Safety first adventures

Heli-ski safety

The only consideration more important to us than delivering great heli-skiing is your safety and well-being during your time with us. Our safety infrastructure provides you with an unsurpassed level of safety and service. Your safety is our paramount concern.

Take a look at our latest safety video for a rundown of what you can expect from your heli-ski experience.

Our guides

Our guides are the best in the business. Over 30 years of operation has honed the skills of our professional and dedicated team. Our Guides are UIAGM / NZMGA certified and/or specialists in mountain safety. They are chosen for their ability to provide you with an exciting and memorable heli-ski experience in the safest and most secure environment possible

Every winter, all guides attend our intensive pre-season safety-training course. In addition to their technical qualifications, they have strong interpersonal and communication skills and a genuine love of the sport of skiing. Languages spoken by our guides include Japanese, French, Spanish and German.

Weather and snow conditions

We run a full-time avalanche forecasting programme throughout the winter and our forecasters are amongst the most experienced in the industry, in fact, our data is used as the basis for the regional public avalanche forecast

All our guides are trained in avalanche science and actively contribute to our avalanche safety programme. Our annual training ensures guides are current in the latest forecasting and rescue techniques. Radio repeaters give us voice communication throughout the heli-ski area. Snowpack and weather are analysed daily and forecasts made accordingly, with slope assessment conducted prior to skiing. Our heli-ski crew are qualified to ensure your safety both in the air and on the ground during heli-skiing. We are a QUALMARK rated heli-ski business in the Southern Lakes Region so you can be assured of the quality and service with Harris Mountains Heli-Ski.

Your safety briefing

You are required to complete a safety briefing before the start of their heli-ski trip. In that briefing, we teach the use of avalanche transceivers, helicopter and mountain safety. We provide all guests with AV transceivers, which you are required to carry throughout your day in the backcountry. 

Our pilots and helicopters

Our professionally trained helicopter pilots have specific experience flying in New Zealand’s alpine environments, and all of our crew are qualified to ensure your safety both in the air and on the ground during heli-skiing. Our pilots are regularly subjected to stringent performance checks to meet New Zealand CAA requirements.

Harris Mountains Heli-Ski uses only high-performance helicopters. Our fleet consists of AS 350 Squirrels. They have the highest level of Civil Aviation Authority certification for heli-skiing helicopter operations. This involves regular monitoring and audit of all aspects of our operation