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Ski club set for open house at Hallis Lake

The Cariboo Ski Touring Club is set for a beehive of activity at the Hallis Lake facility, beginning with an open house set for Jan. 8.
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The Cariboo Ski Touring Club is set to host several events in Janaury

The Cariboo Ski Touring Club is set for a beehive of activity at the Hallis Lake facility, beginning with an open house set for Jan. 8, beginning at 10 a.m. with a free pancake breakfast.

“Everything is free on that day,” CSTC director of ski instruction and director of publicity, Ron Watteyne said.

“It’s a good way to find out what the club has to offer.”

For those who would like to try their legs at cross-country skiing, but don’t have the equipment, the club has skis, boots and poles available at the rental shop in the basement of the Hallis Lake lodge.

“We have a full line, from children to adults,” he added.

“We have both classic and skating-type skis.”

Normally, for a full day the rental cost for classic skiing gear is $15 and $7 for the ski pass.

Rental of skate-type skis, boots and poles is $25 for a full day.

The rental shop is open Saturdays and Sundays and Wednesday evenings.

The Open House also marks the beginning of the CSTC 75-km challenge.

The challenge is to ski every trail at Hallis Lake.

“It’s a great way to see the entire trail system,” Watteyne said.

“There are prizes at the end of the challenge.”

Registration forms are available at the lodge and online at www.caribooski.ca.

The club is also offering  ski lessons for adults and teenagers on Wednesday evenings and hope to offer lessons on the weekends.

There are three lessons and each is 1.5 hours.

“We have four instructors now, so hopefully we can accomodate most people’s schedule,” Watteyne said.

Cost of the lessons is $60 for members and $75 for non-members.

New for the club this year is a program for elementary schools, Watteyne said.

In its first year, the program is set to host  students from three schools.

“Because it’s the first year, we didn’t want to overwhelm ourselves,” Watteyne explained.

“We want to make sure we do it right.”

Two of those schools are Parkland Elementary and École Baker.

Each school gets three 1.5-hour ski lessons at the Hallis Lake ski facility. 

In addition to learning the basic techniques of cross-country skiing, the students are able to put their new skills to the test by playing games on their skis and a trip to the adventure park.

“It’s a big hill with different-sized rolls in it,” Watteyne explained.

Also on the horizon is the Hallis Lake Loppet, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 28.

The loppet is open to skiers of all ages and their are different categories to suit all abilities.

“It’s more of a participation event than a race,” Watteyne explained.

Registration forms are availabe online, at the Hallis Lake lodge and Rocky Peak Adventure Gear.

The club also offers drop in skiing at 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings.

“We wear headlamps and ski a different trail each week,” Watteyne said.

The cost for the evening ski is $7 for adults, $3 for youths and $10 for a family.

“Our evening skis have become really popular,” Watteyne said of the program that will run through the end of February, possibly March, depending on the weather.

For more information contact Ron Watteyne at 250-992-2855, or email at 3watts@telus.net.