Best Heli Skiing Trips: Resorts + Heliskiing Best Short Trips

Heli Skiing Trips + Resort Skiing Trips

Heli skiing trips plus resort skiing trips is next our series on the best heli skiing trips.  Heliski.com clients often ask us to put together the best short heli skiing trips.  This usually includes 3 or 4 days of heliskiing with minimal travel time and minimal risk.  For some, it is more about getting the best deal.   Others want to combine heli skiing trips and resort skiing.
heli skiing trips, best heli skiing trips, short trips
Also check out our previous articles:

Revelstoke’s Best Short Heli Skiing Trips

Best Short Heliskiing Trips – Coast Range

Best Short Heli-Skiing Trips – SE British Columbia

Best Short Resort + Heli Skiing Trips

Here we discuss the best short heli skiing trips combined with Resort skiing.

Travel Time / Convenience

 tlh_heliskiing_lodge-chopper-night
When combining resort skiing and heli skiing, minimizing travel time can save a day on the snow.  Having said that, some prefer a day off.

Starting at a resort can help heliskiers get acclimated to the Pacific Time Zone.The is true specially for Europeans.

Short Heli Skiing Trips Cost

Another advantage to combining resort and heli-skiing trips is reducing the total cost.

Warming Up for Heli Skiing

Many HELISKI.com clients would like to get their ski legs before jumping into a helicopter.  Combining resort and heli skiing trips is the obvious choice.
best short heli skiing trips, Bella Coola Heli Skiing Trips

Whistler / Blackcomb Resort + Heli Skiing Trips

Whistler is probably the resort most commonly used to warm up before a destination heliskiing trip.   Heliskiers connect through Vancouver on the way to all five of the Coast Range Heliskiing operators.  And Vancouver is only an hour and a half away.  For short trips including Whistler, consider Bella Coola Heliskiing, Northern Escape Heliskiing and TLH Heliskiing.

The Best Short Heli Skiing Trips – Resort + Heliski

Bella Coola Heliskiing

Combo trips with BCHS and Whistler work really well. in fact, we have many clients that do a pre- or post- Whistler trip.

There’s busses that leave from YVR every hour to Whistler, so transfers are super easy. Guests could sleep the night in Whistler, take the morning shuttle to YVR to meet the flight to Bella Coola, and be heli-skiing the longest descents in North America that afternoon.

heli skiing trips, resort Plus heliskiing

A sample 7 night combo could look like this:

Day 1) Take a shuttle from YVR up the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. Potential to ski in the afternoon

Day 2) Ski Whistler-Blackcomb

Day 3) Ski Whistler-Blackcomb

Day 4) Take the bus from Whistler to Vancouver Airport South Terminal for mid-morning flight to Bella Coola (70 minutes). After lunch and the safety briefing, heli-ski the rest of the afternoon

Heli Skiing Trips, TLH tracks into trees on skier

Day 5) Heli-skiing the epic terrain of the Coast Range

Day 6) Heli-skiing the epic terrain of the Coast Range

Day 7) Heli-skiing the epic terrain of the Coast Range

Day 8) Spend the morning heli-skiing the way to the Airport. On arrival, the guests luggage will be waiting so that they can change clothes for the short flight back to Vancouver, arriving around 2pm. Guests can then fly home that same evening!

Therefore a 7 night trip will give people 2-2.5 days of resort skiing and 5 days of heli-skiing (2 half-days and 3 full days). Not bad!

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing makes this list as well.  Golden is home to Great Canadian Heli Skiing and Kicking Horse ‘The Jackson Hole of Canada.’  So it’s a great combination of terrain and easy travel.

  • Great Canadian Heli-Skiing will accommodate your group for as many days as you like, starting and stopping on any day.
  • All heliskiing is unlimited vertical at GCH, too.
  • 6 groups of 4 in an A-Star, so you can find a group with similar ability and aggressiveness

TLH Heli Skiing Trips

TLH Heli Skiing Tenure is just North of Whistler.   A shuttle takes guests from Whistler to Pemberton, where short hop by a chartered plane completes the flight to the lodge.    TLH is unlimited vertical, and just one group per helicopter!

heli skiing trips, maria snowwater heli-skiing bc canada
TLH / Whistler Heli Skiing 

Combo Package can include:  Unlimited Vertical Heli Skiing trips at TLH

  • 4 nights’ accommodation at Tyax Wilderness Resort & Spa
  • 3 nights’ accommodation in Whistler, BC
  • 1 night accommodation in Vancouver, BC
  • Transportation from Vancouver to Whistler, Whistler to TLH and return to Vancouver (combination of land and air)
  • 2 day lift pass for Whistler-Blackcomb Resort
  • All gourmet meals at TLH

heli skiing trips, northern escape heli-skiing bc canada

Northern Escape Heli-Skiing is just 20 minutes from the Terrace airport.  So getting from Whistler to the lodge is very easy and convenient.  It is possible to ski Whistler Blackcomb in the morning, and have dinner at the Northern Escape Heli Skiing lodge.

Snowwater Heli Skiing has a resort / catskiing / heli skiing trip combo that is unique.  It’s called the Kootenay Sampler.

One Resort day, 2 Catskiing days, 3 or 4 heliskiing days.

I have not done the Sampler, but I have heliskied with them, which was great.   And the lodge is a ton of fun.

snowwater-lodge-front-view, heli skiing trips

THE PEAK SEASON KOOTENAY HELI SKIING TRIPS INCLUDE:

DAY 1
– your trip starts with a night at the Prestige Resort in Rossland
– breakfast voucher for ski hill in the morning is included
– a day pass for Red Resort ski area

DAY 2 and 3
– 3 nights accommodation at Nelson’s Lakeside Prestige Resort and Convention Centre
– 2 days snowcat at their sister company, Valhalla Powdercats, lunch and morning snacks included
– breakfast at Prestige Resort in Nelson

DAY 4
– breakfast at Prestige Resort in Nelson
– pass for Ainsworth Hot Springs Caves and Mineral Baths.

