A week of it - activities at the Snow Farm, Cardrona Valley, Central Otago

Over the years I've posted often about my predilection for cross country skiing at the Snow Farm, so this week I thought I'd share more of the flavour of the place. It's rather unique for New Zealand, as it incorporates not only skiing, but vehicle testing and a whole lot of other things.

My preferred activity is to ski out to the area boundary alone on dusk. This is a privilege I appreciate very much, and comes about due to a long friendship with the owners. This view is looking north towards Lake Hawea. Sometimes it's possible to see Mt Cook from here...


Bob Lee hut on the skyline...


On my return I often meet JP on the trail. He lives in a tent all season near Meadow Hut, and often works at Biathlon coaching at the Snow Farm or ski patrolling at the nearby by downhill terrain park area [yet another aspect of the facilities], so being an athlete in training he runs up to the Snow Farm from that area at a slightly lower altitude, and then skis mostly downhill on cross country skis to his little home...

While most people know the Snow Farm as a facility for recreation on the snow, the real business in the area is the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds. While it's summer in the north cars, tires, car parts, snow blowers etc. are tested at 12 large building facilities all scattered around a very large area and largely hidden from the public.

When it's all boiled down to it machines like this grader on the right, or the groomer below are what keeps the life blood of the area flowing, night and day...






But this is more the scene I experience in the dark. Traveling on light skis on good snow and trails at this 1500 mt altitude is amazing. Not just how the stars twinkle, but the enormity of the space that they sit in...


During daylight hours this is more the scene the public knows...


And if the wind if good, then not far from the car-park this is a preferred activity for sometimes up to a doz. brave souls...


In another area or zone there are skidoo tours. Here is a group of several setting off. The two helicopters in the back ground are dropping off a wedding party, but they are also often seen parked up here, assisting with the filming of commercials or movies...


A wedding party heading away from the helicopters to go dog sledding...




Meanwhile the latest cars to be tested cruise by, all upholstered so people like me can't take photos that are of interest to auto magazine editors...


The bride is encased in furs for her sled tour - Siberian huskies are used predominately...


The sledder or musher harnesses the team...




The groom heads off following...


Meanwhile the world's top athletes train and race both classic and skate nordic skiing...

And lastly today, I did yet another tour with my good friend Vicky. We knew a severe weather system was coming, but decided to sneak in a trip to Meadow Hut. It caught us on the return.

From the moment we left we encountered Antarctica like temps. and an absolutely cutting and ruthless southerly wind. It was interesting to observe myself and feel the old apprehension again that arises on meeting such bluntness, then to remember [and practice] that the first prerequisite of being safe in such conditions is to be calm of mind!

Maybe minus 15 oC and 30-40 knots - makes for an extreme wind chill factor. Camping was not an option as we groped our way back...


It's important to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. In these conditions icicles were forming in the small hairs that populate the entrance to both my nostrils, and I had to safeguard against frost-nip [mild frost bite] to the flesh on my cheeks below the glasses, but the beard really does help elsewhere...


And this smily lady was on her way back to the Lodge - her job to clean the two huts in the area ready for the next groups - often from schools. She stopped on her skidoo to check we were OK, so out with the camera! ...


So it's a pretty interesting place. I sometimes liken it to Disney Land, but every winter at some point I'm reminded these are real mountains, and it's a total privilege to have access to them on my doorstep, and to be able to travel lightly amongst them with great people!

An early start to skiing

I started cross country [nordic skiing] several years ago and one reason for the switch from downhill was that the only area in NZ where you can indulge in this addictive sport [world wide it's much more popular, with good reason, than downhill], is on my doorstep at the Snow Farm up the Cardrona valley.



Since those early days I've realised through observation that the area, on the lower Pisa range, gets rather unique weather. In fact storm systems that come from east or slightly either side of, demand respect. We've just has such a cycle, and as expected, we're skiing early this year.

