Heli-Assisted Ski Touring

The Best of Both Worlds! Ski Touring with Helicopter Support.

Discover the beautiful Bella Coola Mountains by using both helicopters and your "low speed" quads. Our Heli Assisted Ski Touring program is the perfect hybrid of Alpine Touring and Helicopter skiing: more exploration and freedom than touring, and more economical than traditional heli skiing.

Trip Highlights

• Heli drop first thing in the morning for a warm up run day
• Ski and tour in a different area every with different views every day
• Stay in a comfortable lodge at night with superb food and massages
• Enjoy the serenity of the beautiful Bella Coola Mountains while getting exercise
• Option to ski additional heli runs when conditions warrant it

The day starts with a heli drop high in the alpine, a bonus heli run so to speak. The remainder of the day the group uses their “low speed” quads and generally can ski another 2-3 runs before hitching a ride on the helicopter back down to the lodge.

The days' pace and objectives are formulated in conjunction with the guide starting the previous evening and on an on going basis throughout the day. We want to make it clear that these trips do not need to be backbreaking expeditions. The emphasis is to have fun and enjoy the beautiful Bella Coola Mountains while getting a decent bit of exercise at the same time.

A particular advantage is that every day you can ski in a different geographic area. One day it can be by the fjords, the next near the ice cap and the big glaciers, then in the Big Snow Zone or some nice tree runs. We can also engineer traverses of terrain where you end the day in a totally different zone from the start of the day. This variety is of course not possible when you book a trip at a ski touring lodge where you end up skiing the same couple bowls every day.

The best thing about the program is the flexibility to do additional heli runs when and if the group decides it wants to do so. For example, once you are already up in the mountains it doesn’t take much additional flying time to do a second drop and a third or fourth or alternatively, to do one additional heli drop in the afternoon when the machine is back to pick you up.

We recommend coming later in March or during April. By this time the days are longer and the weather is generally a bit more settled. It'll be getting on to spring in the valley, but the snow will still be powder in the alpine so no worries on that score. However, it’s possible to do this program any time starting early January through to the end of May. Each month has its particular attractions and advantages.

There's a great article on our Heli-Assisted program here: Mountain Life (Coast Mountains).

Lodging Options

Ski and tour all day and experience true adventure then return to a warm bed and personalized Canadian hospitality. If you book in January or later in April accommodation will be at the Tweedsmuir Park Lodge and if you book during February, March and the first two weeks of April, accommodation is at Bella Coola's Mountain Lodge.

Educational Value

Our goal is to share our knowledge of the magnificent mountains. Our guides are well versed in the local flora, fauna, history and culture of this dramatic landscape. They are happy to share their mountain skills too.