From whichever angle you view it, helicopter skiing Canada is the sort of holiday you’re never going to forget. Far from being a generic vacation, this getaway is a true adventure; the sort of adventure where you make memories that last a lifetime. Pure Powder is the largest facilitator of helicopter skiing trips in all of the UK; we take care of all the logistics of your trip, from the type of trip and destination to the accommodation.
From start to finish, Pure Powder is an unbeatable partner for planning your heli skiing trip, using our vast network of connections and expertise to plan the ideal helicopter skiing holiday for you and your companions, ensuring thrill, safety, variety, beauty, comfort and more. In this article, we’re going to look at why this extreme sport should be your next big holiday, how you can make it happen, and how to have the most fun doing so.
Helicopter Skiing Canada: Better Than Your Average Holiday
Helicopter skiing Canada is without a doubt a step above your average holiday. There’s no set plan or image of what a holiday looks like, but there are clear themes to draw from: resorts, curio shops, beaches, crowded attractions and memento T-shirts. In an era of globalisation, tourist hotspots and key global holiday destinations have all begun to look rather similar to one another, wearing away at any sense of novelty.
If it’s novelty you’re after, helicopter skiing is a great place to start. It’s a highly exclusive activity, often labelled an extreme sport. It’s not for everybody, standing out for its particular appeal to adrenaline seekers. Beyond attracting those seeking a thrill, helicopter skiing Canada also draws in nature lovers who want to experience the great outdoors from an unbeatable perspective.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of helicopter skiing is its exclusivity. Going on a heli skiing holiday offers you the chance to embark on something truly unique, something unlike most vacation options. Going heli skiing is perfect for those who love incredible scenery, adrenaline-pumping activity, exclusive mountain trails, and relaxing accommodation spots.
Helicopter Skiing Canada: Different From Your Standard Ski Trip
Ski holidays are not uncommon, and many assume that a helicopter skiing trip in Canada would simply be a more advanced version of a standard ski holiday, but this isn’t exactly true. Most standard ski holidays take place at ski resorts that offer their guests groomed trails. This means large crowds, long queues, and snow that quickly compacts over the course of the day as more and more skiers cross the same area.
On the other hand, helicopter skiing eschews groomed trails in favour of the wild thrill of backcountry or off-piste skiing. This means you’ll be cruising across swathes of snow-covered wilderness rather than on set trails. This offers a far wider, more adventurous experience, generally regarded as more rewarding. The scenery in these areas is less affected by human activity and holds more natural beauty, offering authenticity. The snow in backcountry skiing conditions also tends to be pristine, due to very low or non-existent traffic.
Keep in mind that off-piste skiing is also more demanding from a technical standpoint and requires greater expertise from the part of the skier. This is one of the reasons helicopter skiing is recommended only for experienced skiers. Pure Powder offers a heli skiing coaching course designed for strong piste skiers with limited powder experience.
Why Canada Stands Out
Choosing to try helicopter skiing Canada for a holiday isn’t just about the activity itself; it’s also about the destination. Canada is the oldest and most established helicopter skiing destination in the world, the place where the extreme sport was started. There are dozens of heli ski operators and resorts scattered throughout the nation, although the vast majority are situated in the region of British Columbia. This offers a far greater variety than in many other global destinations, which may offer only a handful of operators or accommodations within the entire country.
From a sporting perspective, Canada has it all. The winter is long and the snow conditions spectacular, producing large quantities of the much sought-after ‘powder snow’, a dry and light type of snow with a high air content and low density that most skiers consider to be the very finest to ski over. The large nation (the second largest in the world, in fact) offers plenty of variety of terrain, including sections suitable for beginners all the way to the most challenging slopes ideal for experts to test themselves against.
Then there’s also the unavoidable fact that Canada is a breathtakingly beautiful place. It possesses a vast and largely untamed wilderness made up of forests, mountains, lakes, glaciers, valleys and prairies. These areas are home to majestic and iconic wildlife, such as moose, wolves, and grizzly bears. As such, Canada is often considered the best destination in the world for helicopter skiing.
How To Know If You’re Ready To Try Helicopter Skiing Canada
As has already been mentioned, helicopter skiing is an extreme sport that demands a strong technical grasp of skiing. In particular, it requires expertise in off-piste or backcountry skiing, with the skier able to confidently navigate natural trails and obstacles such as rocks, trees, and drops along their path. It requires a remarkable level of fitness, as runs are long and multitudinous within a day of skiing.