Dave and I started climbing and tramping back in about '72, and in '74 we became consummate ski bums, with a nomadic flavour: that year we skied at every Sth. Island ski area, and eventually published a guide book about them all. However the book was minor - it was the contacts we made and the adventures, especially ski touring, that were to mould our perspectives of travel in our wonderful mountains. He lives locally like myself, and it's pretty special to ski with him every winter...


Our ski days are based around this lodge - in bad weather we stick close to it. Other times we can range far and wide if the grooming allows us to use lightweight ski equipment. For me it feels like dancing on a good day, but this aside I really like being able to travel in this wild alpine environment, with no noisy lifts, and especially not needing to carry mountaineering equipment...


Adjoining the ski area is a larger business - the proving grounds for cars and accessories, even snow blowers, where testing can be carried out capitalising on the fact it's winter here right now, yet summer where all the gear is made in the northern hemisphere. So in places there is a lot of gear about just waiting to be used...


The light today was extraordinary - here we see a less common view of the Remarkables...


About 20 of us indulged on the perfect snow...


Meanwhile the next weather system approaches. This one is a classic: warm moist air coming down from the north and heading in a south east direction exactly towards us. Meanwhile the scene is set for cold dry air from the south to drive under this tomorrow. This pushes up the warm moist air, and as per the laws of physics when moisture laden air is forced to rise it can't hold as much water as it cools. It's going to be interesting!

The big "A", Mt Aspiring...

Earthquakes, solo ramblings in the Pisa, and a good friend realises a dream

It's a tad humbling to be posting benign photos as I look, right this moment, at the photos coming in from the unbelievably strong earthquake in Chile. Not for the squeamish!

My mundane story this week is that I set off yesterday with full bivy gear to push the boundaries of where I've been tramping before in the southern Pisa Range on my doorstep - to intersect the 4wd route explored with my cousin over the last few weekends, but this time on foot.

However at about 1200 m it turned cold and was very windy and unpleasant so I pondered my plan in the shelter of a low rock outcrop [self portrait - just love them: 10 secs. to get in position!]...


Making landscape photos is an excellent way to procrastinate, as especially as I realised I could do this one from the shelter I was snoozing in. I certainly spent sometime looking at the wrinkles and texture in the background and wondering what geological and weathering events caused them, and over what time-frame...


Once again in my outdoor's life, I realised the mountains were not at home to me for this trip - a night bivying even higher would have been miserable despite the full moon, so I made the descent to less windy climes and home - the return from whence I'd come [upwards sweating lots] an hour or two beforehand...


I reckon these cows know me, as I have a habit of doing this trip every year or so. I'm always a sucker for their kind and innocent eyes...



On another note I was recently pondering the very minor part I played in my friend Alexei realising his dream to coach at the Winter Olympics. Over two winters ago we [nordicnz.com] decided to aim for the stars for a new coach for the kids we help with cross country skiing at The Snow Farm, and so we posted a Situations Vacant on the web site I'd created and host. I think Alexei may have found it by accident and a few months later I found myself with a flat mate for the winter, and what excellent company he was! That was two good winters ago and look where he's ended up as the NZ Coach => www.wp.umpi.edu/ski/ [which is a excellent blog on his day-to-day experiences at Whistler]

It's tempting to think it was all cause and effect, but it's not that simple. We attract what we think about, and the salutary point I make here is, if we're not careful, we attract what we don't want also!

A busy week, a short storm and the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games

In the week past I was able to relax again into some pretty steady work after too many diverse things going on over the last few weeks. Weeks before this I somewhat thoughtlessly volunteered to help for a couple of days right now on the cross country skiing aspects of the inaugural New Zealand Winter Games, and as the time grew nigh I was fretting a bit that I'd have to sacrifice a few things. However as it turned out yesterday I did not miss competing in the prelude event, the Snow Farm's Merino Muster - I simply did not feel the need to ski 21 Km to the tune of a clock.

