Last week the Year 12 and 13 Outdoor Education classes each had a trip to the Snow Farm, in Wanaka.

With the ski fields getting increasingly busier, and the accommodation harder to book, the brand new 36-bed Musterer’s Hut and relatively quiet trails of the Snow Farm were a godsend for getting the boys into a snow environment.

Using only cross country skis helped level the playing field between those who had skied previously and those who were new to it, and while there was still the opportunity for those who wanted more challenge to ski off the trails, we were able to better cater for a range of abilities.

As well as skiing, the groups also got to spend time tubing, going night skiing and building snow caves (and sleeping in them, for the brave). The classes also learnt about avalanches and using transceivers.

After some initial pessimism, with not being able to ski or snowboard, the groups’ unanimously agreed that it was a ‘better than expected’ experience. It has also opened the student’s eyes to using the back-country for skiing and snowboarding. Being able to have fresh snow, no crowds and limited boundaries is very appealing. As such, ski touring and split-boarding may now be on their radars.