Helicopter skiing Canada is such an adventure unto itself that it can be hard to believe you could make it even more fulfilling. Pure Powder is delighted to tell you that there is a whole range of ways to improve the experience that can be integrated into your heli skiing trip, increasing the enjoyment and value of your time in the Canadian mountains.
From private group skiing or tailored training courses to road trips and cultural experiences, this article explores some of the additional opportunities available for those seeking to enhance their helicopter skiing experience. Pure Powder is a leading facilitator of helicopter skiing trips with decades of experience in the industry and a history of planning exceptional skiing vacations.
Small Group Helicopter Skiing Canada
Heli skiing is a wild thrill celebrated for its exclusivity and sense of adventure. Among many skiing enthusiasts, heli skiing is seen as the pinnacle of the sport, offering up some of the highest quality skiing in the world. This is because the use of a helicopter grants you access to stretches of skiable terrain in spectacular conditions without the usual accompanying crowds associated with groomed trails.
On top of this, there is an undeniable ‘wow factor’ associated with getting to ride a helicopter from destination to destination, giving skiers incredible panoramic views of the landscapes below and around them. That being said, there are different ways to experience heli skiing, and some are more private than others.
Classic heli skiing, as an example, will see guests embark on journeys with up to ten or twelve people, generally split into four groups with a guide each. While this can still be incredibly enjoyable, the large size of the group increases the probability of a skill disparity between the different skiers, meaning that not everyone will be finishing a run at the same time. Those most skilled who finish early will have to wait longer at the bottom for the rest to finish. When you book through Pure Powder, we do our utmost to ensure that you’re matched with skiers of a similar level.
Small group heli skiing is an alternative offered by Pure Powder that instead sees a group of four to five skiers leaving together with one guide among the whole group. These smaller numbers mean that it’s more likely that every person aboard is of a similar skill level, therefore leading to similar finishing times and little waiting between runs.
Private Group Helicopter Skiing Canada
While small group heli skiing is a step up from classical heli skiing, consider private group heli skiing as the finest way to experience exclusivity while helicopter skiing Canada. This arrangement has less to do with the number of people that comprise your group and more about who it is that fills the slots. This option, offered by Pure Powder, allows you and your party to book out a helicopter for private use, giving you the ultimate freedom over the ski slopes.
It’s effectively as if you and your friends and/or family have the mountains all to yourself, free to take as much or as little time on each slope as you so desire. Within reason, you and your party will be able to dictate exactly where the helicopter goes, allowing you unfettered exploration of the alpine terrain. Our guides are well-versed on the various spots. You’ll be dropped off at a suitable location, where you are free to backcountry ski the unconquered territory.
A skilled private group that finishes runs quickly can maximise the opportunity through short wait times, completing as many runs as possible within a single day. While this option comes at the most premium price tag, it offers a truly unforgettable way to experience the sport of helicopter skiing and the Canadian alpine wilderness all in one.
Rest And Relax
Helicopter skiing Canada is all about the thrills; the astounding rush of roaring down a snow-packed slope with the wind in your hair, traversing the frozen terrain while avoiding obstacles and testing the limits of your skills and fitness, then doing it over and over again. It’s a challenge for sure, but that’s why we love this extreme sport.
The truth of that doesn’t diminish one’s need for rest and recovery. In fact, thorough recovery between sessions of helicopter skiing is essential not only for the enjoyment of the experience but also for the safety thereof. An overstrained and under-rested skier is more liable to make mistakes or incur injuries, which can spiral into more serious scenarios that take place deep in the mountains. Generally, what you need between days spent on the slopes is a comfortable place to rest, good food and a warm environment.
Helicopter skiing Canada is all about the extremes, so why not apply the same rule to the act of relaxation? Pure Powder, in partnership with Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), is connected to some of the finest ski resorts and lodges in the world, a great many of them incidentally found in Canada. You can find a wide range of outstanding accommodations at competitive rates, each outfitted with world-class amenities.
Across the many luxury lodges we’re connected with throughout Canada, you’ll gain access to features such as hot tubs, game rooms, saunas, spas, gyms, in-house chefs and access to amazing viewpoints, to mention but a few.
Check Out Helicopter Skiing Canada Cultural Hubs
Helicopter skiing is something most people enjoy due to its exclusivity, with heli skiing allowing you to totally avoid dealing with the crowds and queues that you likely have to contend with when doing resort skiing. When helicopter skiing Canada, you are given the freedom to choose when and where to go solo and when you’d prefer something more social.
