Harris Mountains Heli-Ski

Harris Mountains Heli-Ski

Harris Mountains Heli-Ski
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
You may be a first time heli-skier or a max vert regular, it doesn’t matter, Harris Mountains Heli-ski (HMH) will take you into the vast terrains of the Southern Alps at precisely the level which best suits your ability. Harris Mountains Heliski (HMH) has exclusive access to extensive terrain in Queenstown, Wanaka and Mount Cook. Easy rolling terrain for powder first timers, wide open bowls and challenging chutes and steep valleys for the more experienced.
Queenstown, New Zealand

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles74 reviews
Excellent
64
Very good
6
Average
1
Poor
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Terrible
1

Brydon M
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Friends
Snow conditions weren’t the best, but overall Harris Mtn heli made the day seem effortless.

Nick our guide was exceptional giving us an excellent service while making it a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Would definitely do again, would definitely request the same guide. Shout out to Bronnie in the Wanaka office for her friendly and excellent customer service.

Thanks Harris Mtn Heli, would definitely do again and definitely recommend.
Written 22 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natalie W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
What an amazing experience and a day not to forget. As an intermediate skier I was initially nervous i would be out of my depth. I was definitely challenged having signed up for the 7 runs, but it was without a doubt an amazing day. From the very start the crew at Harris Mountain were standout. Our amazing guides Anna and Mike were exceptional and our pilot Doug was so skillful the places he can land that heli. If you get the chance for this adventure, do it, you wont regret it.
Written 9 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ClelandClan54
New Plymouth9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Harris Mountain Heliskiing will have you going back for more! Best day ever. what a great day out with Grom. Whatever you think about heliskiing it is 10 times better in real life. For all of you who think it will be too hard or extreme. It beats any day in the resort especially with the crew from Harris Mountains Heliski. True professionals and great service and value for $$$. Live your life wide get out there and DO IT!
Written 30 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience with the Harris Mountains team. Our team is always happy to be with for every step to ensure you have the epic adventure you’ve been dreaming of. It sounds like you got to experience the full variety of runs that our terrain has to offer! We hope to welcome you back for many winters to come. Cheers, the Harris Mountains Heli-Ski team.
Written 13 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

lwelshCO
Denver, CO260 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2013 • Solo
I ski around 40-45 days a year at Vail / Beaver Creek. I miss the snow in the summer, and wanted to try heli skiing. After a lot of research of options all over the Southern Hemisphere, I picked Harris. It was an excellent choice. LOVED IT. I have completed three days on my 12 day trip so far.

Critical tips as you consider building your heli ski trip:
1 - Do you have enough experience? For a Colorado type of resort, you need to be to handle ANY intermediate run and be confident on at least some black diamonds to be a H1 (basic level) heli-skier. (H4 is hardest). I think it's be too much for most mid-level intermediates, despite what the web sites say that "anyone can do it". I don't plan to bring my 13 yr old daughter here for a few more years

2 - If I have that level of ski experience, could it possibly be worth NZ$1000 a day? YES! It will be the best investment you have ever made. It's the #1 travel and ski experience I have ever had. Hedge your bet and sign up for four runs; you can upgrade to seven runs on the mountain after you have tried it

3 - What level should I sign up for? There is an online tool to help you decide. Answer the questions honestly and discuss it with the guide so you get put into the right group. You will regret it if you exaggerate, as you'll be on terrain that will make you uncomfortable.

4 - Are the conditions always great? Yes, but with caveats. The snow is better than the local ski hills - much better. But heliskiing doesn't work miracles. If it has been four days since the last snow, it's not going to be as good as it is on the day after a big snow storm. The guides and pilots will get you the best snow there is, but if you have the flexibility to go right after a big storm, it will be even better.

5 - Can I do it if I have motion sickness, fear of heights, and/or fear of flying? Maybe, but I would really think twice about it. I'd guess that 20% of our landings were on a mountain top ridge that was no wider than a picnic table top (and not much longer), with a very steep drop on one side (not skiable) and a 45+ degree double diamond slope that we did ski on the other side. The H1 landings might be a little easier. The H3 landings were just amazing (scared the daylights out of me the the first time, then it was great fun). After you get used to it, the helicopter time was one of the best parts.

6 - How should I book? If you book directly with the company and you are a multiday skier, it saves them a lot by not having to pay the booking agent. They will be fair and share some of that savings with you.

7 - Where should I be based? If mid season, I'd ask, but either Queenstown or Wanaka would be fine. If late season (late August / early Sept), pick Wanaka if you can. It'll save you two hours of driving each day

8 - What's the time commitment? On average I was picked up at hotel at 8AM and dropped off around 6PM.

9 - Guide preference? I bet they are all good. I have finished three full days so far with Alan "Froggy" and he's exceptional.

