevent injury, the conditioning should continue even out on the ski slopes. Before going up in the ski lift, take 10 or 15 minutes to warm up by walking or stretching. Ski your first few runs of the day on relatively easy slopes so that your body has time to adjust to the exercise. Warm up and stretch after lunch and again if you are in lift lines for a long period of time.

* Being in condition will not prevent injuries if your ski equipment is unsafe. Before the ski season begins, all equipment should be thoroughly examined for any possible wear and tear and be adjusted for your weight and skill by an expert at a reputable ski shop.

* Take plenty of breaks throughout the day to rest and eat nutritious meals. Listen to your body - if you are getting cold, stop and get warm. Pay attention to trail signs and maps; stay in areas within your ability and gradually increase the difficulty of the slopes you tackle.

* Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol. Alcohol increases the risk of ski injuries and altitude sickness.

* Dress in layers so clothes can be removed as conditions change. Always wear gloves to prevent frost-bite; a hat decreases heat loss through your head. Don't forget sunscreen to keep your skin from burning and diminish your risk of developing skin cancer.