Hayles Trails Blog
In case you haven’t noticed, I love heli skiing. So much so that I started my own company based on one simple premise: Guide my clients to discover and visit locations and experiences that I love to ski. Period.
I get asked all the time, ‘Where is the best location to heliski’, and my answer is ‘Well, every where’. That’s why I created the ‘Total Heliski World of Adventure’. It’s all there for the taking. Here is the quick lowdown on some of our top locations:
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.
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.
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.
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.
