Canada has consistently remained the world’s number one most visited helicopter skiing destination, as helicopter skiing Canada is an experience like nothing else. As the world’s premier skiing destination, there is something that just about anyone into the sport can enjoy, with a variety of terrain, accommodation and tailored packages that offer something for everyone. From beginners to seasoned veterans, Canada offers something for every type of heli skier. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why this top destination keeps its status.
Helicopter Skiing Canada: How Canada First Became The Number One Helicopter Skiing Destination
In all fairness, Canada had a distinct early advantage that helped it become the world’s top helicopter-skiing destination. It is, after all, the place where this extreme sport was born. In the mid-19th century, Canadian geologist Art Patterson began toying with the idea of using helicopters as a skiing aid when he saw the amount of rescue helicopters left idle during the winter season.
Needing an experienced partner, he approached Austrian mountaineer Hans Gmoser with the idea. After just a single test flight, Patterson ended up getting cold feet and dropping the venture. Gmoser, on the other hand, saw potential in this budding extreme sport and invested himself in bringing it to the mainstream. In the decades since, helicopter skiing has become a niche but sought-after activity enjoyed primarily by experienced skiers.
It’s viewed as somewhat of a capstone experience of the sport, and an unmissable experience for those who truly love skiing. Helicopter skiing destinations have appeared all around the globe now, but Canada remains the most popular, drawing snow enthusiasts in for the experience of a lifetime.
Helicopter Skiing Canada: Powder Paradise
Canada’s sustained heli skiing popularity isn’t just fuelled by the sentimental value afforded to the birthplace of the sport. It’s also motivated by the excellent powder conditions found here. A nation this far north experiences brutally cold and long-lasting winters that are bad news for anyone who forgot to pack a jacket, but cause for celebration for skiers.
There’s regular snowfall and a long ski season with generous shoulder seasons where skiing is still possible. Most of Canada’s helicopter skiing takes place at high altitude, where temperatures reach their lowest. In these places, the snow that falls is high in air content and low in density, giving it a powder ‘dry’ feel.
It’s highly sought after by both skiers and snowboarders for the light and buoyant feel it gives when travelled over. We refer to it as ‘powder snow’, and it is one of the most iconic Canadian attractions for visiting skiers. For skiers in need of new equipment for the trip, our partners at Surefoot and Ellis Brigham are bound to have exactly what you need.
The best way to book a heli skiing experience is through us at Pure Powder. We’ll take care of the logistics so that you can focus on enjoying the trip. It’ll also never cost you more to book through us than going directly to an operator, and it may even cost less.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the packages and lodges available when skiing through Canada.
Helicopter Skiing Canada For Beginners
To say that Canada is big is an understatement. It is the second-largest country in the world after Russia, comprising roughly 6.11% of the world’s landmass. Of course, not all of that is skiable, but its sheer size means that it does offer skiers a lot to explore.
Canada’s skiable terrain is far from uniform, too, comprising a range of terrains that include steep slopes, smooth glades, open bowls and more. More than simply making the experience of exploration more interesting, Canada’s variety of ski terrain means that it can cater to skiers of every experience level. This makes it very appealing to those new to the sport who want to slowly and enjoyably introduce themselves to the challenges of off-piste skiing without putting themselves at risk.
Beginner’s Course At Revelstoke
The Pure Powder ski coaching course is aimed at experienced piste skiers who want to equip themselves with the right skillset to safely take on the world of helicopter skiing Canada. This intensive course pairs you with a group of like-minded people and works to supercharge your skiing skills, focusing on the principles of off-piste skiing to prepare you for helicopter skiing.
These courses depart from Revelstoke, a seasonally bustling ski town that’s earned the title of Powder Capital of North America. With Pure Powder, you’ll be staying in a cosy town-based hotel where you’ll have access to all the excitement and opportunities of Revelstoke, wherever you’re not busy honing your skills on the peaks above it.
The Classic Helicopter Skiing Canada Experience
Of all the ways to helicopter ski, classic heli skiing is the most standard and popular option. You’ll be lifting off with about 10 to 11 other guests, who you’ll be split into about 3 or 4 groups with. Each of these groups will receive the attention of an experienced guide, who’ll join you on between 8 and 12 runs within a single day.
With Pure Powder, you’ll be able to join these trips between December and April, giving you plenty of flexibility when it comes to planning your holiday dates. Compared to some of the other helicopter skiing Canada experiences, classic heli ski is a more budget-friendly option that still offers plenty of value and excitement.
Bugaboos Lodge
There are few places better to depart on a classic heli skiing trip from than the Bugaboos Lodge. This lodge is tucked away deep in the wilderness and can only be accessed via helicopter. Far removed from the bustle of modernity, it’s a silent refuge for nature lovers and enthusiastic skiers.
