Backcountry Best

“New Zealand offers some of the best, and most extreme, heli-skiing on the planet”, according to The Sydney Morning Herald’s Craig Tansley who surveys New Zealand’s world-class fields. “There are over 400 runs to choose from over 200 peaks on seven separate mountain ranges covering over 3000km² of New Zealand’s Southern Alps —where over 22 peaks jut out over 3000m. You’ll ski or board deep snow-filled basins, bowls and 50 degree chutes. Located two hours west of Christchurch, these four ski fields — Broken River, Craigieburn, Mt Olympus and Temple Basin —offer the most challenging terrain in the whole country — and some of the most challenging backcountry runs in the world. Craigieburn in particular is not for the faint of heart — it devotes zero per cent of its mountain to beginners, while 45 per cent is for experts only.”