If you’re confident that your off-piste skiing and fitness levels are up to the task, then it’s a sure sign that you can progress to helicopter skiing. As mentioned, if you feel that you’re just short of the mark, or want to be absolutely certain that you’re prepared for what’s to come, Pure Powder offers a solution via our coaching program.
You and a group of like-minded individuals will be guided by experts who have the experience and skills needed to pass on necessary knowledge and abilities to prepare you for helicopter skiing. This course is the perfect option for those on the cusp of preparedness who are ready to finally move on to helicopter skiing, providing a solid foundation of skills that are sure to serve you for years to come.
A Family Holiday Unlike Any Other
As the prospect of helicopter skiing has been framed thus far, it may seem as if this extreme sport is best suited to grizzled veterans of the skiing community and adrenaline junkies, and that ordinary people better stick to resort skiing. While it’s easy to see why this idea can catch on, it is indeed possible for ordinary (though adventurous) people to try helicopter skiing.
In fact, it’s even possible for families to embark on this adventure together. It’s never been easier for families to helicopter ski together than with Pure Powder’s family skiing package. As the name suggests, it’s specifically designed for families interested in a thrilling yet manageable excursion, offering a more relaxed schedule that’s friendlier to young ones.
With this package, you’ll be travelling in classic heli ski group sizes (10-11 helicopter passengers split into 3-4 groups), with each smaller group receiving the attention of an expert guide. To really add the cherry on top, the rates for the family package are among the best values on the market. Those under nineteen years of age pay half the standard adult rate, setting up the potential for a truly fantastic and accessible family holiday.
One Holiday, Plenty Of Variety
During your helicopter skiing Canada holiday, there’s absolutely no reason for you to stick to only a single location or theme. Canada is a vast and varied nation full of wonders, and helicopter skiing offers you an incredible opportunity to catch a truly unique perspective on the natural beauty of the region.
Pure Powder alone offers twelve distinct helicopter skiing locations across Canada, each centred around a top-class accommodation with access to unbelievable skiable terrain. While each and every one of these promises quality, the nature of the accommodation, terrain and scenery shifts.
Some, like Revelstoke, are bustling town-based locations that offer easy access and a social atmosphere. Others, like the Cariboos Lodge, offer a truly remote experience where you become utterly immersed in the region’s vast nature, accessible only by helicopter. Many of Canada’s helicopter skiing locations are accessible via road, near airport-bearing towns. This means that the process of travelling to or between different helicopter skiing destinations is relatively easy compared to many other places around the world.
An Extraordinary Adventure Requires Extraordinary Preparedness
To embark on a holiday adventure such as a helicopter skiing trip, you’ve got to make some serious preparations. To brush up on your skills and get them to a satisfactory level, our Pure Powder beginner’s coaching course should do the trick, but that only handles one aspect of a multidimensional preparation process.
For requisite fitness, you should combine a strength and conditioning programme with plenty of time on groomed trails, allowing your body to adapt to the demands of high-altitude repetitive strain. On the Ski Fitness section of our website, you’ll receive a full guide on why and how to train your body for this demand, including a video series for you to follow along from at home.
You’re also going to need high-quality gear to keep you in working condition atop the frigid mountaintops. Your provider might set you up with a sturdy set of skis, but you’re going to be responsible for the bare-bones basics of clothing, gloves, boots, goggles and other foundational pieces. Compromising on the quality of these items can be costly when the harsh weather penetrates inadequate gear.
To avoid this issue and the resulting frostbite, check out our partners, Ellis Brigham and Surefoot. These fantastic brands are suppliers of some of the world’s finest ski equipment, offering high-value deals to Pure Powder clients.
Finally, you’re going to need the right kind of insurance. Ski insurance covers what standard travel insurance does not, including specialised equipment loss or medical emergencies that occur during an extreme sport. Check out this section of our website to learn more.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, helicopter skiing Canada is anything but a standard holiday. It’s a high-octane thrill that offers adventure, challenge and an opportunity to appreciate some of the world’s most untouched wilderness from a scarce-seen angle.
Unlike standard resort skiing, you’ll be far removed from any groomed trails or large crowds, testing out your backcountry skiing abilities. If you feel that those abilities aren’t quite up to scratch yet, you should sign up for our beginner’s ski coaching programme situated in Canada.
Those travelling as a family will benefit from the more relaxed and generously priced family ski package, offering an accessible route for travelling families to adventure together. With the right preparation, heli skiing in Canada could be the holiday of your lifetime, offering something that no other vacation could.
If you’re interested in an experience both challenging and enchanting, contact Pure Powder for the ultimate holiday trip!
