It sounds exactly like that Guardian article made it sound, even if not exactly like Winter Holiday (damn the lack of blizzard and complete solitude!). I am glad that you got to do it and that you had a good time, and also that you got the crack open under your feet because that is surely part of it! Though definitely best on the third day. At least XC skiing I don't have to worry about the ice beneath the snow on lakes because if it can bear the piste basher it can bear me.

I'm interested that you didn't find your figure skating skills much of a benefit, but that the motion was more like skiing, since I went skating for the first time in 20 years post Yuri on Ice and found that I was much better than I had been previously due to skiing!