As it turned out, just like last Sat., I really enjoyed pottering around town and home noting the first signs of spring, and having Dougal about. And besides, as forecast the high cloud moved in a bit and last night, to the consternation of friends organising the first Nordic ski event in the Games, it rained heavily in town - a warm rain too, which is not good, however the snow line was just low enough as it turned out.

I was away from home in the dark for my time keeping job at the Games this morning, and made these dawn shots when I arrived in the car park at the Snow Farm...




As my job demanded an alertness out of keeping with such an early start I contented myself with making photos of the start/finish area...


Not a rainbow as such, but more an ice crystal bow...


Helping on these events is both mentally and physically demanding, but I do find it's a really good way to get to know people, as we're often teamed up with another local for 3-4 hours, and during the quiet moments we can learn quite a lot. In this case it was one of my client/friends Andrew who has done many expeditions diving and camera work in Fiordland and Antarctica - two of my favourite places, so it was far from the "sacrifice" I've mentioned above. Andrew has been diving doing film work for more than 35 years around Fiordland, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, Otago and the subantarctic islands. too and with such a broad knowledge of the natural world, is really interesting company.

Andrew gets a mention in this rather long page of text, but there are some great still shots

Yoga, getting balance, Elwing and Fiordland Earthquakes

I started yoga some years ago to experience what it'd be like as a preliminary to my winter sport of nordic skiing, but by this autumn and early winter it'd become something I've embraced in it's own right, especially when a certain type or flow, started proving itself as suited to me when taught by Laurie of Hawea Flat. She is going back to her roots in US soon, so I've been making the most of the opportunity to learn from such a skilled teacher, and her wise words: "Just remember the greatest beauty of our inner teacher"

Laurie and mist over Hawea Flat...


To me one aspect of yoga is what I call "opening" and in the process learning to observe self and breath. The interesting thing about this concept is it aids us in releasing stored emotions and hurt in areas of our body. I guess we start laying these down in childhood. I've realised lately that my current feelings of being more emotional are linked to the 3-5 hours of practice I'm doing weekly.

We all deal with a myriad of feelings day-to-day such as concern for our children, relationships and the suffering we see with others. Despite this I was quite surprised last Sunday to find myself out in the beginnings of wild weather doing a tour in the evening at the Snow Farm, and getting to a windy saddle and just staying there for as long as I could re-centering and getting balanced. Wilderness and wild conditions are a gift to me!

Savouring the view toward Lake Hawea and End Peak by the Dingle Burn, with the Criffel Range in the foreground, all with a great storm coming - our first for weeks...


Looking across the saddle I was standing on, with Bob Lee Hut on the sky line. You can see how the prevailing wind [right to left] has been slowed by the fence enough so the snow being transported could fall to the ground...


The trail I was using, suited to the Classic style of cross country or Nordic skiing...


On July 15 we experienced the most amazing earthquake here in Wanaka. I always enjoy these, but this one was such that after I'd indulged that passion I became concerned about who had been affected, and I must say I was amazed with how I found out so much within 15 mins. using my iPhone. I was pretty sure it had been in Fiordland and this was confirmed, so then, as I've done when down there on the yacht Elwing, started wondering how my friends who were there again sans Dougal and myself had fared.

Elwing anchored by Spit Island July 08...


In light of my current heightened emotional state this morning I found myself pondering that Elwing was named after a Tolkien character and the name relates to the mist from a waterfall glistening in the moonlight. I know her to be one of the loves of my life, and yes she's kept us safe, and even today I still marvel how ships like her can have a female persona. I used to think they're inanimate objects, but to me she is much much more. Why is this? That I perceive her as forgiving, responsive, dynamic, rhythmical, stable, considerate, warm and loving - an angel really!

Arthur ferrying putting us ashore from Elwing in Preservation...


