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Our Review

Southern Lakes Heli Ski Review Any day out heli skiing is superb, so the Powderhounds were delighted to review Southern Lakes Heli Ski – the thrill of the helicopter ride, the opportunity to get out in the pristine backcountry, and the lure of untracked snow.

Southern Lakes Heli Ski is a very well honed and reputable outfit, but of course no heli skiing company is perfect for everyone. Our review covers different aspects of their operation so that you can determine if Southern Lakes is likely to match up with your priorities. It is worthwhile noting that many of the New Zealand heli skiing operations are very similar, and those around Queenstown in particular are very difficult to fully differentiate as they are very alike.

Pros

• Southern Lakes Heli Ski is a very professional and proficient operation.
• Southern Lakes are the only heli company to offer a 2 run package. This package is ideally suited to intermediates with no powder skiing or boarding experience.
• Southern Lakes take out multiple groups each day. This provides them with plenty of flexibility to cater for different ability levels and match guests with those of a similar ability and fitness level.
• Southern Lakes has huge terrain which helps them find the best snow possible.
• As with all NZ heli skiing, the price of heli skiing is a fraction of what you’d pay in other countries.

Cons

• As with all NZ heli skiing, the quality of the snow can be somewhat inconsistent.
• The terrain elevation may not be as high as with other Queenstown/Wanaka heliski operators which may result in slightly shorter runs and the potential for inferior snow quality.

