B.C. Canada is the most popular area for heliskiing with over 90% global market share.

The combination of abundant snowfall, cool temperatures and regular breaks in weather systems make British Columbia, Camada ideal for heliskiing and snowboarding. Heliski operators are scattered throughout British Columbia north to south and east to west. In effect, all operators offer the same base experience: they all access vast expanses of terrain by helicopter in order to ski untracked snow. Our goal to ensure that no matter which operation you choose to ski or snowboard with, the safety measures taken are all the same. No one operation is safer than any other.

The differences between the operations are in the accommodation, the types of helicopters, the sizes of the groups, the numbers of groups per helicopter, and the locations of the lodges (some are remote; some are in towns). Some operations specialise in daily heliskiing from a ski resort while others offer only weeklong trips from a destination lodge. The important message is that British Columbia offers a range of products and services to meet almost any desire and budget.

When booking a trip, whether through a tour operator or travel agent, we would advise you to base the majority of your decision on tangible factors. As hard as it may be, try not to focus too much on predicted snow conditions or weather. Such prophecies are often unreliable.

Heliskiing can take place in remote mountain regions where seldom visited terrain exists. However, helicopters are expensive to operate over long distances, economically favoring operation near paved, plowed road heads. Controversy often erupts when heliskiing conflicts with wilderness values or overlaps with self-powered backcountry riding near established ski areas and population centers at these same road heads.

History
By 1953, a mountain guide from Austria by the name of Hans Gmoser had saved enough money to move to Banff and begin a career as a guide in the spectacular wilderness surrounding 12,000-foot Mount Assiniboine, "Canada's Matterhorn." After a few years, he gained an intimate knowledge of the physical as well as spiritual aspects of the mountain. As Hans recalls of those early days, "I longed to share the natural beauty of the majestic mountains in Western Canada with everyone I could."

Inspired now by a new dream, and building on his years of backcountry experience as a guide, Hans formed a small company called Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). Over the next several years, his business prospered as he led thousands of skiers and climbers on thrilling mountain treks.

Heliskiing Safety
The primary safety concern of heliskiing operators is the danger of avalanches. Reputable heli-skiing operations employ guides and pilots who are trained and experienced in evaluating snow conditions, snow stability, and risk management. They may even conduct occasional explosive avalanche control in association with the land management agency. When weather is inclement for flying or avalanche conditions are elevated, select heli ski operators are equipped for alternate means of access by snowcat. With such operators one may still have an opportunity to ski safer, gentler or heavily treed slopes, with the use of a snowcat rather than the helicopter.

Most tours will include in the price the use of avalanche transceivers, shovels and probes and will provide training on the use of them and other avalanche rescue equipment. Some operators are beginning to offer additional avalanche protection that reduces avalanche burial potential or increases burial survival time, i.e. avalanche air-bags or Avalungs.

Other hazards of heliskiing include falling into very deep tree wells, "snow mushrooms" dropping from trees, suffocation after falls in very deep powder (rare), crevasses on glaciers, common mountain terrain features such as cliffs and creek beds, and -- obviously -- typical ski-related injuries. Helicopter crashes are also far from unheard of.

Financial hazards include pre-paid ski days lost to un-flyable weather.

Conditions
Conditions encountered when heliskiing range from effortless powder or corn snow, to the most difficult snow possible such as breakable wind crust. Conditions often vary from run to run due to wind and solar aspects. Guide experience and the mobility of the helicopter enable careful matching of terrain to the current conditions within the limits of the operator's permit. Customer expectations are generally for easier, more pleasant snow conditions, however. It is unlikely that anyone ever paid the heliski premium desiring to ski breakable crust.

Conditions vary depending upon the time of year. Most patrons specifically go earlier in the winter during colder temperatures in order to seek and often find deep, fluffy powder or granular, recrystallized "sugar" snow, which when skied in good conditions makes for one of the most relaxed skiing descents.

Some heliskiers opt for spring skiing because of longer days, warmer temperatures, and the creamy ski conditions offered by corn snow that forms when the sun's heat creates meltwater lubrication around the snow crystals during the day. Spring days also mean more daylight and the opportunity to ski greater vertical. In fact, it is not uncommon for spring heli-skiers during week long ski packages to exceed 200,000 feet of cumulative skiing.

The length of skier descents depends on the weather, snow stability and snow quality as evaluated by the guides and pilots. On long descents, the snow may change character dramatically from cold to warm over the elevation change.

Skills and techniques
Canada-style heliskiing is identical in execution to downhill skiing. There are no special techniques involved. Being able to consistently ski intermediate and advanced ski resort runs is a requirement, however. Europe-model heliskiers also need to be competent in ski mountaineering, which adds climbing uphill on skis and occasionally using ropes, ice ax and crampons.

All heliskiers must be able to manage skiing along all types of terrain and be able to get down the hill in all possible snow conditions. Avalanche awareness is helpful, but it is not mandatory, since it is the guides duty to mitigate this danger through client training, careful route selection and group control.

The expense and short duration of both the heliskiing contract and evanescent snow conditions can lead to a "feeding frenzy" mentality when the clients are making multiple runs. Canada-model heliskiers seek to maximize vertical drop and number of runs, so skiers need to be reasonably fit and take advantage of efficient gear to avoid slowing the group. Equipment and gear

Avalanche transceivers are required and a buddy system is mandatory because of the danger of avalanches. Clothing needs mirror ski resort activity level: layered clothing fit for sub-zero temperatures, goggles, hat, ski gloves, and neck warmers. Having a backpack is not allowed by some Canadian-model operators but one can bring a small pack to store basic pieces of skiing gear. European-model heliskiers are really just ski mountaineers with a vertical assist, so they require ski touring equipment appropriate to the location and conditions, including glacier travel equipment if necessary.

Fatter off-piste, powder, freeride or "all-mountain" skis are used by the majority of heliskiers. They are less tiring in use and handle difficult terrain more easily. The introduction of these skis, originally known as "fat boys", has led to an increase in the amount of vertical feet skied, as the skiers become less tired and spend less time looking for lost skis. They have also been linked with decreased injury rates.