The Search:
After an awesome winter of 2012 adventure heli skiing and heli boarding some of the best locations on earth, I had added some top heli skiing spots in Canada and an epic Total Heliski Tour to heliski the Himalayas to my repertoire. But like Yin and Yang, this year as summer rolled around, I felt something was missing. Then I remembered it was two years since I had been scuba diving. I don’t recall what happened in 2011, but my knee reconstruction recovery took most of my attention away from my favourite adventure activities, including scuba diving. During my last scuba trip to the Red Sea (See Part A of this blog), I’d vowed from now on to focus on ‘destination diving’ (the heliski equivalent) via purpose-built live aboard multi day scuba trips.
Heli Skiing Canada
Heli Skiing Canada: The first, and still the best.
In 1965, Hans Gmoser began the first commercial heli skiing operation in BC, Canada. Today, Western Canada commands more than 90% of the world’s market share. Here’s why it’s so popular.
1. It’s HUGE!
There’s nowhere like Canada for variety. Eight mountain ranges in BC alone provide the ideal terrain for skiers and boarders of all skill levels to experience the thrill of a helicopter ride to an untouched ridge. Hit a different run every day of the season, and you’ll never run out of fresh challenges.
2. Nature’s finest
We’ve all got our gripes with popular resorts. Lift line-ups a mile long; packed pistes; and when runs close, your ski pass still costs the same.
Well, whatever’s bringing your skiing holiday down, why not soar above it? With only yourself and the mountain for company, you can carve up the powder wilderness. Eat lunch looking out over seemingly infinite peaks; spot wildlife darting out of sight as you descend; and at night, relax by an open fire in a secluded lodge.
3. The never-ending season…
Well, spring’s arrived – time to stow away the skis and crack out the hiking boots, right?
Wrong! Canada’s unique geography allows winter to endure above the tree line right throughout April, keeping the snow beneath your feet just as light, fluffy, deep and fresh as it was in January.
And with places such as Banff and Jasper remaining open for resort skiing as late as mid-May, you’ve got the option of nudging the summer on the pistes, or enjoying a little warmth at ground level before jetting off to the Arctic, where it’s skiing season all year round.
If you’re interested in heli skiing Canada, browse our great package deals to find yourself the holiday of a lifetime.
Chasing the White Gold Rush - Part I
PART 1: CES TOUR TRIP REPORT
The primary reason for my visit to British Columbia was to host a Total Heliski Member Tour at our operator, whose renowned tenure at Eagle Pass sits opposite the ski resort of Revelstoke. Arriving from the distinctly barren and over-the-top environment of Las Vegas where the party had been undertaking a large electronics industry conference known as CES, it couldn’t have been more of a contrast to land in the hazy, overcast, snow-covered airport of Kelowna early in the afternoon of Jan 14. Our drive up to the lodge made us excitable as our driver broke the news of the current epic snow conditions to us, all the while as the snowfall got heavier and heavier on the windscreen. I was just hoping that we were going to have enough decent weather to be able to fly the next day.
Die Hard Heli-Skier - Guest Blog
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!
New Year's Resolutions
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.