Wilderness Heli Skiing
Wilderness Heli Skiing Mt Cook (Aoraki) New Zealand
“Slack-country” skiing is generally defined as skiing out-of-bounds terrain that is close enough to a ski resort such that it’s primarily lift accessed. To access the slack-country, a lot of traversing and a bit of hiking might be required, and unfortunately there’s no guarantee of fresh pow once you get there.
A far superior way to go slack-country skiing is to go heli skiing. It’s completely slack in that the only rise of your heart rate will be from the adrenaline and excitement of being up in a helicopter in the spectacular Southern Alps. The actual skiing and snowboarding is also guaranteed to get the pulse racing.
Of course rather than being in the slack-country (as it’s traditionally defined!),
heli skiing with Wilderness Heliski is actually out in the vast backcountry, far away from any ski resorts or crowds. And with a playground of over 800 square kilometres, Wilderness Heliski has plenty of runs that are completely untracked. Sounds awesome eh?
Where is Wilderness Heliski Located?
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the Big Bertha mountain of New Zealand at an elevation of 3,754 metres (12,316 ft) above sea level.
Mount Cook is approximately 3 hours drive north of
Queenstown and 3.5 hours south of Christchurch. Wilderness Heliski operates within the boundaries of the Mt Cook World Heritage area, but not actually on Mt Cook as this mountain can only be skied by super humans!
The Wilderness Heliski office is located in the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre of The Hermitage Hotel in the Mt Cook village. The helipad is at Mount Cook airport which is 5km from Mount Cook village, and Wilderness Heliski provides complimentary transfers from the village.
Heli Skiing and Heli Boarding Packages (2011 prices $NZ inc Tax)
The standard heli ski package is a 5-run “big vertical” day which includes the guided skiing, a picnic lunch, avalanche transceiver, and transfers from Mt Cook village if required. Needless to say, the package also includes the fabulously scenic helicopter rides.
The package costs NZ$950 per person. Extra runs are available for NZ$125 per 1,000 vertical metres. For many international visitors the NZ currency exchange is incredibly favourable, making this experience of a lifetime “cheap as chups”.
Wilderness Heliski also offers private charter heli skiing.
If you’re staying in
Queenstown, Wilderness Heliski also offers a package that includes return flights from Queenstown for NZ$1,375.
Mt Cook Accommodation
The Mt Cook village has a few accommodation options. The renowned
Hermitage Mt Cook offers a range of lodgings including luxurious hotel rooms, motel rooms and chalets. Mt Cook village also has the YHA Mount Cook, a lodge, and a nearby holiday park. The other option is to stay in one of the
Lake Tekapo hotels, about an hour away from Mt Cook.
Heli Ski Terrain
Wilderness Heli Ski has over 800 square kilometres (80,000 hectares) of terrain within the Liebig, Malte Brun and Mt Cook ranges. The region is dominated by glaciated peaks, many of which are higher than 3,000 metres, and some of the helicopter landings are as high as 2,800 metres. The elevation combined with lots of snowfall results in higher snow quality compared with heli skiing operations further south.
The higher elevation also allows for runs that are generally longer than down south. The average vertical drop is 800 metres, and the “Whip of Love” run drops an amazing 1,300 metres.
Like other
heli skiing New Zealand, the big mountain terrain is way above the timberline, but variety is ensured thanks to the heavily glaciated terrain. Wilderness Heliski can cater to strong intermediate riders, although most of their runs are for advanced and expert skiers and boarders.
When Does Wilderness Heli Ski Operate?
Wilderness Heli Ski operates every fine day from July 1st to September 30th. Powder is more common earlier in the season.
Heli skiing is very dependent on the weather, and wind or low visibility can result in no-fly days. The weather at Mt Cook can be particularly fickle considering its position close to the west coast with frequent clouds and storms rolling in. They operate about 4.5 days per week on average, but keep a flexible itinerary as sometimes there will be a stretch of days when they don’t fly. On down days you could go for a tramp around the Mt Cook region or go skiing at
Roundhill or
Ohau.
More Reasons to Heli Ski with Wilderness Heliski
Wilderness Heliskiing is guided by the highly experienced Alpine Guides who have been in operation since 1966. They know the Mt Cook region like the back of their hand and can take you on a safe and thoroughly enjoyable heli skiing odyssey.
Aoraki means “cloud piercer” in the Maori language, and thanks to the fabulous heights of Mt Cook, the quality and quantity of the heli skiing with Wilderness Heliski is superior to that in other parts of NZ.
For more information see our
Wilderness Heli Skiing review.
So powderhounds stop drooling and get out heli skiing to sniff all that delightful powder.
If you have any questions or would like to enquire about a specific date
click here.