DAY 5, 6 and 7
– 3 or 4 days of heli skiing with Snowwater Heli Skiing

– 3 groups of 4

UNLIMITED VERTICAL!
– all alcohol (except cellared wine and premium liquor)
– 3 nights accommodation at Snowwater Lodge
– 3 delicious meals a day for the length of your Snowwater stay
– personal safety backpack with avalanche probe, shovel and water bottle
– use of digital barryvox avalanche transceiver
– avalanche safety and transceiver training
– helicopter safety briefing
– specially selected poles and fat powder skis
– transfer to and from the lodge from the base office.

Honorable Mention Heli Skiing Trips

Last Frontier Heliskiing, for the ultimate warm up plus a full 7-day package.  3 days at Whistler, 1 in Vancouver, and 7 days heliskiing at the Bell 2 Lodge.  It looks like this:

best resort + heliski BC

Let us know if we can assist with recommendations for the best BC heli skiing trips!

tj

Best BC Heliskiing Series: Best Short BC Heliski Trips

Best BC Heliskiing Series: Best Short Heliski BC Trips

The Best Short Southeast BC Heliski Options

This is the third in our series on the best heliski BC trips.  Heliski.com clients often ask us to put together the best short BC heliski trips.  This usually includes 3 or 4 days of BC heliskiing with minimal travel time and minimal risk.  For some, it is more about getting the best deal.   Others want to combine heli-skiing BC and resort skiing.

Also check out our previous articles on Revelstoke’s Best Short Heli Ski BC Trips and Best Short Heliskiing BC Trips – Coast Range   

Here we discuss the best short BC heliski trips in the mecca of BC heliskiing- Southeast British Columbia.
In future posts, we will offer advice for the best heliskiing in the US and the best BC heliskiing combined with resort skiing and riding.

SE BC Heliskiing Travel Time / Convenience

Southeast British Columbia is where the majority of BC heli-skiing is found.  It is remote.   But paraphrasing Hans Gmoser, Founder of CMH Heliskiing, ‘Beautiful places are not always easy to reach, but it is worth the effort.’  Most heliskiers fly into Calgary, then drive or take a bus or shuttle to the lodge or to the helipad.   Flying into Kelowna is also becoming more popular, with direct flights from these airports:

Edmonton, Victoria, Kamloops, Prince George, Red Deer, Abbotsford, Cranbrook and Whitehorse, LA, Phoenix, Seattle, Las Vegas, Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.A couple of lodges, including one mentioned below, are accessed through Spokane, Washington in the US.

SE Heliski BC Cost

SE BC heliskiing operators offer the best deals in the early and late season.   Unlimited vertical packages may be worth it, especially in the Spring when days are longer.  More traditional pricing, including a specified number of vertical feet, allow guests to decide when to pay to continue skiing.

BC Heliskiing Down Day Risk

Down day risk lessens as one moves North in SE British Columbia.   The North is typically colder, and the snow can be drier and lighter.  And surprisingly, the South can be influenced by Coastal weather patterns.   That means tons of snow, but can ground the chopper.   This is one of the  reasons why we like Snowwater Heliskiing’s catskiing backup.

The Best Short Heliski BC Trips – Southeast BC Heliskiing

And the winners for Best Short SE BC Heliski trips are:  Great Canadian Heli-Skiing, CMH Kootenay and Snowwater Heliskiing

Great Canadian Heliski BC

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing BC runs a great operation in Golden, BC.It is only 4 hours from Calgary.  Great Canadian Heli Skiing offers a shuttle, but only on Saturdays.  And it is on the East side of Rogers Pass – the most frequently closed highway in Canada.  So a rental car in a good option.  One of the best features for short trips BC Heliski trips is that Great Canadian Heli-Skiing allows guests to begin and end visits on any day, which is unique, and very cool.

All trips at Great Canadian Heli-Skiing BC are small group and unlimited vertical.   It is not the least expensive option, but guests can rack up the vertical.  Some of their best terrain is very close to the lodge.  So guests heliski / heliboard early and often.   Great Canadian Heli-Skiing BC is also on the leeward side of the Pass, so they enjoy lighter drier snow and fewer down days. Great Canadian Heli-Skiing BC boasts just two down days per season!

The Great Canadian Heli-Skiing lodge accommodates 24 guests.  Heli-Skiing is in six groups of four.  So if you do not bring your own group, Great Canadian Heliskiing can always match you with other like-minded heliskiers with compatible abilities.

Check out our Interview with one of the BC Heliski winners, Great Canadian Heli Skiing

bc heliskiing, heliski bc

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing’s famous Burnt Forest offer high-speed tree skiing.

CMH/Kootenay BC Heliskiing

Canadian Mountain Holidays has 12 BC heli-skiing lodges. The best kept secret may be CMH Kootenay, formerly known as K2.  It was a join venture between the two companies, with obvious symmetry, but now it’s just CMH.  The trips are usually pretty good deals.  Kootenay BC heliskiing is famous for tree skiing.

Lodging is a hotel.   The best feature is the outdoor hot springs.  So if you are looking for a deal, consider Kootenay BC Heliski as an option.  CMH runs both small and large group trips at Kootenay BC Heli-Skiing.   Special weeks include Steep Shots and Pillow Drops.3, 4 and 5 day trips offer great flexibility. Guests need to find their own way to the lodge in Katsup.  This usually means flying to Kelowna, BC or Spokane, WA and renting a car. The drive is 4 and 5 hours, respectively.

Check out our Interview with CMH Kootenay 

bc heliskiing cmh, heliski bc, CMH kootenays

Snowwater Heliski BC

Another gem of SE BC heliskiing is Snowwater Heli-Skiing BC.  It is an intimate setting, hosted by the owners, husband and wife Patric and Maria.

Snowwater Heli-Skiing BC is also exclusive, catering to 12 guests at any one time.  The food and wine are excellent.

Snowwater Heli-Skiing BC offers 3, 4, 5  and 7-day trips with Unlimited Vertical.   Three groups of four heliski BC groups share an A-Star.  And if the weather does not cooperate, catskiing backup is on the ready.  I have had the good fortune (I think) of experiencing this first-hand.   Our group switched back and forth seamlessly a few times during one day.  In my experience, Snowwater does it better than any operators.

Snowwater also offers a combination Resort, Cat, Heliski BC Trip called the Kootenay Sampler.   Although it is not a short trip, it is a very cool week of powder skiing at a very attractive price.

Guests usually fly to Spokane, WA, rent a car and drive 4 hours North.   It is possible to fly to Castlegar, BC and take a cab to Nelson.

Also check out our Interview with Snowwater Heli-Skiing BC

heliski BC, snowwater bc heliskiing, Image: Bryan Ralph

Cheers from Maria and Patric, Married Owners & Guides – Snowwater Heliskiing BC.

Let us know if we can assist with recommendations for the best BC heliskiing trip
tj

Heliski Revelstoke | Revelstoke Heli-Skiing – Revelstoke Heliski

REVELSTOKE HELI-SKIING REVIEW –

HELISKI REVELSTOKE –

The Best Revelstoke Heli-Skiing !

Heli Skiing Revelstoke Reviews

Heliski Revelstoke is the second in our series on the best heliskiing trips.  Best Revelstoke heli-skiing?  Heliski.com clients often ask us to put together the best short heli-skiing Revelstoke  trips.   This usually includes 3 or 4 days of heli skiing Revelstoke with minimal travel time and minimal risk.  For some, it is more about getting the best deal –  want the best heliskiing Revelstoke prices?.   Others want to combine heli-skiing Revelstoke and resort skiing.  We offer four options to heliski Revelstoke.   We will also put together the best Revelstoke heli-skiing trip for your group, free.

Get Advice for Your Next Trip

Heliski Revelstoke

Here we discuss the best short heli skiing Revelstoke trips.  We visited all three Revelstoke heli-skiing operators last winter.    It is a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

In future posts, we will offer advice for the best heli skiing in Southeastern BC, the US and the best heliskiing combined with resort skiing and boarding.

Heli-skiing Revelstoke, Best Revelstoke Heli-skiing

CMH Revelstoke Heli-Skiing Iconic Big Apple

image: Topher Donahue/Canadian Mountain Holidays Heli Skiing Revelstoke 

Heli-Skiing Revelstoke:  Travel Time / Convenience

Revelstoke heliski options are not the most convenient heli skiing destination to reach, but it’s not bad.  It is best to fly to Kelowna, then drive or take a shuttle two hours.  Kelowna has better reliability than many remote BC airports, thanks to weather and more sophisticated radar.

Revelstoke Heli-Skiing Price

The good news is that there are three Revelstoke heli-skiing operators, and multiple packages from which to choose the best heliskiing heli skiing in Revelstoke.   Typically, the longer the trip to which clients are willing to commit, the better the rates.

Heliski Revelstoke Down Day Risk

The weather is about the same for all three.  Selkirk-Tangiers claims to have a slight advantage, claiming the best heli skiing geography and the longest tenured Revelstoke heli-skiing.

The Best Short Heliskiing Trips – Heli Skiing Revelstoke

It is possible to do a short heli skiing trip to the heart of BC helicopter skiing, aka the Epic Center of the Monashees – Revelstoke.   You can fly into Kelowna, which is just two hours by rental car or shuttle service.  Kelowna can be reached by direct flight from Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, as well as many other.  Check out the map of Revelstoke Heli-Skiing town.

Canadian airports, including Edmonton, Victoria, Kamloops, Prince George, Red Deer, Abbotsford, Cranbrook and Whitehorse.
International airport direct flights into Kelowna, BC include:  LA, Phoenix, Seattle, Las Vegas, Cancun, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta.There are three Revelstoke Heli Ski options:  Eagle Pass Heli Skiing and Heliboarding (run by boarders), Selkirk-Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke (owned by the Revelstoke Mountain Resort), and CMH Revelstoke Heli-Skiing- one of two hotels out of their 12 heliski locations in Canada.

Eagle Pass Heliskiing and Heliboarding offers both all-inclusive and single-day Revelstoke heli-skiing small group heliskiing with unlimited vertical.  The new heliski lodge is very nice.  And it only holds 12 guests, so book early.  Eagle Pass Heli Skiing also has a day-heliskiing lodge 6 km out of town.  It books up way in advance, too!

Single Day Revelstoke Heli-Skiing

There are three options for single day Revelstoke Heli-Skiing:  Eagle Pass Day Program, – which books up fast, so reserve early.   Selkirk-Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke usually has openings during the season.   And CMH Revelstoke Heli-Skiing.   Be aware that CMH Revelstoke Heli-Skiing will only take singles within 7-10 days of the Revelstoke heliski date.

Eagle Pass Heli-skiing Revelstoke, Heliski Revelstoke Eagle Pass Heliskiing & Heliboarding is Small Groups Only

Selkirk-Tangiers Heliski Revelstoke Ranges:  The Selkirks and Adamants

Selkirk-Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke runs both large and small group heliskiing from a hotel just outside of Revelstoke.  Selkirk-Tangiers Heli Skiing can offer great deals because of the hotel lodging and large helicopters.  Helicopters in the parking lot is cool!   Selkirk Tangiers offers Revelstoke heli skiing in Single Day and Multi Day.   A small number of runs is included, but extra runs are relatively inexpensive.  1 and 2 day heli skiing with Selkirk Tangiers is heli only.  3 days and more are all-inclusive.

Heli-Skiing Revelstoke Selkirk-Tangiers, heliski Revelstoke

 

CMH Revelstoke Heli-Skiing

CMH Revelstoke Heli Skiing offers 4, 5 and 7-day large group heliskiing, mostly booked in advance.  We can sometimes get space within a week of the start date for a CMH trip that is not sold out or had a cancellation.  Lodging is a hotel in ‘downtown’ Revelstoke.  There are some cool amenities, including restaurants, night life and a lap pool.  CMH Heliski Revelstoke is in 4 groups of 11.

Mica Heli Skiing Revelstoke

Mica Heli-Skiing Revelstoke deserves honorable mention among the Revelstoke heli skiing options.  It takes a little longer to reach, and it is not cheap.   But Mica’s new lodge is almost always sold out, which should tell you something!  Three grouips share two helicopters, which is unique in the heli skiing world.  No single day Revelstoke heli skiing trips at Mica Heli Ski, however.

heli-skiing revelstoke , mica heliski revelstoke chopper and skier Mica Heliski Revelstoke, Best Heli-Skiing in Revelstoke Apres Ski View from Mica Heliski Revelstoke

View by Mica Heliski Revelstoke Guides.

Let us know if we can assist with recommendations for your next heliskiing trip,

tj

Email for free advice and recommendations

For Longer Trips and Full Reviews of Revelstoke Heli skiing options, click the operator ling below:

Best Heli-Skiing: Best Short Heliskiing Trips Coast Range

Best Heli-Skiing Series:

The Best Short Heli-Skiing Trips – Coast Range

HELISKI.com clients often ask us to put together the best short heli-skiing trips.  This usually includes 3 or 4 days of heli-skiing with minimal travel time and minimal risk.  For some, it is more about getting the best deal.   Others want to combine heli-skiing and resort skiing.

Here we discuss the best short heli-skiing trips to destination lodges.  Here we discuss the best short heli-skiing trips to destination lodges in the Coast Range.  In future posts, we will offer advice for the best heli-skiing in and around Revelstoke, Southeastern BC, and the best heli-skiing combined with resort skiing and boarding.

Travel Time

Travel time is often paramount.   Many clients need to minimize their time away from the office and the family.  So our list includes options with the most convenient travel, as well as the most reliable.  Not all airports are created equally when it comes to flight cancellations.

Convenience

If convenience is very important, we recommend operators that pick up clients at the airport.    Renting a car and driving on unfamiliar roads introduces hassle and risk that some clients would rather avoid.  And some clients hate buses.

Heli Skiing Cost

Cost is also a factor for some.   Unfortunately, the price-quantity curve dictates that the best deals are for the longer trips.  But we have some alternatives for clients looking to stretch their dollars.  There are also trade-offs between unlimited vertical options and fixed-price plus extra vertical.

Down Day Risk

A down day on a 7-day trip is not the end of the world.   Re-group, rest, recuperate and enjoy some other activity.  But a down day on a 3 day trip is a disaster.   So our recommendations include operators with very few down days, as well as those with catskiing and resort backup.

 

The Best Short Heli-Skiing Trips – Coast Range

northern escape heli-skiing lodge and helicopter

Northern Escape Heli-Skiing – One of the Best for Easy Access

Northern Escape Heli-Skiing is an excellent choice for short trips.  NEH is located just 20 minutes from the Terrace BC airport.   Guests can leave San Francisco at noon and easily make dinner at the lodge!   Another great feature at NEH is cat backup.    NEH guests ski even when the chopper cannot fly.

Northern Escape also offers a unique Vertical Option.  For a few hundred dollars per day, committed in advance, clients can add unlimited vertical to any package.  One catch – guests must decide in advance to add the unlimited vertical option.

bella coola best heli-skiing logistics Bella Coola Heli-Skiing Guests Make Turns on Arrival and Departure Days

 

 

Bella Coola Heli-Skiing has a unique travel set-up that works great for short heliski trips. Guests can heli-ski on BOTH Arrival and Departure Days!  This is how it works: after staying the night in Vancouver, guests take a 70 minute, mid-morning flight to Bella Coola. On arrival, lodge staff provide a picnic lunch, followed by a safety briefing from the guiding team. Once this is completed, guests heliski their way from the airport to the lodge.  Departure Day is just as cool.  Guests heliski their way to the airport, arriving about lunch time. Since the flight arrives back in Vancouver around 2pm, guests are able to fly home that evening!

And airfare is included in their prices.  On a 3-night trip, guests ski two full days and two half days.  4-night trips include three full days and two half days of heli-skiing.  Cool, eh?

Bella Coola Heli-Skiing also has two packages for short trips.  Tweedsmuir Lodge is their classic remote lodge experience.  Big Mountain is hotel lodging, no frills and attractive pricing.  By the way, BCHS uses the same approach on their longer heli-skiing trips, too.

Let me know and I will put together the best options for your short (or long) heliskiing trip.

Best,

tj

Interview Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke Heli Skiing

Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke

Revelstoke Heli Skiing

Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke Heli Skiing Interview

Interview by Tom Jackson, HELISKI.com

1. How long has Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke been flying out of Revelstoke, BC, and how many skiers and riders have had their best day ever with Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing and Heliboarding?

This is our 40th year of operation at Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke Heli Skiing!

Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? We’ve got a huge client base from all over the world.

revelstoke heli skiing, selkirk tangiers heli skiing revelstoke

2. A few years ago you joined forces with Revelstoke Mountain Resort. How have things changed?

It has created lots of opportunities for us to create new packages and offerings for our guests (heliski out of Nelsen Lodge, Lift & Heli Combo incl. 3 days of heliskiing and 2 days at RMR…). We still offer our guests the same amazing heliskiing products we always have but with a lot more options.

3. Your 500,000-acre tenure includes the Monashees and the Selkirk Mountains. Compare and contrast the two, please.

A lot of the same goods! Both ranges run North-South through and around Revelstoke, BC. The Selkirk mountain range lies to the East of Revelstoke and the Monashee mountain range lies to the West of town. The bulk of our tenure is located in the Selkirk mountains so we tend to spend a lot of the time there, but we do like to check out the Monashee side of STHS as often as possible as well! They both include plenty of treeskiing, alpine bowls and glaciers for our guests to enjoy.

