Alpine Heli Ski and Heli Boarding Terrain

Alpine Heliski Refund Policy

Alpine Heli Ski Review

The Powderhounds hit Queenstown and were happy to forego bungee jumping to head out with Alpine Heli Ski - not a difficult choice really! A heli skiing descent is a little slower than a bungee jump, but a thousand times more enjoyable! The Powderhounds had an absolutely powderrific day out with Alpine Heliski Queenstown.

Of course even though Alpine Heliski is a high quality operation, no heli skiing operation is absolutely perfect for everyone. Our review covers different aspects of their operation and hopefully you can determine if Alpine Heli Ski is likely to align with your priorities. That being said, it is somewhat difficult to fully differentiate the heli skiing operations in New Zealand (particularly those around Queenstown) as they have many similarities.

Pros

• Alpine Heliski is a small heli ski operation so generally they’ll only have two or three groups sharing the helicopter. The boutique nature of the operation comes with various advantages including greater flexibility and variety of terrain skied, so their motto of “Powder Personalised” is fairly apt. Another advantage may be a higher probability of flying out of Queenstown airport, but if your group has to go in the van for the gorgeous drive to the Glenorchy staging area, you won’t feel too hard done by. The small scale format also makes it feel less like a production line. The day was very relaxed and fun, and it didn’t feel like we were sheep being rounded up and corralled into a sheep pen… baaaa!
• The terrain we hit off Mt Larkins was really interesting and at a high elevation, so considering the poor snow conditions at the ski resorts, the guides did a great job of finding good quality snow.
• As with all NZ heli skiing, the price of heli skiing is a fraction of what you’d pay in other countries.
• The Alpine Heli Ski free ride days are a fabulous idea and a great way to sample heli skiing without committing to a full package. 

• The only potential disadvantage of the small size of the operation is that there’s a risk you could get grouped with those of differing abilities. However unless you’re a super-dooper-whizz-bang expert or a tentative intermediate, this is unlikely to be an issue.
• As with all NZ heli skiing, the quality of the snow can be somewhat inconsistent, and the length of the runs is commonly less than that found in other parts of the world. 

Powder Snow
Snow conditions in the New Zealand backcountry can be very hit or miss. Chest deep powder is a rarity in NZ, the freezing line is not necessarily below the heli ski terrain, the snow generally has high moisture content, and there are no trees to protect the snow from the sun and wind. So considering this as well as the general lack of snow at the ski resorts when we were in Queenstown, we were suitably impressed with the snow conditions. The guides chose high elevation terrain in the area off Mt Larkins (2,300 metres) and did a good job at finding appropriate aspects. In wide chutes there was shin deep powder, and further down there was delightful ankle deep powder. Only the very end of runs had a little crust. Guests were provided with a good indication of the snow conditions before going out.
Overall Terrain
Alpine Heliski has a sizeable tenure, much bigger than many of the Canadian heli skiing operations. However in order to find good snow conditions, significant terrain is required to find adequate slopes at high elevation with the right aspect. The Mt Larkins area had interesting terrain. Only one run provided long fall line skiing and riding, whilst others had lots of diverse features with rollers, banks and lips on which to play. Avalanche conditions were low so we were able to tackle some short steep pitches at the top of the runs. Run length varies considerably depending on various factors, but on average the runs are generally longer than with their competitors at Southern Lakes.
Alpine Terrain
As above.
Tree Skiing	n/a
This is New Zealand so there’s absolutely zippo tree skiing in heli ski terrain.
Strong Intermediate Terrain
Like the other Queenstown heli skiing operators, Alpine Heliski specifically has packages for strong intermediate riders (3 run heli 1; 4 run heli 1 or 2). Much of the terrain we skied had wide and reasonably mellow slopes that could have been tackled by strong intermediate riders. The only limitation for Alpine Heliski would be a low likelihood of having a group with just intermediate riders, unless you organised a group yourself. If this doesn’t bother you, then go for it!
Advanced Terrain
The terrain was very well suited to advanced riders with short steep pitches and lots of rolly terrain where you could put on the after-burners.
Expert & Extreme Terrain
The terrain we visited was not super steep or technical, but there were a few rocks to huck off that the guide was happy to point out. Near Mt Larkins is some terrain that has some steep gnarly chutes that could be tackled when the avo risk was low, but you’d probably need to be on a private charter to do so.
Guiding
Unlike other operators who may use casual or on-call guides, Alpine Heliski have about 8 regular guides who know the terrain really well. And to add to the fun factor, the guides have plenty of personality and charisma. The senior guides have high level qualifications. The other guides aren’t necessary well certified but have years of relevant experience. Our guide didn’t provide many specific instructions out in the field, but this was probably because the avalanche risk was low and precise guiding was not required.
Heli
Alpine Heliski use Heliworks’ helicopters, one of which is badged up specifically for Alpine Heliski – very sexy! Helicopters used include B2 and B3 Squirrels which are powerful, well maintained, and a fraction roomier in the rear than some other choppers.
Avalanche Mitigation Strategies
Alpine Heliski have a snow and avalanche forecasting system such that they collect information on weather, snow and snowpack stability. In the field any avalanche mitigation strategies were not evident to guests, possibly because the guide felt these unnecessary considering the low avalanche risk. One guest pack that contained a shovel and probe was provided per group.
Safety Briefing
As is reasonably typical for a NZ heli ski operator, the safety briefing was incredibly “brief”. Besides how to turn on the avalanche transceiver, no advice was provided on how to use the transceiver. Thankfully they use very modern avo beacons that are somewhat dummy proof. No guidance was provided regarding what to do in the event of witnessing or being caught in an avalanche, and the briefing didn’t include the use of a probe or shovel. The briefing included very little about safety around a helicopter. Pleasingly however, as a supplement to the verbal briefing, a logistics information sheet is handed out to guests that covers the basics of safety for guided heli skiing. Some of this content is also covered on their website.
Frills
The frills associated with the experience are somewhat uniform across the Queenstown heli ski operators. Equipment rental is not included in the heli ski packages, but they will pick up rental equipment from any Queenstown shop. Alpine Heliski have the advantage that they are housed within the same building as Outside Sports, so at least you can sign waivers and hire ski and snowboard equipment without leaving the building. As is standard with Queenstown heli ski operators, you can hire a POV head cam, they provide accommodation pick-ups, and a lovely lunch is provided within a gorgeous backcountry setting. Lunch consisted of yummy thick soup, sausage rolls, quiche, rolls with a variety of fillings, and naughty but nice slices. The guides and pilot even dug out a table as well as seats, making the picnic lunch experience somewhat luxurious! You may wish to BYO water. The guides provide some beverages at lunch time, but you’ll need to take responsibility for any other hydration requirements throughout the rest of the day.
Value for Money
As with most of the NZ heli ski operators, Alpine Heliski provides exceptional value for money. Sure the runs might not be as long as heli skiing in Canada and other parts of the world, and the powder might not be as deep, but by golly it is super cheap. Similar packages would cost the same in the USA, except that they’d be charged in US dollars rather than the very favourable New Zealand peso. And when you compare heli skiing to bungee jumping (about NZ$250 for a couple of moments of fun) then you absolutely get better value for money with heli skiing. The rates for the Queenstown 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. The free ride days are a fabulous concept for those wanting a taste of heli skiing. They are inexpensive and the number of runs undertaken can be budget dependent, although if you measure value in terms of fresh turns, you might not get the same value as you would with the daily heli ski packages.

Notes Regarding Review