Powder Snow
As with all New Zealand heli skiing, you shouldn’t have high expectations for the quality and quantity of the snow. The same can be said for Southern Lakes, especially considering that their average annual snowfall is only 2.5 to 3.5 metres. You might strike it lucky and score a blower powder day. There are lots of days where there is very enjoyable ankle deep powder, and then there are days when there is thick crust or even ice. Unfortunately we scored a day with the latter because the rain and freezing level had been too high. It’s days like this where you have to remember that the main delight with NZ heli skiing is the experience of the helicopter ride, the views, and being out skiing or boarding. The top third of the runs was boot deep powder with crust underneath, then there was some spring corn, some thick crust, then hard-packed icy snow interspersed with tussocks of grass. I was incredibly surprised that the guide continued the runs down to the creek rather than stopping the runs before we got to the ice and tussocks – especially not fun when you’ve hired some big fat powder paddles. One of the limitations of Southern Lakes’ terrain is that its maximum elevations are at 2,200 metres, which is somewhat lower than its competitors. The day we were out we were only at max elevations of about 2,000 metres, whilst the higher Black Peak was just over the rise and taunting us. We can only assume that the guides didn’t take us to higher and better snow due to avalanche risk considerations. We questioned the office staff the night before and they alerted us to the likely snow conditions. However other guests had not asked about the snow and the staff had not been forthcoming with information to keep their expectations in check. A couple of guests were therefore somewhat disappointed. Of course Southern Lakes Heliski also has great powder days, so it’s incredibly wise to double check the snow conditions before going out.
Overall Terrain
Southern Lakes scores additional points for having a huge tenure, but loses points for the relatively low elevations which contributes to average runs of only 400 to 600 metres vertical. We skied in an area not far from Treble Cone and spent the entire 8 runs in the one area. The runs had some short steep pitches but were largely of a moderate gradient. The terrain had a combination of fall line stretches as well as rollers and banks to keep it interesting. They had at least 5 groups sharing the one helicopter and surprisingly all ability levels skied the same terrain.
Alpine Terrain
Like all other New Zealand heli skiing, all the terrain is up in the alpine – see above.
Tree Skiing	zero
As above, there is no tree skiing.
Strong Intermediate Terrain
Like the other Queenstown/Wanaka heli skiing operators, Southern Lakes specifically has a package for intermediate riders so they score some points here. However our experience suggests that they sometimes take intermediates on steep and icy terrain even if they are struggling.
Advanced Terrain
The terrain was very well suited to advanced riders. More variety in the terrain would have scored them more points as a little déjà vu was occurring.
Expert & Extreme Terrain
We didn’t tackle any major steeps or chutes, presumably due to avalanche risk considerations, but the terrain had a scattering of rocks and mini cliff bands. However our lead guide didn’t encourage any hucking or shenanigans. It seemed that he had his job cut out for him herding around such a large group.
Guiding
The most senior guides are very well qualified and experienced and know the terrain very well. However this is not necessarily the case for all the guides. Due to fluctuations in demand, Southern Lakes uses various casual guides who don’t work exclusively with Southern Lakes. Like other NZ heli skiing, the guide to guest ratio is nice and small (5). Our guide Roy was clearly a veteran of guiding and very professional, but he was very quietly spoken and at times it wasn’t always clear what he’d said before he skied off. One of the guides went well beyond the call of duty by skiing down part of the run with a guest on his back. Somehow her ski and her boot had managed to come off (yes her boot as well!), fly down the slopes, and end up in the creek!
Heli
Southern Lakes Heli Ski primarily uses B2 Squirrels which are powerful and agile machines. All the operators seem to use the same helicopter companies and/or the same choppers, but for some reason this chopper felt squeezier in the back than other helis – I must have had too much for breakfast that day? All heli skiing pilots are very skilled, but the pilot we had was amazingly skilled.
Avalanche Mitigation Strategies
Southern Lakes use an information exchange program to assist in the monitoring of weather patterns and the resultant snowpack stability. The head guide’s emphasis on avalanche safety in the field was apparent through the digging of pits and the careful selection of aspects. One guest pack containing a shovel and probe was provided per group.
Safety Briefing
The safety briefing was not particularly comprehensive but it covered the basics. A very quick overview of what to do in an avalanche was covered as well as a brief practice with the avalanche beacons. A cursory demonstration of the probe and shovel was provided including the instruction that “you just shovel like crazy”! Hmmm...? Safety around a helicopter was covered although this wasn’t done in the presence of the helicopter which made it a little more difficult to get the message across.
Frills
The frills associated with the heli experience are somewhat similar across the Queenstown/Wanaka heli ski operators. With all the operators you can hire a POV head cam, they provide accommodation pick-ups, and lunch is supplied. The Southern Lakes lunch consisted of soup, hot egg pies, Subway rolls with a choice of fillings, Subway cookies, tea and coffee, and other beverages. Water was not available throughout the rest of the day, so BYO if you think you’ll need it. Southern Lakes have a small range of rental skis (Rossis), or if you hire them from another shop (where it will be cheaper) they will pick up the equipment on your behalf. Another nice frill is that the guides can take photos (although probably not the lead guide if it’s a busy day) that can be purchased at the end of the day. However as is typical to NZ, there’s no après session at the end of the day for looking at photos or high fiving.
Value for Money
Along with the other NZ heli ski operators, Southern Lakes Heli Ski provides fantastic value for money. The runs might not be as long as with heli skiing in Canada or the USA, and the powder might not be waist deep, but by golly it is super cheap in comparison. The rates for the Queenstown/Wanaka heli skiing operators are very similar. They are a little less than for Wilderness Heliski (at Mt Cook) and Methven Heliski, although the run lengths are typically not as long as for these two operators. See the NZ heli skiing comparison for more information on rates and statistics. As with all NZ operators, powder ski or snowboard rental is not included in the package.

Notes Regarding Review The review is largely based on our experience, but also on discussions with staff, former guests, and information available on their website. Our review has some limitations as it’s not possible to ski all the terrain and in all possible snow and weather conditions. Every guide is somewhat different and we acknowledge that everyone’s experience will be slightly different. The ratings are from our perspective only and we encourage you to contribute to the overall review of the operation by adding a review.

Check out our cat and heli ski ratings to see how Southern Lakes fares against other backcountry operations around the world.

The photos and video are not captured using professional riders. They aim to show an example of a “standard” experience.

Further Information and Bookings If you have any questions, would like to book, or view the booking and refund policy, click here.