Whare Kea Luxury Backcountry Escape

We try to keep most of our trips all-inclusive to take all of the work out of it for our clients.The price generally includes your qualified and friendly guide, all meals and snacks, terrain and hut fees, communications with our base, technical equipment, ground transport and jet boat / helicopter transports, and 15% Goods and Services Tax. See each individual trip description to see if there are any exclusions from the price.

Ski Crampons
We always recommend that clients bring ski crampons. If you don’t have them, we can still guide you, but your guide will need to take this into account and may need to limit access to some of the best skiing terrain. If one person in the group doesn’t have ski crampons, your guide will usually plan the route as if no one has them, since they must set a skin track suitable for the entire group. Your guide may carry and use their own crampons if needed to ensure the safety of everyone, even if guests don’t have them.

Splitboard Crampons
Because of softer boots and wider skis, splitboarders typically need to use their crampons much earlier than skiers. If a splitboarder doesn’t have crampons, your guide will need to make more conservative route choices for the whole group.

Foot Crampons
Your guide may decide that everyone should carry foot crampons, especially when touring on a glacier. We will supply all guests with foot crampons and ice axes if needed. Foot crampons are not a substitute for ski crampons — they’re useful in different situations, such as climbing an icy couloir to reach a ridge. Often, when a skier using ski crampons can move efficiently across a firm crust, someone on foot might break through it, which is slower and more tiring, especially when carrying skis or a splitboard on their back.

Ski and snowboard crampons are specific to each binding system — there’s no universal fit. If you’re hiring touring equipment, please make sure to request crampons as part of your setup, since they’re not always included by default.

The safety management systems we utilise are designed to reduce risk to the lowest practicable level.

The activities offered — including mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, and glacier travel, as well as travel by helicopter or vehicle to access activity locations — inherently involve risks that may result in property damage or loss, serious injury, or death.

Natural physical hazards such as rocks, cliffs, cornices, avalanches, crevasses, falling, sliding, or equipment failure are ever-present dangers during mountaineering, rock climbing, or ice climbing, including while traveling to and from activity locations. In rare cases, there is also the potential for unforeseen natural hazards.

These activities take place in remote areas where emergency services are not nearby. We reserve the right to withdraw any person who, in our opinion, is likely to endanger themselves or others. We also reserve the right to cancel any activity if we have concerns for your safety or that of any other participant.

You must always follow our instructions and use all safety equipment provided, ensuring that it fits correctly. For these reasons, you accept the inherent and increased dangers and risks associated with the trip or course, including the potential for injury, death, or property damage or loss.

Any medical conditions must be disclosed prior to your trip’s departure. Essential medication must be brought with you, and you are responsible for ensuring it is taken as required.

You acknowledge and accept responsibility for your own ACC cover and/or insurance regarding any injuries, damages, property loss, wrongful death, travel arrangements, or booking alterations.

We accept no responsibility for the actions of any persons or companies supplying goods or services as part of our guiding activities, nor for any extra costs incurred due to delays or complications beyond our control.

We are a 10-15 minute walk from the centre of Wanaka.

For summer trips, we typically meet at 8:30am the day of your trip start.

For winter and summer trekking, unless otherwise instructed, your guide will meet you at 4:30 pm the day before the start of your trip for a great check. If you need a pick-up from your accommodation, please let us know. At this meeting, your clothing and equipment will be checked and final details of your trip discussed. There will be time for last-minute gear purchases if required.

We request that all clients purchase travel insurance that specifically covers cancellation due to injury or illness as well as weather cancellation. This is highly recommended for all trips with us due to the nature of the trips we provide. We have a relationship with the provider Global Rescue which has IMG signature travel insurance as an option which includes a "Cancel for any Reason" policy. Global Rescue is a subscription type model for insurance for rescue and medical extraction, however this is covered in New Zealand by ACC. Insurance policy costs will vary based on age, duration of trip and coverage selected. These policies will range from $200-$700 per person.

