Helicopter skiing
Helicopter skiing offers the ultimate adventure for intermediate and advanced skiers, and the chance to discover the thrills of deep untracked powder. Instead of a series of ski lifts, skiers travel by helicopter to heights of up to 3,000m to reach off-trail terrain, and gain access to unchartered territory, including fantastic powder conditions and challenging tree-skiing. Skiers do not actually jump out of the helicopter, as many people think, but exit once they have landed safely and have all their equipment in place.
A heli-skiing holiday - Thrills and excitement for adventurous skiers and boarders
Guides are of the utmost importance on a helicopter skiing holiday, and their job is to show guests the best conditions, and also the safest. The guides on a helicopter ski holiday will determine terrain according to the weather, the snowfall and the groups' ability, with the skiing varying from open alpine glaciers to heavily forested areas. Those keen to try out a helicopter skiing holiday should be at least intermediate level, and have the ability to ski in any kinds of conditions. Fitness is of extreme importance on a helicopter skiing holiday, as is endurance, since the conditions can be extremely strenuous and the terrain often very challenging. Also, skiers must have an awareness of avalanche safety, as the dangers of these on a helicopter skiing holiday can be quite high, however the avalanche risk is always taken into serious consideration by the guides and staff when choosing the runs to ski.
Helicopter skiing - Travel to Canada or the US for fantastic conditions
In general, companies offer daily heli-skiing tours or trips of between 3 and 7 days, sometimes offering up to 12 runs a day. Helicopter skiing is done in small groups, generally with between 4 and 10 people, with some companies offering private charters. Canada and the USA offer perhaps the best conditions for helicopter skiing, with popular bases for tours including Whistler, Banff, and Jackson Hole. The sport can be enjoyed in some European resorts, however it is strictly regulated, with helicopter skiing actually banned in France.
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