Heliskiing

Methven HELISKI

1,000 square kilometres of terrain, hundreds of runs, 3 mountain ranges, magnificent scenery and a very personal touch.

 
 
Riding the back paddock, Reishek glacier in background.
 
 
Modern boundary riders.
 

Click images to enlarge.

From Methven Heliski's inception 23 years ago, we have taken over 12,000 skiers into the mountains of the Upper Rakaia Valley.
Methven Heli (as it is familiarly known) was the brainchild of Bob Todhunter, who after a day’s skiing in the Mt Cook region, realised the huge skiing potential on Lake Heron Station and surrounding mountain ranges. From this time, in the mid 1980s, Methven Heliski was born – a venture involving the Todhunter families at Lake Heron and Glenfalloch Stations and Kevin Boekholt with his well-established team of guides from Alpine Guides Aoraki Ltd.

Today, Methven Heli is world-renowned for providing great back country skiing and riding under the expert guidance of Kevin and his team. The emphasis is on very high safety standards, small personal groups, and enjoying the best snow the big mountains can offer.

A unique aspect of our heliski operation is the close links we all have to providing a great day’s skiing or riding. Guests to Methven Heli rapidly become part of the heliski family, with many guests becoming familiar faces and often following Kevin around the world on heliski adventures.

At Lake Heron Station, we not only provide a key part of the terrain, but also Philip, the lead pilot. Philip, a pilot of 25 years, has flown heliskiers in the area for 17 years and has an intimate knowledge of the local mountain regions. The heliski base at Glenfalloch Station is provided by Charles and Dietlind Todhunter and even the guest lunches are a family affair - prepared at both Lake Heron and Glenfalloch Stations.

For heliski guests seeking accommodation close to the mountains, we offer either fully-catered or self-catered options at Lake Heron Cottage. As lead pilot, Philip takes a 5 minute flight, from Lake Heron Station to the heli base at Glenfalloch each morning. This is a pilot’s equivalent of the urban commute. Heliski guests staying at Lake Heron Cottage simply hop in the helicopter with Philip as he leaves to rendezvous with the guides and other guests at the heli base.