I could feel the percussive thump of the rotors in my chest. I knelt in the snow, crouching among my group. Everyone held their jackets high enough to shield their faces from the artificial wind and swirling snow. We watched the bird, unwilling to take our eyes away from what was arguably one of the coolest moments every time.
With our gear unloaded, the guide gave our pilot the thumbs-up, and we all felt the rotors speed up. The landing skids lifted gently, and when the pilot could feel he was free of the snow, he gunned it. The CMH Heli Skiing & Summer Adventures vehicle rose straight up into the air suddenly, backward, exposing its belly, before the thunderous machine banked and disappeared over the adjacent ridge.
The mountain silence rushed upon us. But it was only momentary before we all started laughing, whooping, and hollering. All around, the Purcell and Kootenai Mountains of British Columbia stretched as far as the eye could see, covered base-to-summit in that sweet Canadian white gold.
This was my first heli-skiing trip, and I’d already learned a lot about this bizarre form of the sport in just a few days. I’ve skied my entire life — in resorts, in the backcountry, off of glaciers, from snow cats, snowmobiles, and side-by-sides, sometimes every month of the year — but I’d never experienced anything quite like this, though I’d dreamed of it for a long time.
There was a lot I wish I’d known before going, though. I’d done some research. I’d poked around the CMH packing list page and other online guides about what to bring or how to get ready. But after taking that wild ride, I can safely say that none of them were truly comprehensive. None of them really got to the heart of how to prepare for your first-ever heli-skiing trip.
So here we go, folks. Pile in and buckle up for GearJunkie’s guide to packing, hacking, preparing, and having a totally successful first heli-ski trip.
GearJunkie’s Ultimate Guide to Heli-Skiing
Heli Ski Hacks
‘Affordable’ Heli Ski Options Exist
Heli-skiing is expensive no matter where you go or which operation you hire. It’s easy to spook yourself when you see prices in the $10,000-15,000 range for multiday packages. Not all heli operators are that costly, though.
CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, with whom I skied, offers day heli-skiing for around $2,100 per individual per day for groups of up to eight. That’s not chump change. However, CMH is one of the premier heli-ski operators in the world and has access to over 3 million acres of backcountry terrain across Canada. It also offers special deals and rates for Ikon pass holders through its partnership with Alterra Mountain Company.
Silverton Mountain in Colorado offers a six-run heli-ski day for $1,300 per person (in peak season, January-March, that goes up to $1,500). Again, that isn’t “cheap” at about $217 per run.
But six runs is a pretty full day of heli-skiing, especially when the runs are long and deep. Silverton also sells three-run days for $600 and single heli-ski runs for $200, both of which require a valid day pass ($110) as well.
Eagle Pass Heli Ski works with resorts like Silverton and Revelstoke in British Columbia. It offers five-run days in the BC backcountry for $990, three-run days for $887, and full heli days at Revelstoke Mountain for $1,073.
If you live or are staying near a heli-skiing operation, it also doesn’t hurt to reach out and ask if you can get on a list for a standby seat. Sometimes people don’t show, and operators will take on last-minute singles for a relatively low price. It might be rare, but it happens.
Boots Are Carry-On Items
Ski and snowboard boots are the most personal piece of necessary gear in your ski setup. If I rent everything else when I travel, I still bring my own boots.
For the longest time, I stuffed them into my ski bag, where they took up a lot of space, and I was always worried they’d get lost or delayed. But CMH recommended carrying my boots on the plane, and it changed the game for me.
Now I fit all my skis and clothes in the ski bag, all my ski clothes in my carry-on ski pack, and my boots around my neck. That way, if my ski bag is lost or delayed, I’ll still have my boots and ski clothes.
Creative Packing Goes a Long Way
The amount of luggage you choose to bring will depend on how far you’re traveling and how long you expect to be there. But no matter what, it helps to think outside the box.
Ski luggage bags double as duffels. A few stuff sacks help to keep clothes, toiletries, and other things organized within them. If you can fit everything in there, you only have to check that one bag, and you still have two carry-ons.
Check Forecasts & Conditions
First off, check with your heli operator and see what the policy is on cancelled flights. Extremely bad weather, poor visibility, or rough flying conditions could prevent your helicopter from flying. Even moderately poor conditions could spell trouble, as helicopters can’t fly in low visibility or stormy weather. If that happens, many operators will offer partial refunds or credits to come back and fly again. Know this before booking anything.
