Five great reasons to go heliskiing in New Zealand
First tracks every run for adventurous heliskiers: image courtesy of Methven Heliski
The five great reasons? Mt Cook, Arrowsmith Mountains, Mt Aspiring, Harris Mountains, the Tasman Glacier
The heliskiing season opens on 1 July 2010. To fully appreciate heliskiing, you will need to be a strong intermediate skier or snowboarder or better and preferably have lots of experience off piste and in deep powder. Here’s a couple of heliskiing options in New Zealand this season.
Wildereness Heliski
Wilderness Heliski is a company that, according to its own website, has sole access to helishiiing and heliboarding in the Mt Cook World Heritage area in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Prices start from $875 per person during the low season periods for five runs and lunch.
Methven Heliskiing
Ski pristine snow in the Arrowsmith Mountains. Five runs and lunch will set you back NZ$925 per person. Additional runs will cost NZ$125 per person.
NZ Adventure Specialists
You can heliski or heliboard over several mountains through NZ Adventure Specialists: from Queenstown, the Mt Aspiring National Park and the Harris Mountains (also from Wanaka), and from Christchurch, Mt Cook and Methven.
Mt Aspring National Park heliskiing will cost you NZ$1035 but you get 8 runs for this price. Ski the Clarke Glacier here which is said to have good dry powder snow.
Harris Mountains trip is the most economical at NZ$675 (2009 prices).
At Mt Cook, NZ Heliskiing can explore Liebig and Maite Brun ranges. Five ski runs and lunch costs NZ$925.
You can also book a heliskiing and heliboarding experience on the Tasman Glacier from $825 per person. You’ll only get two runs but they are each 8 to 10 kilometres long. And lunch is included too.
And if you want the snow all to yourself, private heliskiing charters are available on request.
