We got to sunny Christchurch to a delightfully mild Friday and spent time getting over the always exciting Canterbury plains with it's dearth of sheep and other miscellaneous livestock to the Methven.
Apparently Mt Hutt had so much snow they "didn't know what to do with it eh bro!" (we're being serious), so, because they had "too much" snow, the mountain was Shutt. Ha, ha. See how we did that?
Anyway, here are some photos of the transit.
In New Zealand, cows are hilarious and drive on the road. Ha, ha. Cows 1, humans 0. However, most humans eat you, cows (not me though). Cows 1, Humans 100.
View from our back window around 6AM Saturday 23rd August.
In the background, our most-excellent French avionics is being fuelled up.
Heresy's first time in a heli. Choice! I am well position to photograph any Orcs.
This is Jim, he was our guide, and was a man of most salubrious mountain-guiding skills. Lord Jim Mountbatten: Adventurer. This was Rob, our pilot. Also an hilarious individual of French avionics-owning vintage. Good on you Rob.
Truly majestic.
My retinas are shocked. Shocked.
Videocontrolroom.com; value adding smart video services and smashing out backcountry heli runs.
Hmm, where to land, where to land. How about over there, Rob? Hmm, good idea, let me do that up. Hmm, on that knife edge ridge, Rob? Sure Tim, it's choice!
Jim decided to turn the epic notch up a bit here.
This was super fun this one. The high res shot shows mostly tight tracks to allow the following groups some lines. Nnnnope, I'm going wide for that drop.
Chopper over bowl.
Our sincere thanks go to Methven Wilderness Heliskiing for this trip, we had a fantastic day and will be back.
Thanks to Jim who was an excellent guide and a good natured guy.
Rob with his most-sick heli skills and advice on the excellent investment that is French avionics.
This was an amazing experience to be on a peak in the middle of nowhere, virtually on the roof of a country and looking at two oceans, in a windless clear sky and doing turns with good people.
If you can afford it, do it. Life is finite, soak it up.