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Heli-Assisted Backcountry Ski Touring in British Columbia? You Bet!
If you like both heli-skiing and backcountry touring, then we've learned about something that you'll probably want to put on your "must do" list. The 2006/07 winter season marks the beginning of a new luxury adventure skiing opportunity in British Columbia: helicopter-assisted backcountry ski touring.
Mica Heliskiing in the Rocky Mountains, Eagle Pass Heliskiing in the Monashees, and Pantheon Heli Sports in the Coast Range have created these unique trips as a way to broaden the appeal of helicopter skiing to backcountry skiers who like to earn their turns.
We think it sounds like the perfect way to blend the two experiences and get maximum benefit from an adventure vacation.
How does it work? Darryn Shewchuk of Mica Heliskiing explains, "A backcountry ski group is dropped off on a mountain peak where they can enjoy a fabulous powder run. Instead of meeting the helicopter at the bottom of the slope, the skiers then slap on their climbing skins and are given a guided tour of the surrounding peaks. At the end of the day, the helicopter picks the group up and returns them to the lodge where luxurious creature comforts await."
Guests at Pantheon Heli Sports in the Coast Range north of Whistler can choose between basing their adventure in the main lodge or using a remote backcountry base camp.
In just its first season of operation, Eagle Pass Heliskiing near Revelstoke gives groups the opportunity to tour in entirely new terrain every day.
All three operations provide quite different experiences, and require different ability/experience levels, so read their websites carefully. For more information and to book trips, visit Mica Heliskiing at www.micaheliskiing.com; Eagle Pass Heliskiing at www.eaglepassheliskiing.com; and Pantheon Heli Sports at www.pantheonheli.com.