You will be provided an equipment list at the time of booking your trip. We can provide technical equipment such as ice axes, boot crampons*, climbing equipment, climbing helmets, ice axes, avalanche equipment, trekking poles etc. for no additional cost. For items such as backpacks and clothing, we encourage clients to bring their own or source the appropriate layers. We don't provide ski touring equipment (*including ski / splitboard crampons) but can provide recommendations for retailers that do.

A gear check will take place the evening or morning before your trip, at which you will have the opporutnity to check over any items you might need to hire.

We put a lot of work into supplying you with wholesome meals with a variety of healthy and tasty ingredients and snacks catering to common preferences.

Where possible, we provide fresh vegetables and real coffee. However, there will always be limitations when cooking in an alpine or wilderness environment. Meals like salads are limited or not possible to provide. Some trips/ courses are not recommended for people with very restrictive or complex dietary requirements. If you do have a restrictive eating regime we ask that you disclose this to us at the time of booking and we may ask you to provide us with an advance copy of what you would typically eat on a wilderness trip and our team will shop and cook accordingly.

This tends to be one of the major concerns of clients going on group trips. However, in our experience, it is very rarely a problem. Due to our small group size, we largely avoid compatibility issues.

However, almost all of the trips we offer are physically demanding. It is very important that you are realistic in the self-assessment of your skills and experience. If you are not familiar with the NZ mountain and wilderness environment it is hard for you to judge how you will go. Our Lead Guide and all our guides are widely travelled and can give a good assessment before you join a trip whether your experience in other countries will work well for NZ conditions.

If you are joining a group, tolerance is an important personal quality. Tiredness from lack of fitness or sleeping in an unfamiliar environment can take its toll over a long trip. But it is important to remember that while you might be the fastest, you might be the weakest at tying into your harness, crossing a river or making turns in deep powder snow. Inevitably every person on a group trip will have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. An upbeat temperament and accepting attitude go a long way in the mountains.

If you are really concerned about your compatibility with others and you have not done many group trips then we are happy to offer private options on request.

New Zealand is famous for its changeable weather. The mountains here are characterised by long sunny fine periods mixed with sudden and sometimes heavy rain or snow. Our experienced guides are well equipped to provide the best possible trip and have many years experience in judging the conditions. Travel in bad weather is an art in itself. By using our services you give yourself the best chance of success dealing with whatever the weather may throw at you.

If the weather remains adverse and prevents the trip from operating as originally planned, you have the opportunity to carry out sub-alpine adventure and skill development activities. The guide fee applies and any trip costs not utilised will be refunded.

It is important that you have read and understood our booking terms and conditions. Once a trip begins there are no refunds.

Yes, no problem. We have storage for anything you aren't taking on your trip. There's no electricity, internet or phone connection available on any of our trips - so it's best to leave most of your electronic gear with us for the duration of your trip.

The closest airport to us is in Queenstown. There are regular shuttles between Wanaka and Queenstown airport (one-hour drive).

For shuttle and taxi information:

Ritchies Transfers

Yello Taxi Service

Wanaka Transfers

Throughout the winter season, a full range of conditions and temperatures can be expected in the New Zealand Mountains. Due to the remote nature of the the terrain, clients need to be suitably prepared. Your guide will do a comprehensive gear check at your pre-trip meeting. These are usually fly-in, fly-out trips based at backcountry huts. You will need to carry your personal gear as well as avalanche safety gear, crevasse travel equipment and will be asked to assist in carrying some food and group equipment from the heli-landing site to the hut. All items need to be packed into one bag per client.

Full payment is required 45 days prior to the start date of the trip. All prices are charged in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) and include 15% GST. We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. A 2.9% transaction fee will be required for credit card payments. Payment by direct bank transfer in NZD can also be arranged. 

In case of cancellation after payment, part of the amount paid may be retained:

• 100% — deposit

Additional terms: