Heliskiing in Canada – The Best Choice
In the quest for ever-higher peaks, and endless vertical fields of fresh powder, extreme skiers don’t ride a chair lift or a gondola, they ride a helicopter. With heliskiing operations now available all over the world in many countries, advanced skiers have the possibility to access isolated terrain in every continent. However, Canadian heli skiing has the longest history of helicopter skiing operations, and arguably the best conditions you can find anywhere in the world. It is home to the majority of heliskiing and heli boarding operations on Earth. This is probably because British Columbia, Canada, has the perfect combination of terrain, climate, and precipitation that it’s needed for this kind of operations.
For those of you with Canadian heliskiing in their plans, the season in BC typically runs from January to early April. Whistler may offer some days in December, and other operators have been known to offer the Christmas and New Year’s weeks due to the high demand. Primetime is February, but January and March are also typically very good for heliskiing. Be aware that the late season can include so-called ‘corn snow’ in addition to, or instead of, fresh powder.
When planning a heliskiing trip, the size of the group and the number of groups per helicopter is also an important consideration you should keep in mind. Some of the bigger Canadian heliskiing operators use big helicopters that can accommodate 11 guest. Almost all of the boutique, smaller operators use the more maneuverable and more intimate ‘A-Star’ helicopters which hold 4-5 guests each. Small groups can access tighter terrain than cannot handle 13 sets of ski or snowboard tracks. Similarly, the number of groups carried by each helicopter can impact the quality of your experience. Larger helicopters servicing multiple groups typically experience wait time as groups move at different speeds. This can impact your ability to achieve the agreed upon vertical feet that the tour operator offers to provide you with over the course of the day.
Total travel time is another element of a heliskiing or catskiing trip that is often overlooked by people. Some of the most established operators out there require bus rides of 8-12 hours on both ends of the trip. This in an ironic contrast to the fast and convenient service offered by heliskiing. This doesn’t always sit well with the kinds of clients who can typically afford a heliskiing experience because nobody likes a 12 hours trip in a bus. But the thrill it’s worth the time.
And what is the cost of the ideal Canadian heliskiing experience? Most packages run anywhere from $800 to $1,100 per person per day, but it is a cost that is well worth it. This includes food, lodging, helicopter lifts, and apr?s ski hors d’ouevres. Alcohol is always an additional cost. Most packages include a guaranteed minimum vertical. Additional vertical feet are usually billed at $25-$40 per thousand feet.