Trip Report of a Die Hard Heli-Skier

I enjoyed my visit to the Total Heliski London Show 2011 even more than I was expecting. Why? Because I came away having won a 3 day heliski holiday with Snowwater in Canada!

Even though I’d heliskied before I was very apprehensive as I’d heard that Total Heliski was for “hard core” skiers whose aim was to cover the maximum number of vertical meters during their stay. Being fifty-seven (and three quarters), a little older than the average Total Heliski customer, I realised I had to get into serious training. I took my 22 year old daughter Katie – at least that brought our average age down a bit!

Day 1:
The journey to get there was as much of an adventure as the holiday itself. A nine hour flight to Seattle followed by a one hour flight to Spokane. We hired a car from the airport and drove to the Davenport Hotel to stay the night.

Day 2:
It was snowing in Spokane and we were told that road conditions to the Canadian border and in British Columbia were “snowy and icy”. Luckily the 4×4 performed well and we got to the Snowwater base in good time (the drive took about 3.5 – 4 hours) and were given a warm welcome by Patric and Maria who own the lodge.

An exhilarating 30 minute trip in a snowcat took us upto the Snowwater lodge, which was a series of buildings in the middle of nowhere. Our luxurious bedroom had underfloor heating and some of the best views on earth.We met fellow heliskiers there. An Australian, a Canadian, three Swedes and Squirrel Man with his filming team. Squirrel Man is a base jumper and was hoping to be the first person to jump out of a helicopter in a squirrel suit.

It was now confirmed that I am the oldest by far and most likely the slowest skier. Help!
Dinner was a mind blowingly delicious combination of seared scallop with fish carpaccio, leafy salad with pears and a vanilla dressing, lamb shanks with butternut risotto, smoked squash powder and paprika jus, finishing off with crème brûlée. All washed down with Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz.

Went to bed very tired and scared about the next day!

Day 3:
Breakfast at 7.30 consisted of the chef’s special – chorizo, spinach and cheese omelette with hash browns. We were assigned Stefan from Germany as our guide who took us through safety training with transceivers, shovels and probes followed by helicopter safety. It was too foggy for the helicopter to fly so we went in the snowcat for some awesome powder and great tree skiing. The powder was sooooooooooooo deep.

Unfortunately Squirrel Man’s camera man skied into a tree whilst filming, cracked some ribs and had to be taken to hospital. Gutted that we never saw Squirrel Man flying.

Another sumptuous dinner followed by bed for me and a few bevvies for Katie at the ice bar on t

Day 4:
20 cm of snow overnight and it’s still snowing. Too foggy for helicopter so off we went in the snowcat. There was such deep snow that we were told to head down hill and not turn! By 1pm the weather cleared and up we went in the heli. Just flying in the helicopter was incredibly exciting and the views were stunning. Five runs in the afternoon with the deepest powder I’ve ever known were fantastic but exhausting. I must be getting old.

Got in the hot tub with a glass of wine to soothe my aching limbs. The camera men, now nicknamed the “Teletubbies” provided great entertainment by doing stunts out of the hot tub, e.g. diving into the snow from the balcony, etc.

Another delicious dinner followed by a firework display and capped off with shots on the balcony at the ice bar…drinking out of frozen shot glasses.

Day 5:
Out in the heli for 5 drops before the weather closed in and then to the snowcat for more skiing. Gave up early and I was so relieved that I was still alive with no injuries! It was sad to say goodbye to our fellow skiers and all the staff – in just three days they had become friends who I felt I’d known for ages!
20 minute drive to Nelson to stay overnight before our drive back to Spokane.

Day 6:
Early start off to Spokane, flight to Seattle and then back to the UK.
I had two concerns before I started out on this heli ski tour:

1. The time and distance to get there: 2 days travelling out, 3 days heli skiing and 2 days getting back. Was it worth it? Without a doubt. The 3 days at Snowwater were awe-inspiring. Katie and I just loved everything about it – the accommodation, the food and the staff were far better than we could have imagined.

2. Would I be the oldest and slowest skier?: Yes. There is no doubt that this company is perfect for fit young skiers who want to maximise the “unlimited vertical meters” which Snowwater offers. The operation was so efficient that any keen heli skier couldn’t fail to be impressed. Having said that, I was never made to feel rushed and was well accommodated without holding up the faster skiiers.

Overall View:
The safety element was incredibly thorough and even though there are certain risks involved with heli skiing, I had total confidence that Snowwater and Total Heliski had taken every care possible.The food was beyond my wildest dreams (and I’m a cookery writer!).The weather wasn’t great but the snowcat backup ensured we spent as much time skiing as possible.

Even though Snowwater caters for expert skiers, those who are not as strong are also well looked after.We arrived home to find that Katie had a job offer after she leaves Uni this year. Her main aim is to earn lots of money so that she can go back to Snowwater as soon as possible.

Thanks to Total Heliski and Snowwater for a FAB holiday which I will remember for life.

1. The time and distance to get there: 2 days travelling out, 3 days heli skiing and 2 days getting back. Was it worth it? Without a doubt. The 3 days at Snowwater were awe-inspiring. Katie and I just loved everything about it – the accommodation, the food and the staff were far better than we could have imagined.

2. Would I be the oldest and slowest skier?: Yes. There is no doubt that this company is perfect for fit young skiers who want to maximise the “unlimited vertical meters” which Snowwater offers. The operation was so efficient that any keen heliskier couldn’t fail to be impressed. Having said that, I was never made to feel rushed and was well accommodated without holding up the faster skiiers.

Overall View:
The safety element was incredibly thorough and even though there are certain risks involved with heli skiing, I had total confidence that Snowwater and Total Heliski had taken every care possible.The food was beyond my wildest dreams (and I’m a cookery writer!).The weather wasn’t great but the snowcat backup ensured we spent as much time skiing as possible.

Even though Snowwater caters for expert skiers, those who are not as strong are also well looked after.We arrived home to find that Katie had a job offer after she leaves Uni this year. Her main aim is to earn lots of money so that she can go back to Snowwater as soon as possible.

Thanks to Total Heliski and Snowwater for a FAB holiday which I will remember for life.