Heli-skiing & Cat-skiing in North America
About Heli-skiing & Cat-skiing
Heli-skiing is unquestionably the ultimate ski experience with cat-skiing a close second. You are dropped on a high peak and left to the silence of the wilderness with a whole mountain of fresh snow before you. There is nothing quite like it.
With heli-skiing the helicopter ride is a thrill in itself and will have your heart pounding with excitement. Cat-skiing is a little less exciting but this is made up by the fact you get more skiing done in a day. If you have never heli-skied or cat-skied before then it has to be done at least once in your ski career – in fact once experienced you will definitely want to do it again....
However, it does not come cheap (cat-skiing is a cheaper option) and to get the most out of it you need to be a strong intermediate skier at least and used to skiing powder. Also, it is pretty physical and you need to be fairly fit – the fitter the better really.
Heli-skiing and cat-skiing can either be done on daily basis whilst you are staying in a ski resort – or on a multi-day basis whilst staying in a heli-ski or cat-ski operators’ accommodation, whether that be lodge, hotel or boat! Daily heli-skiing or cat-skiing sessions are a fantastic introduction. However, it is very much an introduction and if you want to experience heli-skiing and cat skiing as it should be, we recommend booking a multi-day package.
It helps to get fully acclimatised before you heli-ski or cat-ski and make sure the legs are working properly, so our recommendation is to spend a few days in a resort prior to embarking on your heli or cat-skiing experience – be it a day or multi-day package.
Heli-skiing and cat-skiing means dealing with many variables, notably wind and weather, snow conditions and safety, and skier ability. This means that you need to have a fairly flexible outlook! For example, if the weather is bad the helicopter may not be able to fly and you may not be able to go skiing. One of the advantages of cat-skiing over heli-skiing is it is less affected by weather.
This also applies to the costs of heli-skiing. Typically you book a package at a certain price based on skiing a number of vertical feet. However, if the weather is good and your group skis quickly, you may well ski more vertical feet than the number you have booked – in this case you will normally have to pay for the additional vertical feet you have skied. That being said, the feeling of skiing run after run of deep powder in a pristine mountain environment is, frankly, priceless! With cat-skiing the price is fixed and you will ski a day’s worth of runs and there is no extra vertical to pay.
Above you can see our selected heli-ski and cat-skiing options. These we have either skied ourselves, or know personal contacts that have – this experience and knowledge helps us advise you on the best option for you.
Heli-skiing & cat-skiing - it's not just for experts!
You may think heli-skiing and cat-skiing is the sacred domain of advanced skiers and riders. While there is plenty of steep and deep out there for experts, there is a lot of not-so-steep-and-deep too.
Heli-ski groups are formed according to skier ability. Advanced skiers get the steeps they crave, and the intermediates go to easier slopes where they don’t have to stress about holding the group up. The fat skis that are now available enable skiers of all abilities to float more easily through the powder.
You should be at least an intermediate skier with a reasonable fitness level and, in your own style, be able to handle all kinds of snow conditions - other than that it's all about enjoying the planet’s most scenic wilderness terrain and having the chance to ski perfect, untouched slopes. For many it’s a once in a lifetime experience.