4. I get ‘Selkirk’ (the mountain range), but what the heck is Tangiers in Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke?

It’s Tangiers is the name of a zone river in our northern Selkirk terrain, named after the Tangiers river. It is where the company’s original founder and owner, Peter Schlunegger, took his first heliski guests to heliskiing with STHS 35 years ago!

5. What percentage of your clients do a single day heli skiing Revelstoke?

40-60%. Since we are ‘turning over’ guests daily rather than weekly, this allows us to accommodate many more people each week in our Day Heli programs than our multiday programs. However, we find that many single day clients end up adding at least a 2nd day to their experience and a lot will come back the following year for multiday packages!

6. Can you please summarize the three single day heli skiing Revelstoke packages?

Day Heli Experience – a great introduction to heliskiing including 3 runs

Day Heli Advanced – for skiers/boarders with previous heliski and/or extensive backcountry experience. Includes 3,000 vertical meters rather than the 3 runs incl. in the Experience package.

Private DayStar – our premiere day heliskiing experience. You and up to 3 friends in your own helicopter with your own guide experiencing all our terrain has to offer! Includes 5,000 vertical meters of skiing.

ALL these packages also include breakfast, lunch, and après-ski snack, ski/board rentals, ACMG certified ski guide, safety equipment and training. Extra runs/meters available for a fixed rate (based on weather, time and group consensus).

Small choppers are also an option from Selkirk-Tangiers

7. What is the most popular multi-day Revelstoke heli skiing package?

We see lots of guests booking our 3 Day Classic packages because it is a great fit for busy schedules. The 6 and 7 day Classic packages still tend to be very popular however, lots of people are still looking for that traditional week-long heliski experience!

8. Tell us about lodging for multi-day guests with Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing?

We are based out of the Coast Hillcrest Hotel, located 5-min from downtown Revelstoke. A beautiful rustic log themed hotel, there are plenty of amenities (spa, hot tubs, fantastic dining room, lounge, work out facility, STHS retail shop etc.) for our guests to enjoy.

Best Day Ever Groundhog Day

9. What other multi-day Revelstoke heli skiing packages are available?

We have Private AStar packages for groups of 4 or 8, flying from the Hillcrest Hotel, Nelsen Lodge or Bighorn Lodge (at the base of RMR).

New this season we have a special 3 day Women’s Retreat (Jan.7-10 and Mar.10-13) just for the ladies, a 3 day AStar Steep Camp (Mar.3-6 and Mar.17-20) for clients looking to explore some of our more aggressive terrain and get more vertical, and our new Lift and Heliski combo incl. transfers from Kelowna airport, 6 nights accommodation, 2 ski days at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, plus 3 heliski days with STHS.

10. What is the average vertical for a day at Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke?

Depends on a number of factors – what the weather is doing, time of year, what package the guests are booked for. Typically we will see a range of 1,500-3,000 vertical meters per day for our day packages and 3,000-5,000 for our mult-iday packages. However, if we have plenty of light, great weather and keen skiers/boarders, we can see groups skiing up to 8,000+vertical meters some days!!

Tree Skiing from Revelstoke

11. Tell us about your Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke Heli Skiing Only packages.

These packages offer a little more flexibility for our guests. They can still ski with STHS but are free to arrange accommodations for elsewhere in Revelstoke. Available for certain 1, 2 and 3 day packages.

12. What are the options for Private Heli Skiing at Selkirk Tangiers Revelstoke?

Our private packages can be 1-7 days in length, with our 3,,4,5 and 7 day AStar packages including lodging at the Hillcrest hotel. Shorter private AStar packages can be arranged without accommodation for clients who already have somewhere to stay in Revelstoke.
Revelstoke Heli Skiing

13. If the weather grounds the helicopter, can guests go catskiing or make it to the Revelstoke Mountain Resort in time to get a full day?

Multi-day packages: if there is a down day during your multi-day package, guests have the option to go to the ski resort. The group’s guide will drive the group there/back and ski with them; lunch and lift ticket will be provided. If at the end of the package, guests haven’t reached their guaranteed heliski vertical for weather reasons, we will refund at a set rate for the unskied meters.

Day Heli packages: Guests will get a full refund plus have the opportunity to get a ride to the ski resort if their heli day is cancelled first thing in the morning. If they do go out and at the end of the package guests haven’t reached their guaranteed heliski vertical, we will refund at a set rate for the unskied meters/runs.

2 Edges or 4…

14. What percentage of Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing guests are heliboarding?

Hard to say, but it seems to be around 30-40%. It’s definitely not just for skiers, we’re happy taking skiers and boarders out and have a great fleet of rental powder skis & boards to choose from.

15. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing Revelstoke?

There’s a reason we’re still offering up heliskiing and boarding for our guests after being around for 40 years – we know what we’re doing and our guests love it, coming back winter after winter! Revelstoke is a world-renowned destination for heli skiing for good reason and we’ve done our best to provide just that for thousands of our guests from all over the world.

Thanks. I hope to get back up there to Revelstoke to make some turns with you soon!

Best,

tj

Tom Jackson
CPO (Chief Powder Officer)
HELISKI.com
866-HELISKI
(866-435-4754)

Interview with Bella Coola Heliskiing: Beat British Columbia Heliskiing Guide/Owner

 


Interview by Tom Jackson, HELISKI.com

Bella Coola Helisports offers heliskiing and heliboarding out of Bella Coola, BC ( 1 hour flight North of Vancouver) from three different lodges. We talked to owner Beat Steiner recently about the flagship operation at Tweedsmuir Lodge.

 

1. Beat, Bella Coola heli-skiing and heli-boarding is known for your terrain. Tell us about the Tweedsmuir Lodge area.

The Bella Coola area’s particular attraction is the unrivaled alpine terrain we can access. The runs are long, varied and always interesting. Combine this with a solid snowpack and it’s skier’s dream come true.