While some visit the Bugaboos Lodge for its pristine wilderness, relaxed pace of skiing and great rooftop hot tub, there’s no denying that there may be another, more sentimental reason why this place attracts lovers of the sport. Bugaboos Lodge was the first-ever ski lodge created by Hans Gmoser, and it serves as an exact starting point for the sport of helicopter skiing. As a result, there’s an undeniable sense of thematic compatibility to going on a classical heli ski trip from the most classic heli ski lodge.
Private and Premium Heli Skiing Canada Experiences
If you’re going to fly all the way to Canada to experience one of the most exhilarating sports in the world, why not go all the way? Private heli skiing is a highly exclusive option that entitles you and a select group of fellow skiers to your own helicopter and pilot. Not having to wait for or try to catch up to any other skiers of a mismatched skill level, you and your party are free to dictate your own helicopter skiing Canada experience.
You’re equally free to push your limits and fit as many challenging runs into a day or to simply cruise through the trips at a relaxed pace that allows you to truly absorb the scenery and atmosphere. Heli skiing is already an exclusive sport that sees you traverse across truly pristine terrain, far from the crowds that dominate groomed trails during the season. With private heli skiing, that effect is only multiplied, giving you and your chosen group sole dominion over some of Canada’s finest skiable terrain.
Bobbie Burns Lodge
While accessible only via helicopter ride, the beautiful Bobbie Burns Lodge is still within close enough distance to Calgary to deem it an easy trip. This helps minimise time spent handling travel and logistics, giving you more hours to spend on the slopes themselves. The Bobbie Burns lodge is a favourite of experienced skiers, who use private heli skiing tours as a way to make the most of the region’s challenging terrain. You’ll experience fast-paced days down steep slopes, where you’ll encounter thrilling tree runs and glacial planes.
Helicopter Skiing Canada at a Relaxed Pace
There’s a lot to be said for chasing thrills and seeking constant challenge. Very few find themselves pursuing the sport of helicopter skiing without at least a twinge of adrenaline junkie in them.
Yet, on the other hand, it’s worth remembering that there’s value in taking in these experiences at a more relaxed pace. Our Powder Masters package aims to offer you just such an experience, prioritising quality over quantity while also offering plenty of guidance.
Trips of up to nine like-minded individuals will be escorted by three expert guides on a series of measured runs. During these runs, we aim to prioritise the utilisation of correct technique and good snow conditions rather than the chance to rack up meters. It’s a favourite of our more mature clients who’d rather enjoy the scenery and careful oversight of their guides. It’s also become popular among experienced heli skiers who feel that they’ve experienced the fast-paced side of the sport and now want a redo where they get the opportunity to stop and smell the roses.
Cariboos Lodge
The Cariboos Lodge is an ideal spot to do relaxed heli skiing trips from. This cosy and laid-back accommodation sits surrounded by a wealth of varied skiing terrain with plenty to offer visiting guests. Beginner skiers favour the long and scenic alpine runs while more experienced among the crowd flock here for the exhilarating tree skiing.
The complex and entertaining terrain can be fully appreciated during the relaxed pace heli skiing, where you’ll have the chance to make the most of each and every kind of terrain on offer. Afterwards, you’ll have a warm open fireplace waiting to greet you back at the lodge, where you can chase away the last of the day’s lingering cold.
Family Heli Skiing Trips
Want to take the kids on a trip they’ll never forget? Pure Powder now offers a family programme designed to accommodate families with children over the age of twelve. Travelling in groups of ten, you’ll be accompanied by two guides at all times to ensure safety and enjoyment at all times.
The great news is that those under the age of nineteen need only pay half price, making it a great choice for the budget-conscious. These family trips can only take place on select dates, so we recommend you book these family programmes well in advance.
Gothics
The Gothics Lodge is a remote road-accessible lodge that serves as the perfect site to make unforgettable family memories. Family programme trips are popular here in large part due to the surrounding terrain, which is expansive and accessible to beginner helicopter skiing Canada beginners. You and your family will have access to one of Pure Powder’s largest skiable terrains available, where powder-laden glades and open glaciers await you.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Canada has remained a top helicopter skiing destination since the inception of the sport here more than fifty years ago. More than simply owing this fact to sentiment, Canada has managed to consistently provide great snow conditions on top of a wealth of varied experiences and accommodation options.
Beginners and experts alike have terrain and specialised courses suited to their needs available here. There exists both the chance for fast-paced and relaxed skiing, not to mention selections suited to a range of budgets. Ultimately, helicopter skiing Canada is a great all-rounder choice that offers every kind of skier something they’d truly enjoy.
Looking to book your next helicopter skiing trip? Get in touch with Pure Powder today and let us take care of everything!
