If you’ve been wanting to tag along your non-skier spouse or friend, then this one fits you. This package combines the natural highs of heliskiing with the revitalizing, tranquil and calm oasis of the Sparkling Hill Wellness Resort and Spa. Expect to be pampered after a whole day of fun heliskiing in the Monashee Mountains.

Price from C$16,875

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The group who worked in all aspects of the industry including mobile operators, technology startups, mobile handset manufacturers, media companies and digital agencies, shared their love of powder skiing in the intimate setting of one of the world’s leading small boutique heliski operations. We spent three days heli skiing a combination of the Monashees’ incredible tree skiing combined with their glacial bowls, when the sun was out and it wasn’t snowing. The pictures speak for themselves, don’t you think?

Check out the rest of the pictures here.

Join Total Heliski’s CEO for this Canada Powder Tour and explore the vast areas of the Skeena Mountains by helicopter and experience the way heliskiing and boarding was meant to be.

HURRY, PLACES ARE LIMITED!

Price from C$5,690.

I often have requests from my friends and Total Heliski Members to post footage of the great experiences I have heli skiing. These are also the personal memories that I cherish now and forever, since you can’t take anything but memories with you from this Earth.  Taking still photos with the small point and shoot cameras is a breeze, but getting great video footage, whilst not holding up the heli program and wanting to enjoy the experience always illuded me until the appearance of the GoPro Camera.

When I looked into helmet cams, the one that stood out from a quality perspective was the GoPro. The mounting options are almost endless (helmet, ski tips, ski pole or chest strap), and the footage speaks for itself. With one button operation, I could record every aspect of my heliski trip from start to finish if I wanted. In addition, special effects can be created like multiburst shooting, or my personal favourite- shooting in time delay mode, meaning we can produce a video showing the timelapse of a roadtrip for example, by taking a picture every 10 seconds using the GoPro on the car dashboard, then speed it up for the video to show the trip duration. What I’ve noticed so far also is that they are stable and can sustain serious pounding from getting in and out of helis or that odd encounter with the snow snakes.

I’ve started using these cameras in combination with Digital SLR and a point and shoot to document my travels, and Member Tours from now on. It helps to also have an editor who will be putting the story together for me, based on my footage.

Be on the lookout for our videos on our Total Heliski TV YouTube Channel

If you have any questions about GoPros, please email me at hayley@totalheliski.com. Or you can pick up your GoPro camera in the UK at Ellis Brigham before your next ski tour. They are flying out the door so quickly that it pays to get one sorted well in advance so you aren’t disappointed. I also recommend an extra battery for cold conditions, if possible.

There’s snow in ‘them there hills’ as they say. The term “Gold Rush” usually evokes visions of western movies, cowboys and people arriving in droves in former times to make their fortunes. However, we’ve discovered a different type of gold rush happening in interior BC Canada, where we’ve spent the last two weeks heli and resort skiing, and meeting locals, tourists, resort property owners, and business owners. It’s an influx reminiscent of gold rushes of yesteryears as all have traveled or settled here for the same reason: to seek and exploit the deep, dry, ‘white gold’, that’s pictured here in this recent photo taken by our Northern BC operator. Proving this year again, Canada is the home of ‘Cold Smoke’, having experienced more La Niña effects this year, thus bringing the white gold to those fortunate enough to be here.

After completing some of our Member Tours, we’ve been transiting to some of the local towns like Revelstoke, Golden, and Nelson to ski at the local hills (Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Red Mountain respectively). These once sleepy towns whose economies were based on traditional pastimes like logging, are now thriving resort towns offering the traveller the ultimate powder experience, backed up by world class hospitality in terms of food, lodging and spas. This is no surprise when you consider the fact that British Columbia is located perfectly to catch the precipitation from the Pacific Ocean and cold Arctic air and has a number of vast mountain ranges offering true wilderness experiences. The combination results in a stable and deep snow pack that is perfect for skiing and boarding.

This geographical advantage along with the government’s efforts to develop the key resorts on the powder highway, and to increase backcountry skiing in BC resulted in a swathe  of new cat and heli operations opening up and today there are over 80 operators in BC who cater to over 80% of the annual heliskiing done in the world.

For those of you lucky or able to come up to experience BC, you won’t be disappointed.

Click here to book yourself a Total Heliski cat or heliski trip, then discuss with us, a perfect itinerary and set up for travelling through BC or base yourself at one of these resort towns before your tour, and immerse yourself in their friendly, like-minded community of powder hounds. If you’re lucky, you’ll befriend some locals, like we did, and get them to show you the powder stashes on the ski hill which only they know, and exploit when there’s been 20cms of snow fall the night before. It’s called the 20cms rule. You can be part of the white gold rush too!