In my previous life as a ski and snowboard cinematographer, I was fortunate to ski all over the world, including with heli operations on 5 continents and at many of my competitor’s lodges here in BC. It has to be said that there is nothing else like British Columbia for the skiing and snowboarding enthusiast. The particular configuration of the mountain ranges, the weather patterns, the topography, the trees and the vast spaces, makes it the best and most reliable place to ski powder in the world.

For me, Bella Coola has all of what makes BC great in the best possible combinations.

heli-ski canada, heliskiing bella coola helisports

 

Beat “Enjoying the Fringe Benefits”

 

2. You have integrated travel into your trips better than any other operator. Explain how a typical trip works, please.

For sure this seems to be a more and more important consideration in our busy world. The way it works for us is as follows: our clients catch a one hour 10 minute flight to Bella Coola [in the morning]. On their arrival at 11:30, we meet them as they disembark and drive them 300 yards to the heli port. We serve lunch, they get changed into ski clothing, do some safety exercises and then go skiing. It’s as fast and simple as that. They then ski and fly their way to the lodge, where at the end of the day, the heli drops them on the lawn outside their private chalet. It’s a very cool set up. We have clients from California, Seattle and Toronto that wake up in their own
The return journey is equally efficient. We ski and fly from the lodge and land the clients at the airport on the tarmac outside the terminal. It’s a rock star finish to the week.

 

3. The snow at Whistler Blackcomb has given the Coast Range a bad rap. How is your snow at Bella Coola Heli Sports?

I love the snow in Whistler. I’ve lived here for 30 years and I would argue it’s one of the most reliable places in the world to find good powder skiing and snowboarding. Yes, sometimes it can be wet, but all destinations have their issues. To me the most important thing is that it’s generally stable and we can ski super cool lines. There is a reason why so many film crews shoot their best stuff in the Coast Range from Whistler stretching north to Alaska.

As with regards to the snow in Bella Coola, I would say it’s ideal. It’s certainly lighter than here in Whistler. After all, we are further North and operate at a higher elevation. The biggest thing however, is that we operate primarily on the east side of the range, the dry side, whereas Whistler is on the Western slope. It’s the same pattern as in California where the east side of the Sierra’s drops down into the desert (there are even places in BC with rattle snakes). In any case, we have what I think is a perfect snowpack. It’s reliable, stable, and light, but with enough resistance and density that you float on top rather than ski the rocks and ice underneath. Check out the picture.

heli-ski, heliskiing bc canada

Shred Alert!

4. With a huge tenure stretching West to East, is it true you can find good snow just about any day?

Yes, 2.65 million acres! Having a big tenure does guarantee that we can pretty well find good snow every day. However, the magic of Bella Coola is not that the tenure is so big, but more the micro climatic conditions of the zone we are in. The storms roll in off the Pacific and as they move east dumping their load of snow, it gets progressively drier. Being in the transition zone means that if it’s storming we stay more in the eastern parts of our area, but if it clear and it hasn’t snowed in a while, we can head west into the big snow zone. [Nice!]

 

5. Some think a huge tenure is irrelevant, because operators stay close to the lodge to save on fuel. Does size matter?

It’s true that we have more terrain then we can ski in a lifetime. In total it’s 10,700 square kilometers (4,300 sq/miles). This is equal in size to the entire Swiss Alps, except there are no ski lifts, no roads, and no people. And yes, costs and logistics demand that for the most part the heli has to stay reasonably close to refueling options. However, one of the things I have always enjoyed most about skiing is exploring. Going to new places, seeing what’s over in the next valley, skiing stuff nobody has ever skied before. Lots of the guides working for our company are old ski buddies from the ski bum days, who have this same philosophy. Anyway, I like the idea that we as a company will still be exploring our area well into the future. It makes it interesting and exciting.

canadian heli-skiing, heli-ski canada

6. Tell us about the Tweedsmuir lodge, please, Beat.

The Bella Coola Valley is a magical little slice of what is a magical part of the world. The reaction we get from lots of people is that they feel like they have somehow landed in Shangri-La. The vertical relief out of the valley is huge. Combine this with big rock walls and tumbling glaciers, and it creates what are some of the most stunning views in the province.
The Tweedsmuir Park Lodge sits at the base of Mt. Stupendous (the name says it all) and is on the banks of the Atanarko River. We are inside a provincial park so it’s a very pristine and wild environment.

Accommodation at the lodge is in private double occupancy chalets with the main lodge for dining and socializing. It’s a great set up offering lots of privacy, yet intimate enough that by the end of the week everybody skiing that week has gotten to know each other.

heli-ski british columbia, helicopter skiing bella coola bc

Alps? No, Mt Waddington – highest peak in BC
7. What is the average vertical in a day of heliskiing / heliboarding at Bella Coola Tweedsmuir Lodge ?

The average vert varies a fair bit depending on whether we are skiing on a sunny day or a bad weather day. If it’s sunny and we are skiing the huge alpine lines the vert racks up pretty fast and its common to ski 30,000plus feet. On bad weather days we ski in the trees, and the average vert maybe closer to 15,000 for the day.

 

8. You ski in groups of 4 or 5 in A-Star ships, right?

Yes that is correct. For the most part we do 4 people per load for the sake of comfort and increased operational flexibility (we can carry more gas and fly further into our tenure). However, with the A-star B2 it is possible to add a 5th client and if we have a group of 5 that want to ski together then we try to accommodate that.

heliskiing, helicopter skiing canada

Love to Keep a Taxi Waiting…
9. How many groups share a helicopter?

The Tweedsmuir Park Lodge can host 16-18 people per week. On a normal week this breaks down to be four heli loads, which we would service with two machines. So each machine is flying just two loads. [Wow]

As you know the standard for most heli ops is three loads. On occasion we also do three loads in one machine, but that would be the maximum.