Being concerned I contacted Bluff Fisherman's Radio and at least found out Elwing was still afloat and all were well, but I've had to wait until their return to get the real story and it's been published by our friend Charmian who was on board and works for the Otago Daily Times. It's a scary and sobering tale, but sure enough Elwing kept everyone safe while she worked uncompromisingly with her skipper Arthur. Quote of the year surely has to be Arthur's "Look out! We're in the trees. Start the engine, Barb!" ...more>>

Dog Sledding

I've been up cross country skiing a bit this week, but left it quite late each day. Anything to escape the cloud and see the sun as it's been miserable in Wanaka town itself for weeks now, where as up on the mountains the landscape has been bathed in sun most days.

On one of my regular "beats" a friend of mine was doing a photo shoot with prominent New Zealand dog sledding enthusiasts, so on Thurs. evening I popped into Meadow Hut for a brew and catch up. It was hard to tear myself away from the fire though and get back on the skis for 5 Km back to Lodge...




Once again descending the access road I was struck by the tonal values of the landscape in terms of photography, so stopped to make this quick photograph of the Branch Creek catchment in the Cardrona Valley...


This week I'd like to draw your attention to the wonderful selection of winter photos on James McGregor's Met VUW web site

Rites of passage and learning to let go

According to Wikipedia a rite of passage is a ritual that marks a change in a person's social status, which was exactly what I was realising last night as I attended my son's first formal as a gentle bouncer stationed on the edge of the light, to keep wayward souls in, while another layer of professional security behind me in the darkness seemed to not only do this, but keep wayward strangers out!

The concept of learning to let go, as a parent, first came to me from another parent of older children about 18 months ago. Since then I've been sort of waiting, hopefully prepared to handle myself well, while reviewing my strategies in life and in the outdoors - my hope being that in the outdoors' environment with it's lessons [so far consistently non dramatic] we'd be paid back for the investment.

The process is speeding up now though, and two weekends ago I was jolted out of my comfort zone when Dougal asked if he could float down the Clutha with friends from the outlet of Lake Wanaka. The trip is gorgeous and so was the early evening, and as the trip is basically obstacle free, I went into check list mode to help him prepare well - the ritual gave me some comfort!

Looking upstream up the mighty Clutha...


After I'd dropped him off and they'd launched their array of rafts and lilos I came home for a cuppa then drove down to the pull-out spot at Albert Town and waited and waited.

Did I mention how I waited!?? I had to learn the lesson of patience and tried some landscape photography, but the camera only really got used in earnest for this shot of them coming into view with the lower Dean's Bank in the background...


Contemplating the past I've realised the whole game now is more subtle, but that the rules are just same.

It was easy a few years back - just state the activity, ask if it was OK and then lead, letting them think they're leading, while we hover nearby...


Preparing for a short 100m trip along an historic mine shaft in the Dunstan Mountains, in Central Otago, but near home...


We're parked up waiting for cousin Michael while near Moonlight, on our way out from Ben Lomond Station behind Queenstown...


And all of a sudden last night I wished him well - now a young man embarking on "a rite of passage"


By 3 am I was throughly confused as we never agreed on what time, in regards to daylight saving changes, he'd be back from the after-party [held at a secret location], and he'd not shown up. The plan was hourly buses would drop them back at Mt Aspiring College - thankfully only 10 mins. walk from home. So I drove around the block a couple of times and never saw a soul except one parked/hovering police car in my street. So realising the futility of it all I turned in thankful for all the time we've spent together in the hills and otherwise - the mileage gave me trust.

The trust was not misplaced - minutes later he turned up, and said he'd missed the first bus, and that he enjoyed the "formal" formal, but found the after-party "interesting". Elaborating this morning he said it was his first time observing the affects of alcohol, and how it changed the behaviour of many people he knows quite well.

I guess wilderness values and concepts have taught us both to trust, detach and observe!

We're off on a Rees/Dart 4 day tramp next weekend. With any luck we'll do a side trip up, past the Dart Glacier, to Cascade Saddle.