It can be an enjoyable experience to operate from, or even just visit, one of Canada’s heli skiing hubs, such as Revelstoke. In resort towns like this, enthusiasts from all over the world congregate during skiing season, giving the town a tangible sense of excitement and adventure. Walking through the streets of Revelstoke, you’ll be able to feel the love of skiing in the air, with plenty of opportunity to socialise with others who share your passion.
It’s a great place to make friends, get insights into the sport and swap stories. Skiing towns, such as Revelstoke, are easily accessible from major airport-hosting towns by road and are themselves easily traversable. This makes them very easy places to serve as a base of operations during your heli skiing trip, giving you access to not only the amenities of your accommodation, but also those of the whole town. Furthermore, it’s in areas such as this where you’ll have access to some of the most competitive prices in terms of amenities, accommodation and operators alike.
Road Trip From Location To Location
Canada is full of incredible heli skiing destinations, surrounded by incredible and varied accommodation options to choose from. From ultra-luxurious resorts to rustic mountainside lodges and everything in between, you’ll find options suited to everyone’s taste and budget distributed across this beautiful country.
While you might look at this wealth of options and feel somewhat paralysed by choice, we can recommend an alternative route. If you have the time and the means, why not make the most of this great selection by spreading your trip across a range of different heli skiing destinations and accommodations? This way, you’ll be able to enjoy both Canada and the sport of heli skiing through multiple different lenses, giving you a well-rounded experience.
Canada stands out as a global heli skiing destination not only for its great skiing conditions, but also for its accessibility. Unlike many other destinations, many of Canada’s heli ski spots are easily accessed via road and situated near airport-hosting urban hubs. This makes road tripping from heli skiing destination to heli skiing destination both possible and incredibly enjoyable. Choosing this route allows you to see more of ordinary Canadian life and charm, as well as views of its world-renowned nature.
Go Over The Helicopter Skiing Canada Basics
Helicopter skiing is, without any doubt, an extreme sport. It offers both a thrill and a challenge in equal measure, pitting skiers against tough conditions and terrain, demanding outstanding levels of both skill and fitness. Viewed as the pinnacle activity of skiing, those who begin helicopter skiing are generally already accomplished skiers.
The skills necessary to excel in this extreme sport and remain safe doing so are mostly relevant to off-piste or backcountry skiing. You’ll need to be able to confidently traverse an ungroomed trail full of the obstacles that come from a natural terrain, such as trees, drops and rocks.
If you’re a confident skier but still feel as if you need some support to get your skill level to the point where it needs to be for helicopter skiing, you’re in luck. Pure Powder offers a multi-day helicopter skiing course specifically designed to help beginners find their feet in this extreme sport, helping them develop and cement the necessary skills for advanced backcountry skiing. No matter who attends this course, they’ll emerge with enhanced confidence and ability, with a peace of mind that they’re ready to take on helicopter skiing.
Train Advanced Heli Skiing Skills
In addition to the above, Pure Powder offers a highly exclusive course specifically designed to meet the needs of helicopter skiing experts who feel as if they’re reached the boundaries of the sport. The Steep Shots and Pillow Drops course will firmly dissuade any participants from the notion that there are no new tricks to learn.
This intensive and tailored course will pit students against some of the toughest skiing challenges out there, with the guidance of industry experts to help them learn new ways to overcome these obstacles. With this course, you will be able to truly reach the highest heights of what the extreme sport of helicopter skiing has to offer, speaking both metaphorically and literally.
Final Thoughts On Helicopter Skiing Canada
In conclusion, helicopter skiing in Canada is in itself an incredible adventure. Pure Powder offers a range of additional activities and opportunities that run parallel to, or intertwined with, the base experience of heli skiing that elevate the experience to a whole other level.
Enjoy a small or private group to experience greater freedom and shorter wait times, giving you more out of the experience, stay at some of the most relaxing accommodation spots in the world, or enjoy our coaching programmes to take your skillset to the next level. Use your time off the slopes to rest and recover in luxury and style with world-class amenities or spend some time mingling with the local heli ski culture. Road trip from outstanding location to outstanding location, experiencing the best of both heli skiing and the Canadian scenery.
To get the most out of your helicopter skiing trip, book through Pure Powder. We’re here to facilitate the whole trip, supporting you before, during and after your heli skiing vacation. Get in touch today to secure your next trip!