 

10. How does your skiing change from January to April?

In January we ski more trees and can sometimes ski from a 7,000 foot summit right down to 1,500 feet above sea level. My personal favorite time however is probably late March and April. The days are longer, the snowpack is settled, and the weather generally more stable. This is when we do most of our exploring and ski some great circuits in the really big alpine. Even late April is not too late to get superb powder snow. Our area is very heavily glaciated and all that ice acts like a giant freezer keeping the snow cold. We have even had clients come up and ski in June, July and even as late as September. The idea was to go ski corn snow, but more often than not they also get to ski some powder.

helicopeter skiing canada, bella coola heliski canada

Bella Coola Heli-Skiing April 12th!

11. How often do people mispronounce your name, Beat?

I have to say I don’t even notice anymore. I grew up with it and it’s always been difficult for English speakers. If people ask, I tell them my dad was a drummer. The fact is that it’s actually a fairly common name in Switzerland (my dad is Swiss). It’s the male version of Beatrice and is pronounced similarly. I like it. It’s the same root as the beatitudes and beatific and comes from the latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate or blissful. My life has been all that so no complaints from me. [What a great answer, BE-ot]

 

12. What % of your guests are European?

At the moment I would say about 70% of our clients are from Europe. A few years ago the split was closer to 50/50 between North Americans and Euros. That changed with Lehman Brothers going under. [Ouch]

Also, back in those days our currency was the Canadian peso whereas the currencies are more or less at par now. I’d like to get our numbers back to a 50/50 split. I am counting on this interview to help! [Occupy Bella Coola!!]

heli-skiing, bella coola heliskiing canada

13. What is your most popular package?

The most popular program is the standard one week vertical package. This is 100,000 vertical feet of skiing over the course of a 7 night stay. With 7 nights in Bella Coola, there is an opportunity to ski 6 full days and two half days. The semi-private program is also popular and is ideal for a group of 8 people who know each other and want more input in deciding when and where to go skiing.

 

14. What % of your guests return the following year?

I would say that about 75% of our clients each year are returning guests and 25% are first timers.

 

15. We will talk about your other two lodges (Pantheon and Big Mountain) next time. Is there anything else you would like to add about your Tweedsmuir Lodge operation?

What I really want to try to emphasize to your readers is how much fun heli skiing and snowboarding is. Resort skiing simply doesn’t come close. It’s not only about the endless untracked powder either, but also the fantastic thrill of flying into the mountains in this magical machine, a helicopter, and then having the pilot put you down on some remote peak in the middle of nowhere. Being out in these kinds of environments is an awesome privilege. Being able to ski or snowboard as well is a bonus. I would strongly urge anybody that likes to ski and snowboard to book heli skiing at least once in their lifetime, either in Bella Coola or with one of my competitors. [No way, Beat. You are one of a kind!]

After all, there is a reason so many people list a day of heli skiing as the best day in their life !

Thanks, Beat, always a pleasure!

Best,
tj

Tom Jackson
CPO (Chief Powder Officer)
HELISKI.com

HEIBOARD.com
866-HELISKI
(866-435-4754)

heliski canada, helicopter skiing canada heli ski canada, heli-skiing canada

heli-skiing canada, helicopter skiing bc canada
opedix heli-skiing tights, best knee support for skiing

Opedix Compression Garments – Best Knee Support for Skiing

What is the best knee support for skiing?

 

opedix heli-skiing tights, best knee support for skiing

After ‘retiring’ in Vail, Opedix founder Kim Gustafson developed an interest in compression garments to protect joints and reduce fatigue. He sent me a pair, and I am a believer. Our conversation follows.

1.  My friend Steve tells me I don’t have a bad knee – I have a good knee that gets a little sore.  So what is the idea behind your orthopedic knee support tights?  Are they the best knee support for skiing?

The knee is a joint that is subject to degeneration through everyday “wear and tear.”  If a person is involved where the knee joint is used excessively, like skiing, the degeneration occurs at a more rapid pace. There is an expression which I have found to be quite accurate, “It’s not if but when a person starts to experience knee issues, specifically, knee pain.”  The Opedix tights reduce the “load” (wear and tear) on one’s knees, whatever the condition of the knee.  If one can preserve the knee joint even when it is “healthy,” why wouldn’t someone take that preventative measure?  Our tights are actually a “soft knee brace” build into a compression base layer.

2.  Opedix claims to reduce quad fatigue, destructive knee forces, and knee pain.   I was skeptical until I read your research.  Can you summarize why it’s the  best knee support for skiing?

The best summary I can give you is a copy of an independently conducted test by Michael Decker, Ph.D., research scientist at the University of Denver’s biomechanics laboratory at the University of Denver. The data was put together in a “scientific white paper,”  available on request.  [ Summary at the bottom of this post]

3.  Who did you test, skiers who want the best knee brace for skiing?   What did you learn?

This test involved 325 Vail Resorts and Aspen ski instructors, borders and patrollers.  Salient points:  “Knee pain, stiffness, and quadriceps fatigue have reduced an average of 28%.”

[They way they ski, I don’t think ski instructors get fatigued…..]

Fatigue and injury are directly related.  Not everyone experiences knee pain but everyone experiences quad fatigue, especially when skiing powder.

5.  Dr. Steadman of Vail may be the most famous knee doc.  What was his involvement creating the best knee support for skiing?

Dr. Steadman has performed surgery on my left knee five times, got to know him better than planned.  There are two components to the Steadman group; 1) The Steadman Clinic which is comprised of the orthopedic medical doctors, including Dr. Steadman and
2) The Steadman Philippon Research Institute, this is a nonprofit orthopedic research laboratory make up of several top scientific research Ph.D.’s.  The Opedix tights were developed by myself and several of these Ph.D.s.  Dr. Steadman had no direct involvement with the development of our tights but has been a great supporter of the product.  [pun intended?]

6.  How about Wayne Wong?  Does he use a knee compression sleeve for skiing?

Just skied with Wayne a half day last Spring here in Vail. He says he has no knee pain, unbelievable, but says he wears our tights to reduce quad fatigue.  His legs feel better and stronger at the end of a day of skiing and allow him to start the next day with his legs in better physical condition.

