Go Heli-Skiing/Boarding in New Zealand Southern Alps

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New Zealand’s South Island and the aptly named Southern Alps, in all their combined magnificence and glory, provide a number of locations for skiers and snowboarders to experience pristine fluffy powder snow, long interrupted runs in solitude and raw excitement in a truly natural setting. Local operators facilitate skiers and snowboarders seeking slopes and glaciers in remote locations that present unspoiled off piste routes only reachable with the nimble aid of a helicopter. Once the copter has landed, highly experienced guides assist adventure seekers in carving their own individualized trails down the chosen mountainsides. Then, the waiting helicopter returns the adventure-seekeres to the same mountain top or another location to repeat the experience. Although it may seem the opposite would be true, only an intermediate skill level is required to ski or snowboard with the assist of a helicopter; the accomplished guides are expert in picking out just the right path to match their client’s level of experience. The excitement usually begins near the towns of Wanaka or Queenstown or alternatively the villages at Methven or Mount Cook. For those seeking the ultimate adventure, excursions that combine a stay on a chartered yacht anchored on Lake Wakatipu with its own personal chef and a private helicopter standing by when the urge to ski or board strikes is one way to pursue the thrill of skiing little known terrain in an uninterrupted fashion and then surrounding one-self in the lap of luxury at the end of the day. Alternatively, adventures lasting a few days to as long as a week or more can be arranged with accommodations in a private lodge or mountainside resort hotel with a scheduled helicopter that arrives each morning to whisk the skiers and boarders off to that day’s chosen location. One day excursions that include at least 2 runs are also available if a skier or boarder just wants to dip their toe in the water; these one day outings also provide a relatively inexpensive way to sample the experience. Some of the sites frequented by the helicopters in New Zealand’s Southern Alps include the backcountry at Mount Potts (a location used in the film “Lord of the Rings”), the Clarke Glacier, Mount Head, Aoraki/Mt. Cook and Mount Hutt. The experience of Heli-Skiing or Heli-Boarding in New Zealand is thought to be relatively inexpensive as compared to similar excursions offered in Alaska, Canada and Europe. You may have dreamed of skiing some of the most difficult to reach and unspoiled terrain on earth or to enjoy skiing or boarding on gorgeous slopes in the Southern Hemisphere while visiting New Zealand. In any case, your fantasy can be fulfilled when you add Go Heli-Skiing or Boarding in New Zealand to your list, plan the best time to go and then once you’ve had the experience make sure you share your stories from this trip of a lifetime.

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