How to have the perfect day of heli-skiing

Heli-ski is the ultimate adventure! To ensure your best day ever, discover the essentials you’ll need, from gear and guides to terrain and snow conditions.

Heli-skiing is the ultimate adventure and takes you into a different world full of beauty and excitement. To make sure you have the best day of your life, you’ll need a few essential things: 

1. The right gear: Before you make your way to the heli-base, be sure to have the right gear. Here is a rule of thumb: The fatter the ski the better. We recommend to have a least 110 mm underfoot to weightlessly float over deep snow. Don’t forget to put enough layers on, it might be warm in the valley but the temperatures are certainly much colder up high. Before you board the helicopter HMH provides you with avalanche safety equipment and our guides show you how to use it. 

2. The right guide: We are very proud of our experienced and highly trained guiding team at Harris Mountains Heli-ski. They know the terrain like the back of their hand and where to take skiers and snowboarders according to their abilities. A lot of time and effort goes into making sure that they know exactly which conditions are out there to keep everyone safe. Some of our guides have been heli-skiing for over 30 years so you won’t find anyone with more knowledge and experience. And the best thing? Even after all these years they still love what they do and are the first ones to get excited on a good day.

3. The right pilot: Harris Mountain Heliski teams up with The Helicopter Line and Aspiring Helicopters, two of the most reputable operators in the Southern Lakes Region. Their pilots have an immense amount of experience in flying in this challenging terrain. Safety always comes first which is why the pilot always has the last say in where to land. Check out the interview with Nigel Gee, one of our most experienced pilots. 

4. The right terrain: With HMH pioneering heli-skiing in New Zealand, this means we have secured the best terrain for heli-skiing. We have an extensive variety of exclusive terrain to cater for all abilities of skiers and snowboarders. Our guides can choose from 11 separate mountain ranges and over 400 runs that vary between 2000 to 3500 vertical feet of treeless skiing in sheltered basins, bowls and wide rolling mountain flanks through to steep and gnarly chutes.

5. The right snow: The Southern Alps are unique in that they receive maritime weather systems that dry out as they cross into our terrain east of the Main Divide delivering quality powder right where we want it! Because of the huge elevation change between mountain tops and valley floors you can have a day of great powder skiing high in the mountains while looking down into the green paddocks and hills. Truly a unique experience! 

6. The right provisions: Now that you have the perfect gear, guides pilots, terrain and snow, there is only one things missing - the perfect food! But don’t worry, we got you covered. Each day of heli-skiing comes with a lunch break during which we serve up sandwiches, hot soup, tea, juices and water. All of that happens in a breathtaking location right next to your helicopter. It’s a great chance to chat to the guides, pilots and your fellow heli-skiers. Or simply take in the scenery and realise how lucky you are: you’re standing in one of the most beautiful areas of the world doing one of the most exciting things on this planet. What a perfect day!