The design reminds me of the kinesiology tape used by beach volleyball players in the Olympics.  [I only watched for medical purposes]

best knee brace skiing, best knee sleeves for skiing

7.  Would you call Opedix knee compression sleeve a knee brace for skiing light?

Our tights are actually a “soft brace” built into a compression base layer. When studied using “motion analysis” equipment in The Steadman Philippon Research Institute’s laboratory, the tests showed the tights unload the knees by 17%; a traditional hard brace unloads the knees around 30% and that’s if one is wearing the brace.  So, your designation of “Knee-brace light” is accurate.

8.  When I put them on, I realize the reinforce the IT band, that I always hear about during a massage…as in ‘your IT band is tight’.  I also notice that the area directly over the knee is not applying pressure, for which my chondromalacia patella thanks you.  So how does it keep my knee cap tracking without direct manipulation of a knee compression sleve for skiing?

Restricting the movement of a healthy knee (patella) is not good.  Our tights do not restrict the knee; the nonstretch banding that starts at the hip, goes around the patella and supports both the lateral and medial side of the knee and ends at the ankle is what is keeping your knee cap tracking as well as providing the “unloading” component.

9.  I am a believer.  I just tried them heliskiing, and I think it’s the best knee support for skiing!  They feel more solid and stable than a knee brace for skiing.

This video is a good overview.   [Kinda scary opening shot…I guess fear sells.]

10.  They aren’t the cheapest knee brace for skiing, eh?

Some people compare our tights to other compression tights which cost a lot less.  However, our tights provide “soft bracing” as discussed earlier.  Sewing a nonstretch banding onto a four-way stretch material is labor intensive and can’t be totally automated on some type of sewing machine.  No one really cares but we have been at this for a good six years, starting from a concept to a finished product and have spent a lot of time and money getting there.

We have several non solicited comments come back to us from skiers that say their knee pain has been substantially reduced or eliminated and they can ski longer days and enjoy those special days on the mountain more, that is more than worth $190.00.  

11.  How does your knee compression sleeve for skiing protect muscles?

Scientific research  has  shown  that  compression garments (CG)  protects muscles and can  delay  fatigue  by:                    

  • Increasing arterial blood flow to the muscles
  • Increasing venous blood flow from the muscles 
  • Attenuating blood lactate levels 
  • Reducing muscle vibration 
  • Reducing the rise in core temperature during activity

12.  How does the knee support sleeve for skiing protect joints, especially my knees?!

Research performed with this technology has found:

  • Enhanced knee performance  
  • Enhanced knee alignment  
  • Reduced knee joint loading  
  • Reduced knee pain and stiffness  
  • Reduced rates of fatigue

13.  WOW, how is it on stains? [ Kidding, a line from Outlaw Josey Wales.]  Clint Eastwood might also like the best knee support for skiing…

14.  Where can heliskiers get Opedix knee sleeves for skiing?

At the Opedix web site

15.  What else would you like our heliskiers to know about Opedix, the best knee support for skiing?

Unlike so many companies who really don’t want to get into the “science” of their products and/or how they back up their product claims, we enjoy the opportunity to discuss these issues.  If you have any further questions or need any clarification on any points, please contact me.    

Our product testing is done at two orthopedic research laboratories, The Steadman Philippon Research Institute, and the biomechanics laboratory at The University of Denver.  Both of these research labs are independent and not affiliated with any company.

I appreciate your interest in our products and the science behind them.  You may also enjoy this video.

Thanks, Kim!

tj

What is the Best Deal in Heliskiing? Heli Skiing Deals

Heli Skiing Deals

The Best Heliskiing Deals – Warning, these prices are OLD!  Call us.

Heliskiing pricing and offerings vary tremendously (that’s why HELISKI.com is here).   Early season and late season deals can be found for around $1K/day, some with unlimited vertical.

Here are a few of the best deals we have found for our clients recently.

Early Season

Next January, you can get some amazing heliskiing at even more amazing prices.   Consider these.

Selkirk-Tangiers Heliskiing offers $1000 per day and Unlimited Vertical!   STH operates out of The Hillcrest Hotel, just outside of Revelstoke.   And these weeks don’t usually sell out, so you may be sharing the chopper with only one other group.  One more thing, it DUMPS in Revelstoke.

selkirk tangiers heliskiing revelstoke

 

 

 

 


Crescent Spur Heli-Skiing
is usually sold out.  This small family-owned operator has been around for over twenty years.  They usually sell out to veteran heliskiers.  However, there are some early season deals to be had. cs 12

 

 

 


Last Frontier Heliskiing
has a 20th Anniversary New Year’s Package that includes 10 days for $10K.  (Even though it’s January,  you can expect to ski for than the 100K vertical feet included..)    They also have a deal for kids to ski 1/2 price.last frontier heliskiing

 

 

 

 

 

 

CMH Heli-Skiing has some gems in early season, for short trips at some of the best areas.

CMH Revelstoke – Lodging in a hotel in this cool, up and coming ski town has its advantages.canadian mountain holidays cmh revelstoke heliskiing

 

 

 

 

 

 

CMH Bugaboos – Where heliskiing began!   And one of the shorter CMH commutes makes it perfect for a short trip.cmh bugaboos lodge from the air

Jan. 2, 2015 – Jan. 6, 2015 – 4 days $4,825

 

 

TLH Heliskiing – at $1300/day, it is not an obvious deal.  But that is unlimited vertical, and only one group per helicopter!tlh heliskiing canada

Jan 9-16 or Jan 16-23 – 7 days  $9520

 

 

Late Season Heli Skiing Deals

CMH Bugaboos

Apr. 18-25  – 7 days   $7240

 

CMH Gothics – Newly remodeled lodge offers a single room for every guest and an easy commute.

Apr. 3 – Apr. 7  – 4 days  $4175

 

Crescent Spur Heli-Skiing

Any week in April,  6 days,  $7200

 

If you see something you like, give us a call or email.

If you don’t, let us know what you are looking for, and we will send the best options.

 

Best,

tj