10 - Pre-vacation physical training. To get the most out of this, it'd be helpful if you were in really good physical condition. The typical run is around 3,000 feet of vertical. A big run at Vail is 2,000 vertical feet. You don't want to get worn out. During the ski season, you probably won't ever see the powder at a resort like you'll get on a helicopter. To train, I did a lot of mogul work and it helped me a LOT. It's a very similar skill set / strength training for powder. As an intermediate skier / H1, don't worry about it. If you do H3/H4, I'd recommend it.

11 - Talk to your guide honestly. I can ski any black diamond run in Colorado in any weather / snow conditions and I can confidently handle most double diamonds. I joined an H3 group and I found many of the initial runs to be very challenging and, frankly, intimidating. It wasn't a Warren Miller movie, but it was a big challenge (for me). Usually the first hundred feet was the hardest, then it was just bliss. I was able to do them, though, and it was ENORMOUSLY FUN! If it is too steep or too much of anything, tell your guide so they can adjust for you - and they will! If you are on the bubble between, say, level H2 and H3, pick the lower level.

12 - Is seven runs enough? It didn't sound like a lot, but it's enough. I do over a million vertical feet at Vail / Beaver Creek each year, and I was WORN OUT after seven or eight runs here. We did do extra runs most days at a small extra charge.

13 - Bring your camera. You can't believe how beautiful it is.

Message me if you have other questions. I will try to help you out. It's a lot of money, so I will share what I can to help you. Hit "helpful review" if you got anything out of this. Thanks!
Written 3 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lon thank you so much for your excellent informative review it was a pleasure to have you come out heli-skiing with us this winter. We would love to see you (and maybe even your daughter) if you make it back to NZ for some skiing in the future. I will pass on your comments to The Frogman who I’m sure would be more than keen to fly with you again. I know keen heli skiers will make good use of your tips. Thanks again! From the team at Harris Mountains Heliski :)
Written 19 September 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Andrew S
Burleigh Heads32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Solo
You will be blown away by the skill of the pilots and the overall professionalism shown by all employees.

First day I only did the easier option as it was my first time heli-boarding.

Second day I opted for the extreme package and we probably got 12 - 15 runs in.

Our guide ( Jon Imhoof ) on 2nd day was great. He took plenty of photos and this is a real value add.

Long days but so worth it. I am heading there again in 2016 and will go up for 3 days including Mt Cook.

Better getting 3 fantastic days in the powder than 10 days in the slush.
Written 25 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review and brilliant to hear you wanting to come back again and get into some of our terrain up in the Mt Cook region. We will pass on you feedback to Jon and we hope he got some great shots for you!
Written 14 September 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

DVS1012
Sydney, Australia1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Couples
My husband and I booked our first Heliski trip for 4 runs and were extremely excited. Forms were filled out and we were classed as heli 3 level. We were briefed on use of Avalanche beacons and how to coordinate a search if our guide was unable to initiate one, it was stressed to us how important it was not to panic and to communicate with each other and we practiced finding a hidden beacon before take of with other skiers.
We were then informed that my husband and I weren't going to ski with the people we had spoken with and done the safety and helicopter briefing with ,but with two others that had had their briefing done through an interpreter. These two skiers had no English and my husband was asked to ski behind the last one, these skiers had little ability to ski and could only go about 50 metres before they needed to stop, our guide was placed in an extremely hard situation, communication was almost impossible and we found ourselves being involved in the ski guiding position of telling them by pointing and yelling to follow our guide down the hill coz we couldn't stay where they had stopped !
This happened on 3 of our 4 runs, after the 3 disastrous runs our guide managed to communicate to the guy to wait half way up the mountain and we picked him up later. We were given a complimentary 5th run, so we had paid for 4 and had 2 great runs out of 5!
Luckily there was no need to initiate any kind of rescue search as there was no way we could communicate with the 2 non English speaking skiers , or if we were lost in an avalanche our guide would have had no help in starting a search for us. I felt that our safety was compromised by being put in that group.
I realise that people put their skiing ability up sometimes, that's not really an issue if you can communicate with them and sort out a compromise.
Safety is another thing there should be a guide that can communicate with all people in your group so in the case of an emergency no time is lost in trying to communicate through charades and gestures
Written 18 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to review Harris Mountains Heli-ski. We truly value the opinions of our customers and we apologize that we did not meet your expectations. We are sorry to hear of your experience on the day of your heli-skiing trip, despite our staff covering over a dozen languages between them we cannot always cater for everyone. The trip on the day contained five people whose English was very minimal, this group was initially planned to ski together as one group. Unfortunately on check in due to their combined weights being too heavy for one load they had to be split into two separate groups with other clients of similar skiing abilities. A translator was present during their initial sign up and safety briefings but it appears that they may have over-estimated their skiing abilities on the ability questionnaire (which we have translated into their native language). Our frontline sales staff do their best to communicate and explain the ability questionnaire to each client as they fill out our registration paperwork and help judge abilities but it appears some things may have been lost through the translator. Your guide on the day would like to express his utmost thanks for your patience and assistance during the trip, he was put in a difficult position when it became obvious that the clients were of a very low level of skiing ability. He did his best to remedy the situation by the offer of an extra run for you free of charge. We accept that communication issues can impact on safety however we would like to stress that our principal tool in management of avalanche hazard is terrain selection and we were happy that the terrain selected on the day was appropriate to the avalanche hazard. We always ski with a minimum of two guides in the field at anyone time so we can respond quickly to any emergency situation and it is this guide back up that is the key tool if an emergency situation was to eventuate – this system works regardless of client's ability to respond or communicate in an emergency situation. We have taken your feedback seriously and discussed this with our management team. Our immediate response has been to develop safety briefing cards in the language of the clients involved and these have already been implemented as part of our safety planning. Further, for the future we will be organising videos of our safety briefings in several languages that can be watched prior to heli-skiing and we will be using our own interpreters to ensure no critical safety information is lost in translation. Thanks for providing this valuable impetus for us to improve our safety and communication practice. If you are back in NZ anytime please contact us as we would love to have the opportunity to speak with you directly and discuss your trip. We hope to see you again in the future and wish you the very best. -From the HMH Team
Written 7 September 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Elena K
17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
we flew from Sydney specifically to heli board and Chris form the office was super helpful with organising it all as it was a surprise bday present for my bf. On the day the crew worked so well! my bf said it was the best day of his life! The crew was able to organise a heli for me to jump into to film them as well. It felt like we were on a professional shoot! Amazing!
Written 5 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Elena Thank you so much for the great review of Harris Mountains Heli-Ski it was a pleasure to help out with the surprise birthday package. Great news that your boyfriend enjoyed it so much and that it was one of the best days of his life. We were particularly pleased to hear it worked out for you with your own spectator helicopter so you could come and join in the fun on the day and get a feel for the heli-skiing experience. We look forward to seeing you again for your own heli-skiing trip sometime soon, all the best the HMH Team
Written 12 July 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

