Day for Honey

There’s a saying amongst ski resort visitors that goes, “There are no friends on powder days.” The meaning of that phrase is that it is so rare to find untracked, fresh powder at a popular ski resort, that skiers will think completely selfishly in order to get a chance to access it.  Typically this means getting up early and waiting in line for the first ski lift to open before anybody else.  While many modern ski resorts can offer luxury and convenience, there’s ultimately only so much snow to go around, and many skiers long for a more expansive and solitary skiing experience.
Luckily there are now heli-skiing providers and operators around the globe that offer access to millions of acres of unimaginably good skiing terrain from open glacial alpine bowls to steep lines through the forest.  On a typical helicopter skiing trip, a state-of-the-art helicopter ferries a small group of skiers from base camp to distant peak of a mountain, sometimes thousands of vertical feet higher than the base camp.  With the help of an experienced guide, the skiers then pick and choose their lines down thousands of vertical feet of fluffy white powder, kicking large plumes of snow into the air with each turn.

Heli-Ski enthusiasts are required by most operators to participate in a safety and training course prior to their first day on the mountain.  Although heli-skiing is considered to be very safe, especially when done with a reputable provider, there are still issues to be aware of.  For one, there is the ever-present danger of avalanches when skiing in remote areas with high volumes of freshly fallen snow.  Avalanche beacons and the ability to spot potential dangers help minimize the risk of catastrophe.
But perhaps more important than anything is the fact that helicopter skiing is no longer an indulgence reserved strictly for the extreme skier. If anything, the word heli-ski is more closely aligned with a luxury experience than anything else.  Gourmet chefs, luxury accommodations, and other creature comforts are available from many of today’s operators.  For those ski enthusiasts tired of waiting in long lift lines to navigate over-crowded ski runs, a heli-skiing trip of a lifetime may be just the ticket to put a huge grin on your face, and a small dent in your pocketbook.