Guiding in New Zealands' mountains is a serious business . Our Heli-ski guiding programme is overseen by IFMGA* qualified guides with years of experience in Heliskiing in the Southern Lakes region and abroad in Canada, Turkey & Alaska .. We are committed to improving our expertise , proffessionalism and our standards constantly. All our guides are experienced and passionate skiers and riders who wish to share their love of the mountains with you our guests.

Southern Lakes Heliski supports the NZMGA training programme. Our Heliski guiding programme is overseen by IFMGA qualified guides, the highest certification in the NZMGA training programme.

With a ratio of one guide per five guests, you won’t feel overcrowded, and your group will be organised according to ability, ensuring you feel comfortable yet challenged enough to get the most from your day. This Guide to Client ratio backs up our dedication to personalized service, attention to detail and flexibility to accommodate your dream experience.

TARN PILKINGTON

Tarn has worked in Snow safety related jobs since 1986. Including sixteen years in Ski Patrol in NZ ,USA and Switzerland . With over 10 seasons heli-ski guiding experience in NZ and Canada. Tarn spent time as a Rescue Mountaineer at Aoraki/ Mt Cook National Park and has been involved with SAR in Queenstown since 1991. Tarn is actively involved in the Guiding Industry with 10 years as an assessor on Avalanche courses and for the NZMGA Mountain Guides training program, he is also a coordinating member for the NZ Heliski operators group. Tarn works year round as a mountain guide with international experience from Antarctica to Turkey.

ROY SMITH

Roy started working in Avalanche Control at Broken River Ski-field in 1987. Since then he has worked for the last 20 seasons running the snow safety programs for various heliski operations including SLHS since 2006. Roy has guided 9 seasons off piste skiing in the French , Swiss and Italian Alps including ski mountaineering ascents of Mt Blanc. A consummate snow scientist, Roy is very at home in the mountains whether on his “Old Skool” snow board or new age ski’s.

IAN WILKINS

Ian has been with SLHS since the beginning, doing what he loves, skiing back-country power since 1985 to date. The grey wolf as we call him was our Chief Guide & Snow Safety Officer between 1989 - 1997 before taking on responsibilities as the Avalanche forecaster for the Transit New Zealand Milford Road Program between 2000 – 2007. Other experience includes Ski guiding the "Grand Paradiso", Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps between 79- 81 and spends his summers attempting to walk every inch of the Fiordland National Park.

JEREMAIA FISK

Jeremaia started with SLHS when snow boarders where not allowed to be Heli-ski guides as a rookie. Nowadays having guided with Southern Lakes for the past 11 seasons, and as the operations manager since 2005, J has been involved with SLHS from the hangar floor up . With specific experience in the ski industry as a snowboard instructor in NZ and Canada and numerous adventure tourism operations, J brings a broad range of skills to the day to day operation. Jeremaia is the head guide for Exclusively New Zealand a national luxury travel agency during the summer.

RUSSELL TILSLEY

With 16 years experience in the snow industry from managing snow safety programmes for ski fields and heli ski operators and the Milford track as well as full responsibilities managing ski patrols for both coronet peak and The Remarkables ski area.

SCOTT WALKER

Scott has 15 years experience in the Ski Industry with the past 8 seasons as a guide for Southern Lakes Heliski. Scott is a passionate Telemark Skier and in the summer works as a builder. An avid Mountain Biker and equipment freak, Scott’s knowledge of mountain gadgets is second to none.

WAYNE ALLEN

Wayne Allen had been skiing all over the world before he started working in the ski industry .He then worked for the Remarkable’s Ski Area for 13 years as Snow Safety Manager before enjoying the freedom of Guiding Heli ski clients. He has been teaching Avalanche courses for 12 years and is involved in the Queenstown search and rescue and the NZMGA as a trainee Ski Guide.

BRUCE HASLER

Bruce has been guiding with Southern Lakes for the past 15 seasons, with Seven years experience full time as a ski instructor / examiner (Telemark) within the ski industry to boot. Bruce spends his summers mountain guiding in the Southern Alps and is also pretty handy with a hammer! Bruce also has successful summits in the Himalayas and further abroad.

JOSEPH SHULTS

Joe recently moved to NZ in 2008 with his family from Telluride Colorado, where he was the Operations Director / Lead Guide for Telluride Helitrax for the last 10 years. Prior to that, he worked 18 seasons as a ski patroller and snow safety officer for ski areas in Washington State and Colorado. In his spare his spare time Joe has climbed, skied, boated and chased his daughter around 5 continents.