lisa_in_nz
Wellington, New Zealand21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2014 • Friends
I can only describe our day with Harris Mt as EPIC!

We made a last minute decision to book a heli for the following day. Despite the late hour, Bronnie worked her magic and was able to confirm us a slot. Everything about Harris Mt was professional from the outset. Our guide Roger drilled us on safety before we set out. As one of the lighter members of our group I was seated up front with pilot Nigel who was able to point out a couple of landmarks as we flew towards the Buchanan ranges. Oh and the snow! Nigel was able to land places I never thought possible and Roger ensured we enjoyed the best snow conditions (fresh tracks of course) and longest runs all day. If you're an 'extreme' skier, don't expect it to be all chutes and drops. A lot of profiling goes into the snow and weather conditions which will influence the type of terrain safely accessible on the day - the terrain we rode was safe but still immensely enjoyable and Harris Mt Heli have the largest scope of terrain to choose from.

The fully catered picnic lunch at the bottom of a picturesque valley topped off the day. If heli-skiing is on your bucket list, definitely book with these guys!!
Written 23 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your excellent review! We are really pleased to hear we exceeded your expectations for your trip. It is great to know our commitment to customer service and professionalism shines through. With Broni, Nigel and Roger looking after you, you have over 70 years of HMH experience combined, so you are in good hands! We pride ourselves on our great team and we are so happy you got to experience an amazing day’s heli-skiing. I will pass your comments on to the staff mentioned and we hope to see you back sometime in the future.
Written 29 September 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Iwoalta
Parnell, New Zealand40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014
Great day out, ran like clock work. Friendly guides and pilot. Beautiful runs in the Buchanan mountains, great flying experience, a perfect blend of adventure, excitement and the peace of the mountains on a stunning day.
Written 18 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Iwoalta, Thank you for your excellent review on Harris Mountains Heli-Ski. The Buchanans certainly offer some amazing Heli-Ski terrain. We are glad you had an amazing day with our team and hope you will join us again in the future. Kindest Regards, The Team at Harris Mountains Heli-Ski
Written 4 August 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

AlexPattiA
Hinckley, OH1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2012 • Couples
My wife and I came to New Zealand for our 15 year anniversary earlier this month. We were here for our honeymoon 15 years ago and planned on heli-skiing but unfortunately she caught the "Queenstown bug" and was not able to ski. This year we finally got it done!

It was an amazing day and Harris is a top notch organization. They called us in the morning to let us know we were flying that day. The driver picked us up from our hotel and drove us the the airport. They did a very thorough avalanche safety talk. The helicopter ride by itself was awesome.

The heli-skiing was amazing. We had a great guide that showed us awesome lines down the mountain. We chose to do the Max Vertical package and were very satisfied with the amount of skiing. Harris provided a lunch on the mountain with amazing views of the area.

I would highly recommend booking with Harris Mountains Heli-Ski. They offer the best selection of terrain and also operate at higher altitudes which means better snow.
Written 15 August 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Alex! It was great that we finally got you guys out! We are so happy to hear that you had a great time. It’s always nice when our guests come back to the office to tell us how great their day was, I hope you like the T’s that you bought! Thank you for the review! Hopefully we will see you before another 15 years is up.
Written 23 August 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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