Isolated European locations, breathtaking views, fine foods and total immersion in skiing or snowboarding – all this in your choice of degree of luxury. That is what the latest heli-lodge in France offers you. Total Heliski gives you the opportunity to take an inside look into our French operators new heli lodge, a long awaited offering North American style, but with the flair of the Alps.

Located in a tiny hamlet on the French- Italian border, the heli lodge offers you access to two countries, six glaciers, nine resorts and an abundance of back country skiing waiting to be discovered by you. What this diversity of options also means is that you are always assured of a good powder day in at least one of the many locations you can visit.

The varied locations also mean access to terrains that will cater to unlimited backcountry skiing for novice skiers and extreme free ride for the more confident as well. So whether you are getting your skis on for your first off-piste experience, warming up for bigger challenges or looking for some hair-raising skiing, they can make sure you get what your heart desires.

The choice of terrain available also ensures that you and your group will have a package that reflects your preferences, length of stay, your skiing experience and activities associated with the time of the year. Naturally heli skiing is also available, and your group can choose to let the experienced lot get on with the skiing while the first timers can get expert advice on how it is done.

And all this is built to cater to your choice in luxury. With stunning views, high-end facilities, live entertainment, massage and treatment services, delicious 5 star cuisine and a chalet host to look after your every need, our French heli lodge makes sure your heli skiing trip is one you will never forget.

Getting fit for the Northern Hemisphere ski season? If you’re a serious snowsports enthusiast, then the answer must be yes. But spare a thought for what it would be like if you had to get ski fit after a serious injury last season? I for one, have had to do this, after a tough few months of rehab from a pretty big knee injury and two knee surgeries. So, getting back to ski fitness is not just a good thing to do, for me, it’s been essential to ensuring an injury-free future.

And one thing an injury, and the best ski season the Canadians had seen in a while will do, is  inspire you to get back on the planks as soon as possible. I did get asked more than once, would that be the end of skiing for me, to which I replied ‘Do I look like my legs don’t work?’ Of course not. My body type and gender makes me a shoe-in for such knee injuries, I have been told, now that I have lived through 2 knee reconstructions- one on each knee. However, with strong rehab you can go back to skiing as you’ve always done, and I am living proof of that. Serious rehab is what I did-  physio, cycling, heavy weights, and yoga (optional but good for overall strength and well being).

But what about the new ligament graft? Is it strong enough? My surgeon (same as Chemmy Alcotts when she broke her leg, email me if you need a good knee doctor), asked me to use a brace the first month as I build my ‘ski fitness’ up from actually doing the turns. At first, I wasn’t a believer, but then I was recommended a Donjoy brace and so I looked into it. My main concern was whether my knee would get ‘used’ to the brace, and therefore be lost, or worse, suffer injury, if I stop using it. I didn’t want to have a knee brace dependency long term. But, however, I also want to ski great turns this season with the confidence that I am not in any real danger of re-rupturing my knee again.
So, I met with Ben from Donjoy who fit me with my ligament-protecting FULL FORCE knee brace in no time. Knee braces have advanced since I last needed one over 10 years ago. It was a lot lighter than I remember, and seemed more ‘bracing’ both with the side pressure points, and the intricate number of Velcro straps which need to be closed in a specific order to ensure the best protection.

The label tells me that it’s ‘the strongest prefabricated solution to protect athletes who dare to challenge their own boundaries’. Well, that’s me of course! And when I asked Ben how it does it, he told me it’s especially designed with 4 points of leverage to reduce the ligament strain by 50% , it dampens the knee extension without impeding performance.

So, I thought I’d give it a shot. I dashed out to Zermatt for a weekend in late November. Expecting to be just skiing on the glacier, it turned out that Cervinia (Italian part of Zermatt ski area) was the only resort with snow, so we skied the entire resort. I strapped it on, got my ski pants over the top no problem, and got to give it a red hot go as they say.

So far, so good. On my first run, understandably, I was tentative. However as time went on, and I reveled in being back in the mountains (where I belong), I began relaxing, a little, and testing myself skiing more. I tried to make sure I was still relying on my muscles during the turns, but there definitely was a feeling of ‘stability’ in the knee, without feeling oppressive.

I’ll keep using the brace and keep you posted on performance that I note this winter. But if you’ve suffered knee injury or you feel prone, then, really it makes sense to use one.

Here is the link for the brace I have.

