How You Can Enjoy a Multi-Drop Helibike Day
Take an inside look at what is involved in a multi-drop Helibike day with Southern Lakes Helibike.
Here at Southern Lakes Helibike we are so fortunate to have a great selection of guides, both new to us and seasoned, on the team.
To get the newbies up to speed, our lead guide designed the ideal multi-drop Helibike package as a training day (sounds pretty good, hey?).
We’re fortunate to have access to a wide variety of terrain around Wanaka. Meaning we often customize our trips with ease. A quick chat with the team ahead of your day can result in you exploring places that aren’t otherwise advertised. Before booking, talk to us about your riding abilities and we will work together to tailor your experience, so you can maximise the adventure for your day.
Our Multi-Drop Day
Starting the day, we lifted from our Wanaka Airport hangar, flying to the east of Wanaka town passing over the winding Clutha River directly to the top of Mt. Burke.
Overlooking Lake Wanaka and Stevenson Arm, Mt. Burke follows a 4WD track from top to bottom with elements of steep exposure, variable rock sizes and rolling farmland towards the bottom. This is a track for experienced riders looking for an adventure that will have your body and mind active on the descent.
The details –
Distance – 9.2km
Highest Altitude – 1,450m
Descent – 1,184m
Ascent – 23m
At the base of Mt. Burke, we met up with pilot Matt and loaded up the bikes for the next ascent. A little easier on the legs than having to pedal, we were lifted across the lake, with a breathtaking view of Wanaka town, to the top of Mt. Alpha.
Mt. Alpha is the neighbour of the famous Roy’s Peak so you can only imagine the immaculate views we had over Wanaka and the surrounds as we enjoyed this ridge-line ride.
You can experience the tussock-surrounded single track and the 360 Wanaka views from Mt. Alpha on our Southern Lakes Ultimate product. It is featured as the warm-up route in the morning. Although if you want to add it to a single-drop product as a beginning or end, and create your own multi-drop day, discuss it with our staff and we can easily accommodate. Being the shortest trail of the day, it offered a chance to get speed up and enjoy a quick burst of energy before jumping back in the heli for our third lift.
The Details –
Distance – 2.3km
Highest Altitude – 1,607m
Descent – 244m
Ascent – 4m
Our final adventure for the day was atop Bike Glendhu, the third stop on our Southern Lakes Ultimate package.
Bike Glendhu’s unravelling trails are a spectacular sight from above as you fly over, but the adventure really hits when you land and are greeted by professionally built flow tracks, jump lines and manicured berms.
From the top of Falcon’s Nest back to the base, our guides followed Upper, Mid and Lower Baywatch, down Jairolla and finished on Fern Berms.
As mentioned, Southern Lakes Ultimate includes a lap through Bike Glendhu with the park entrance included in the cost. We take the hassle out of everything, especially the need to climb the elevation.
The Details -
Distance – 7.0km
Highest Altitude – 749m
Descent – 458m
Ascent – 16m
After a big day of riding, our guides continued their training with Bike Glendhu, ensuring the safety of our guests. Once the training was complete, we loaded the ute and headed back to base, sharing stories and highlights from the day enjoyed and the multiple drops we got to ride.
Reach out to the team to customise and book your dream Helibike day, so you too can enjoy the downhill!
See you on the trails!