Checking the forecast also helps you plan what to bring. It’s helpful to know if you’re packing for extra-windy conditions, bitter cold, or warm bluebird days. Knowing what kind of snow there is will also guide your choice of skis/boards.
High avalanche danger could make some terrain unsafe to ski. Places like Colorado have the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) app, Utah has the Utah Avalanche Center, Wyoming has the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, and other states have their own. These centers provide information and reports on the area’s snowpack and avalanche conditions.
You can also call your heli operator ahead and ask. They’ll be able to give you on-the-ground beta about what kinds of weather and snow to expect.
What to Expect
Our first morning before climbing into the chopper was the safety rundown and procedural expectations. This is typical for many heli-ski operators, but not all. At CMH, we got a full 20-minute video covering the basics of heli-ski safety and procedures — how to drop into a run, what to do if you get lost, risks, hazards, and other standard operating info.
Our guides then explained how to enter/exit the heli. They described the backcountry gear we’d need and (very briefly) how to use it. We discussed the terrain, conditions, and more. Again, it depends on the heli-ski operator and what kind of trip you’ve booked. Many will have a similar preparation briefing.
We then broke into our ski groups and got familiarized with our avalanche rescue gear. It was a crash course and was not nearly as thorough as an AIRIE Avy 1 or similar avalanche training course. That’s a very useful thing to have if you’re going heli-skiing, but it isn’t required.
Some operators won’t provide any of this. Some will instead expect you to bring your own beacon, shovel, and probe and know how to use them. If that’s the case, they’ll often note the required gear in preliminary paperwork.
CMH preferred we use its equipment (avi gear and skis) because the guides were all familiar with it, how to use it, and even how to make some basic field repairs if necessary.
Heli Skiing Packing List
If you’re like me, you tend to overpack for trips you’re excited about. Especially one that requires a dialed list of gear. I brought too much on my first heli-ski trip. But it’s better to overpack than underpack, I suppose. Here is the packing list I’ll use for every heli-ski opportunity I get in the future — feel free to riff on it to perfect your own.
Of course, when you’re packing for a trip like this, you aren’t just packing for the skiing. There will (hopefully) be plenty of après and moments of relaxation, so you’ll want to be prepared for those, too.
Ski Gear
- Skis (Backcountry, all-mountain, or powder skis — bindings can be downhill or uphill bindings depending on if you plan to tour)
- Boots
- Poles
- Skins (in case there’s an opportunity to hike from a drop-off point to another descent)
- Ski crampons (if you’re going to be traversing ice or glaciers)
- Binding tool
- Helmet
- Goggles
- Ski pack
- Ski luggage bag
- Radio
Skiwear
Hang-out/Après-wear
- Sweats
- Hoodie
- Comfortable T-shirts
- Slippers/booties
- Boots/sturdy shoes for helipad
- Casualwear clothing (for dinner, après, or a night out)
- Swimsuit (Always bring the swimsuit!)
- Outlet adapter (Traveling abroad? You’ll need one of these.)
- Personal toiletries/meds
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Recovery supplies (Icy-Hot, leukotape, CBD, etc.)
- Blister kit
- First aid
- Ski straps! (The more the merrier)
- Cameras (I was the only one in my group without a GoPro, DSLR, or 360 camera and felt under-equipped with my iPhone — I wouldn’t make that mistake again.)
Note: Always check with your heli-ski operator to see what recommendations for gear they make. There might be some variation in what they do and don’t suggest you bring.
Basic Heli Skiing Protocol
I’ve said it a few times already, and I’ll say it again: Every heli ski operator will be slightly different. These are general protocols, and you should always defer to your guides and pilots for direction.
Chopper Decorum
Obviously, when you’re handling yourself around a multiton gyroscopic-bladed flying machine, you want to be careful. Never approach a moving helicopter as it’s landing or taking off.
Generally, if it’s on the ground, you wait until the engine is off or the helicopter takes off before you start walking around. Only grab things that are meant to be grabbed — breaking a helicopter is expensive and easier to do than you think.
The guides will likely have you group together and crouch in a huddle when you’re waiting for the helicopter to approach. It will land beside you; the guide or someone in the group opens the door when it’s safe, and everyone files in. Buckle your seatbelts, close the door, and prepare for takeoff.
