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Wanaka Mountain Guides - Glacier Ski and Splitboard Tour

Ski and Splitboard Touring

Glacier Ski and Splitboard Tour

Overview

The Glacier Ski Tour provides the opportunity for skiers and splitboarders to explore the remote glaciers, cols, and peaks of the Southern Alps/ Ka Tiritiri o te Moana. Helicopter into a base at a high alpine hut or remote expedition-style camp for days of fresh terrain, surrounded by NZ's most magnificent mountain scenery of Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park or Westland National Park.
Glacier Ski and Splitboard Tour

The glacier ski tour can be based out of Tasman Saddle or Kelman huts on either the eastern or western glaciers of Aoraki / Mount Cook or Pioneer or Centennial huts in Westland National Park. Alternatively, we can fly in with an expedition-style tent camp to more remote areas such as the Murchison Glacier. Objectives can be tailored to the experience and aspirations of the group. All venues provide a range of terrain and ski touring objectives.

Glacier Ski and Splitboard Tour

Options on the Tasman Glacier include Hochstetter Dome, Lendenfeld Saddle, Darwin Bowls, Canyonlands, or crossing over into the Murchison. For trips based on the Fox or Franz Josef glaciers, options include Pioneer Pass, Mount Von Burlow, Grey Peak, and Graham Saddle.

As part of the trip, the guide will provide instruction in important safety skills. These include avalanche awareness and rescue, glacier travel and crevasse rescue, and basic snowcraft, including crampon and ice axe use.

Itinerary

Day 1
Day 1
Meeting at our base on the morning of the trip for a gear check, it is a 2.5 hour drive to Mount Cook Village or 4 hours to Fox Glacier township, the staging areas for flights into the mountains. Trips are based from high alpine huts from where it is possible to explore the glacial neves with day packs. The itinerary is flexible and subject to weather.
Days 2 - 4
Days 2 - 4
There are many options to explore the neves, cols, and summits with day packs.
Day 5
Day 5
On the last day, the tour will ski the Haupapa / Tasman Glacier for a helicopter transfer back to the village. It may be possible to undertake a side trip to explore the Bonney and Darwin glaciers. From the huts on the west side of the divide, we ski down to the historic Chancellor Hut for the helicopter ride back down.

Equipment

Equipment item

The trip takes place in a remote mountain environment so participants need to have some experience touring and be familiar with their touring equipment. If hiring equipment, we recommend having a few warm-up days around Wanaka before the trip.

Equipment List
Equipment item

Ski or splitboard crampons and helmets are mandatory for glacier trips.

A the required technical equipment is provided.

Equipment item

Further advice on equipment can be found in our Knowledge Base articles: Equipment for Ski and Splitboard Touring and Packing for a Glacier Ski Tour.

Knowledge Base

Difficulty & Fitness

Fitness

Fitness

Ascents and descents of up to 500m and up to 15km distance per day. 10 – 15kg packs. 6 – 8 hours.
Ski or Splitboard Ability

Ski or Splitboard Ability

Some experience skiing or riding off-piste in a variety of snow conditions and blue or red runs on a ski field. Some experience ski or splitboard touring.
Technical Skills

Technical Skills

No previous crampon or roping experience is required.

Dates & Pricing

Availability

Can't make these dates. Get in touch to arrange group or private dates from August - October.

17th – 21st August Places available
24th – 28th August Places available
31st August – 4th September Places available
7th – 11th September Places available
14th – 18th September Places available
21st – 25th September Places available
28th September – 2nd October Places available

Pricing

Group Trip Price (5 days): NZ$3190 (Deposit $600)

Inclusions & Exclusions

Includes: Applicable taxes, NZMGA certified guide, all food, mountain accommodation during the trip, transport from Wanaka to Mount Cook Village or Fox Glacier, avalanche safety gear, and helicopter flights in and out of the mountains.


Excludes: Ski touring equipment hire. Available from MT Outdoors in Wanaka.


If the tour is unable to spend the entire time in the high mountains due to weather, day or overnight trips will be carried out from Mount Cook Village or nearby ski fields.

Register Interest

Testimonials

We really had an excellent time with Wanaka Mountain Guides. We feel very fortunate that we were able to spend two awesome days up at Plateau hut and the Oahu ski field / lodge experience was equally unforgettable.

— William, Glacier Ski Tour

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