Snow bodies’ business
Skis and boards may rule but there are other ways to enjoy the snow, writes Steve Dickinson
Everyone is familiar with the two main sporting disciplines of winter: snowboarding and skiing. However, there are alternative activities to be found in New Zealand’s alpine towns, other than just making a snowman. Here are some other ideas to make the most of what’s shaping up to be a bumper snow season.
Snowshoeing
Hugely popular overseas, snowshoeing is starting to get a “foothold” here too. It’s a type of tramping that simply involves walking over snow, with the help of footwear that relocates your weight over a larger area. It has been around for thousands of years and is the original snow transport, with trappers and traders using snowshoes to traverse isolated regions.
The basic design of the snowshoe is to displace weight, stop snow building up on your feet and give you some manoeuvrability. Traditionally they were wooden frames with latticed rawhide lacings but have evolved with lightweight metals and plastics connected with synthetic fabrics.
It is relatively easy and requires no experience. Anyone who can walk should be able to snowshoe, and you get to some amazing places.
Rent snowshoes at Cardrona’s Snow Farm and walk a one- to two-hour trail around the Pisa Range, or take a guided two- to five-day tour with Alpine Recreation to explore the Two Thumb Range above Lake Tekapo. Guided Walks NZ also offers a range of experiences, including helisnowshoeing in Queenstown. snowfarm.nz alpinerecreation.com nzwalks.com/snowshoeing
Telemark skiing
Combining elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing, and named after a region in Norway where the activity originated, telemark skiers use a squatting motion on downhill skis.
You do not see a lot of telemark skiers around currently but at one stage in New Zealand it was a popular alternative to traditional skiing and was seen as very retro, hipster even. It has an unusual stance for turning, which makes it stand out on the slopes. Every turn is done with a sidestep and a movement of the knee down to the ski, like a curtsy.
As in other ski disciplines, telemark contains basic equipment such as telemark boots, special bindings, and telemark skis, all of which can be hired.
One of the benefits of telemark skiing is gaining access. Long pieces of synthetic fabric, known as skins, can be attached to the bottom of the skis, which can help you to travel uphill in the backcountry.
Again, Alpine Recreation offers guided tours in Lake Tekapo High Country.
Cross-country skiing
There is a lot of similarity between telemark and cross-country skiing and often both come under the banner of Nordic skiing. But cross-country skiers rely on their own propulsion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or skins. They will either stride forward (classic style) or move side to side (skate skiing), with the help of their ski poles.
Overseas, cross-country skiing is widely practised for fitness and as a leisure activity and most major ski resorts have a cross-country region, some more than hundreds of kilometres.
It is hard work and nowhere near as easy as it looks. While experienced cross-country skiers can go out on the snow and travel anywhere, at some skifields there is also the option of travelling along railed grooves cut into the snow by a machine.
You can cross-country ski to huts from Cardrona at Snow Farm, New Zealand’s only purpose-built, cross-country skiing facility.
Snow tricycle
This form of snow fun looks a little odd, yet it is so much fun — it’s as easy as riding a bike, actually easier. They have been around for years and have developed into high-tech products. With a basic bike framework, the main difference is small skis instead of tyres. There are lots of variants on how they operate and not all ski fields allow them. But there are places that hire them and will advise where to go. hillstrike.com/rent-locations facebook.com/snowtrikesnz
Safety
If you are heading out into the snow, you have a responsibility to keep yourself safe. Relying on your cellphone is not enough. Ask for advice, get the right equipment and start with a guided tour to see if you like the activity and want to spend the time learning. Snow, wherever it is — backcountry, mountain, ski resorts — is a lot of fun, but it does need to be treated with respect. For more information about snow safety, get tips and information from mountainsafety.org.nz
For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz Check traffic light settings and Ministry of Health advice before travel at covid19.govt.nz