Exiting the chopper is just the reverse. You file out when the door is safely open, crouch, and huddle up. When the equipment is unloaded, the helicopter takes off (which never gets old to watch), and then you’re alone high in the mountains.
Ski Procedures
Usually, backcountry guides will lay down a line for the group to follow. Then, people give one another about 10-15 seconds between drops.
As you ski, do your best to conserve the powder — for yourself and others. “Spooning lines” is when you make turns to follow the tracks next to you. Sure, you can take a couple of wild, big mountain carve turns, but it’s considered poor form to totally slash up an entire run by yourself. Share the love.
If You Get Lost
When dropping into wooded terrain or in areas where it’s hard to see, groups usually rely on a buddy system to prevent people from getting lost on the descent.
But shit happens. If you do get lost, stop and radio to your guide (everyone in a heli-ski group should have a radio). Don’t start traversing if you don’t know where you are or what direction your group skied off in. You could get lost or find yourself on dangerous terrain. Don’t just follow tracks if you aren’t sure, either — they might be from a different group or day.
Physical Fitness: Training for Your Heli Ski Adventure
Skiing is a lot of physical work on its own. But unless you’re planning on skinning uphill from some of your drop-off points or skiing into areas where you’ll have to climb back out of, most of the hard work is being done by the helicopter. For all intents and purposes, it’s a fancy, expensive, flying chairlift.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prioritize fitness and training ahead of your heli-skiing adventure. The more skiing and training you do, the more fun you’ll be able to have. You’ll be able to conquer more challenging terrain and ski longer if you’re in good skiing shape.
If you’re training for skiing in the gym, lunges, hip rolls, squat reverse lunges, and lateral ski jumps are easy exercises you can do without weights. Resistance band exercises (like “chop” and “lift” actions) are useful for building core strength.
Bosu balls are also great for strengthening the small stabilizer muscles in your ankles and calves. Check out Mikaela Shiffrin’s demo of her favorite Bosu ball exercises in the video above.
Training on the hill on snow is obviously the most direct way to hone your skills ahead of your heli-skiing trip. Taking laps at the local hill is time well spent. Just be cautious: The last thing you want to do is get seriously injured while training for your trip.
Your First Heli-Skiing Trip: The Final Word
Heli-skiing is a bucket list item for many skiers and riders. I know it was for me. In the excitement of preparing for an experience like that, it’s easy to forget or overlook things. Hopefully, this guide will help you avoid that. I tried to be practical and convey all of the things I learned that would have been helpful to know ahead of time.
But in the end, it isn’t about the preparation or the packing. It’s about that moment when the helicopter leaves you on a ridge for the first time (or, hell, for the fortieth), when you’re left high up in the mountain stillness staring down at an untouched, powder-covered mountain slope.
There’s nothing I could say that would truly prepare you for that moment or that feeling.
It’s indescribable. When you’re up there, you’ll know exactly why.
Frequently Asked Questions: My First Heli Skiing Trip
What is heli-skiing?
Heli-skiing is the act of using a helicopter to access backcountry mountains that are too remote or tall to access with other vehicles or on foot. It was started in the late 1950s, about a decade after the development of mass-produced helicopters.
Several old-school mountaineers, including Hans Gmoser, the founder of CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, are credited with having invented the sport in the Canadian Rockies.
Today, heli-skiing is a huge industry worldwide. There are hundreds of heli operations offering skiing worldwide.
Where can you go for heli-skiing?
Canada is one of the most popular destinations for heli-skiing because of its vast mountain ranges. But Alaska is an equally sought-after destination. Heli-skiing is smaller in places like Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming because there is less uninhabited mountain space in those states. However, you can find heli-skiing operations in all of them.
Europe also has some popular spots for heli-skiing, especially in the Alps and Pyrenees. Heli-ski operators are also available in Greenland, Georgia, Sweden, and Russia. Even Spain has a heli-ski operator.
Is heli-skiing hard?
You should be a somewhat experienced skier to go heli-skiing, but you don’t have to be the best. CMH has access to terrain that’s great for all levels. Most heli-ski operators will gauge your experience and comfort level and base where they take you off of that. CMH broke our large group up into two smaller ones based on experience level and riding style so that people felt comfortable skiing together and on the same terrain.
That said, heli-skiing can be difficult depending on the conditions and terrain you’re riding in. So make sure you feel comfortable skiing long runs in variable types of snow. And communicate your experience and comfort level to your guide.
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