Hayles Trails Blog
I was chatting to one of my operators last night, to their lead guide, who told me that he’s in the heliski business for his love of heli skiing (no surprise). And he told me that the reason he wanted to work with me, was because he could see from my website and had heard through the grapevine, of the passion that I hold for skiing and specifically heli skiing. No surprise either..
Due to a recent injury, I’ve been forced to take a little break from heli skiing. Of course, I am devastated, but, on the plus side, this gave me a chance to do some other things with my time during winter for once. A couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine suggested I visit possibly the world’s most influential festival in music, film and everything- the-internet, none other than SXSW (pronounced south-by-south-west), or just ‘south by’ to the indoctrinated.
So, I hopped on a plane, jetted out to Austin, Texas, couch surfed with two cool, amazing locals who fortuitously lived just 2 blocks from the epicentre, and experienced ‘complete immersion’ with the 20,000 other attendees. There is no other way to describe South-by, and I expect Burning Man has a similar impact.
By Hans Solmssen, Guide de Montagne.
I first came to Greenland to heliski 10 years ago. I expected quite mellow and monotonous terrain, given all the talk about the ice cap. What I discovered, was better skiing than any other place on the planet. And because the area is so vast, using a helicopter to access the terrain provides the ideal way to ski here. My “little” area covers an area greater than all the Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt. Not only is the skiing much more exciting than what any other heli operation has to offer, but the stunning views and cultural experience is simply outstanding. Many of our runs approach 2000 meters of decent, which means we do in 3 days what most operations do in 6.
But then again, ISPO 2011 isn’t exactly your every day trade show. What’s ISPO you ask? Well, it’s the world’s largest sporting goods trade fair, and it’s literally a gear freak’s wet dream. The most extensive ISPO is held in Munich every year, and has grown to a size no less than 12 (Yes 12) massive exhibition halls full of every conceivable brand of sporting goods ranging from winter to summer sports that you can imagine.
The fact that one hall alone was dedicated to Scandinavian outdoor companies, another 3 to skiing, that Moon Boots were having a revival, and ABS airbags even had a large stand…well, see below, you get the picture.
As I sit here on the plane, on the long flight home from Valdez Alaska, I am literally brimming with blogs that I can’t wait to write about my adventures up here. To think that for the Easter holiday in the UK, I considered going to Marrakech instead of AK. Unbelievable to me now, given how epic it’s been.
This was to be my 4th trip across the Atlantic this year, to explore amazing heli skiing options. But when Matt White, heliskier, owner and operator of Valdez Helicamps suggested I hit it at Easter, he was spot on with his timings. The conditions were excellent.
I am fascinated by the concept of ‘tipping point’ as it relates to the commitment to go heli skiing (for first timers), not in the collective sense of the market, but in the individual sense. In business speak, the tipping point normally refers to the moment when a product or service achieves mass adoption. For Facebook it was several years ago, for Groupon it’s more recent. As an expert on heli skiing, I wish I was better at determining the individual tipping points of my clients sooner. It might allow me to better manage my time and disappointment. Here’s what I mean.
As 2011 unfolded for me, almost 18hrs after it did for my friends and family I’d just left behind in Australia, I was fortunate to be in one of my favourite places on earth, doing my favourite past time. I was in interior British Columbia, tucked away in a little known remote heliski lodge called Snowwater, embarking on a 4 day heliski tour with my Total Heliski company clientele.
I am sitting on a plane, embarking on the second leg of (I am guessing), my 40th trip around the world. Today I left for a Heliski and Catski trip across British Columbia, Canada, I am hosting for Total Heliski Clients.
As we have been in the peak sales period now for Heliski and Catski Tours, I have recently been thinking about my interesting predicament as the CEO of Total Heliski, my heliski bookings and media business.
Singles Heli-skiing anyone? When a bad situation turns into good. And good turns into an opportunity.
I couldn’t help myself, but I shed a small, private tear this morning.
I don’t often cry, but it’s been almost a week now, that we have had the global volcanic crisis. And, I have had the opportunity to have the company of two Aussie girlfriends who have been stranded extend their stay with me. One, Liz is my dearest best friend since university who was visiting en route to further travels. The other, Dani is a recent friend, who owns Swiss Ski Safari, one of my Total Heliski operators, she was popping into London to do some business. Both are stranded and not surprisingly, we’ve had an amazing time together hanging out in my Kensington apartment, especially since the London weather has been amazing. We were discussing how the three of us feel like we’ve known each other for years, and that if it weren’t for this incredible event, that we wouldn’t have had this chance to hang out and have so much fun together. I am sure that there are stories like this all over the world right now.
Is it about the journey or the destination?
The destination: For all the talk in my last blog about the journey. Let’s face it- when it comes to heli skiing or heli boarding, it’s totally about the destination.
So, in the last post, I shared the founding of Bella Coola Helisports. Now- let me paint the picture of your destination and the experience that is ‘Bella Coola’. Here’s a little photo essay. After all, they say a picture tell a thousand words, and to be quite honest, experiencing the real thing pretty much left me speechless…
Is it about the journey or the destination? Part 1
Given that this year alone, in my quest to test the goods for Total Heliski, I have circumnavigated the world several times, spending over 100 hours inside a metal tube, or in obscure airports doing transfer layovers, I started pondering about the age old question, whether in heli skiing (as in life), Is it the journey or the destination that matters more? So, I start Part 1 of this piece, with the argument for the journey.
I set off for Sochi one January Friday afternoon after my business duties in Moscow with two aims in mind. One to check out Krasnaya Polyana, the Russian ski resort hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. The other, to go heli skiing Russia- style with the French- owned Russia heliski operator I represent with Total Heliski. I achieved one of the two- you can guess which one.
Sochi is actually a seaside resort on the black sea, on the border of Georgia, a 2hr flight south of Moscow. I disembarked from the dubious sounding airline called ‘S7’ to a temperature about 15 degrees warmer than Moscow. S7 is actually Siberian airlines rebranded, and was surprisingly a very good airline experience going by the crew, interior and food. I was to meet my French guide and another 6 French clients for the weekend.
Barmy Army – My adventures at the 2010 British Telemark Ski Championships
Take 80 fit guys from the British Army, (most in elite forces like commandoes or marines) in tight lycra ski race suits, a quaint Austrian alpine village, bars full of Jagermeister and German beer, and you have every single girls dream, (or nightmare) whichever way she is prone to look at it.
Out the back of Kicking Horse Ski Resort with Great Canadian Heliski Mountain Guide- Dave Rutherford.
Ever wondered why a guy who gets paid to heliski would want to strap on a pair of skins and walk up hills for fun? Well, meet Dave Rutherford. A Canadian BC powder country local who started his career as a Banff liftie, and progressed to become a Level 4 Canadian Mountain Guide, and ‘2IC’ at Great Canadian Heli skiing. Ask him this question, and he might tell you that he appreciates the fortitude from ‘earning your turns’. That’s easy for him to say……
Epic and consistent. Sitting on a train en-route to Austria for the British Telemark Ski Championships, reflecting. At last weeks London Total Heliski Info Show event, the crowd were blown away with the pictures I shared of epic and consistent skiing at Chatter Creek Cat over New Years. Here are a few shots that sum it up. Mmmm. Where to start?
From the moment we took off from Chatter Creek’s helicopter transfer base, near Golden BC, we were flying over some of Canada’s best back country. With each passing minute, I sensed increasing remoteness and anticipation building for skiing pure untouched powder snow.