The Selkirk and Monashee Mountains are renowned for their reliable powder snow and epic terrain features. The biggest bonus however is with Revelstoke Mountain Resort on the doorstep, when the helicopters can’t fly, you can still ski. And with your own private chef, house manager, housekeeping staff and chauffeur, this truly is a one luxurious heliskiing experience.

Price from CA$64,500

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Do you plan to go on a ski vacation with your family but also want to go heliskiing on the side? Then this package is perfect for you! The Resort offers a wide range of activities for you and your family. From cross country skiing to horse drawn sleigh rides- they got it for you.

Price from C$1,175

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With the ski season fast approaching, I have been inundated with questions from friends and clients on everything heli skiing. Their main questions, I call Heliski 101, and can be summarized in three words:

When? What? How?

When is the best time to go skiing?
What can I expect once I get there in terms of facilities?
How do I prepare for heli skiing?

So here’s my Heliski 101…

Pre-Skiing:

One of the most popular questions was – Can I just jump into heliskiing? How do I prepare for it?

Well, you do have to travel a long distance to usually get to your heliskiing location to find the fresh powder that makes for a great experience. It is hence highly recommended that you take at least a few days longer to warm up in a resort nearby. The key thing is fitness and making sure you can pull yourself up out of the powder when you inevitably fall whilst heli skiing. Ski fitness really helps. Total Heliski includes information for each of our packages on the most convenient resorts for your destination on our website.

Having skied at most of them myself, I can advise on all the ins and outs of skiing at these resorts. Once you feel you are in the zone, you can hop onto your heliski destination and blaze your trail!

Seasons:

The other top question was – When is the best time to go heli skiing?

This is much more difficult to answer because, heli skiing is seasonal and the best time differs depending on the region. Every heli ski location has its own particular geography and meteorology that influences the length of the season. It’s important to know the differences between these so that you optimize your holiday in line with your preferences.

One person’s love of early season steep tree skiing maybe another’s nightmare idea of a holiday.  So have a chat with us and we can advise on the best for you and your group.

Accommodation and Facilities:

And finally, the other enquiry usually is: What can I expect in terms of facilities?

Accommodation will be 3-5 stars and packages usually include lodging and meals. Every operator relies on his or her guests getting a good night sleep before heli skiing and they make sure you have everything to make your stay comfortable. They generally have hot tub facilities, internet (depending on operator), and a shop on-site for last minute clothes and incidentals, and on-demand massage services. Most heliski operators do charge a supplement for singles but will accommodate requests to share where possible to eliminate this cost.

Heliskiing is just as professionally organised as any other vacation you plan to take. And Total Heliski can assure you that we will cover all the bases and answer all your questions so that you can concentrate on the main aspect – the powder!

From POMP, November 2011 issue: The High Piste

Click here to read the full article.

From Square Mile Magazine, November 2011 issue: Now That’s A Ski Lift

Click here to read the full article.

This is a tour especially set up for industry professionals from the media, technology and mobile industries (TMT) attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas in Jan 2012. It is going to be an excellent networking tour as well as epic heli skiing as we have selected operator in Central BC with availability close to the Show dates. There is a DIRECT flight from Vegas to Kelowna to meet this trip. So, access to epic heli skiing at the right time of year has been our priority. Click here to download the customer proposal.

Price from $5,300 CAD

Total Heliski Operators have come to the party!

Our operators were on the whole not able to attend the Total Heliski Show on November 3rd, that’s why we represent them. However, they have generously offered a number of offers to be given exclusively to Total Heliski Show attendees by Total Heliski. As follows:

Himalayan Offer for Show Guests:

Anyone who books a Himalayan heliski trip within two weeks of the Total Heliski Show London, 2011 will receive a free overland day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Depending on the time available, you can also visit Fatehpur Sikri.

The Total Heliski Member tour will be in the week of Feb 11 to 18, but you can book your place via Total Heliski any time that there is availability. 

Greenland Offer for Show Guests:

One extra hour of flying time for a full group of 4 persons. Dates: Valid during the week of May 17 to May 24 for one group.

European Offer for Show Guests:

A one off exclusive Total Heliski offer of 4 nights for the price of 3. Limited dates.

Rest of World Offers for Show Guests:

8% off on Kamchatka Heliski trip,
8% off on Turkey Heliski adventure,
Subscription must be done during the Total Heliski Show.

Canadian Offers for Show Guests:

Lodge Credit of $100 per day per person for the Skifari, Pure Heliskiing and Kicking Horse & Selkirks packages. Example: For 6 days with 3 others in the group, would have a combined credit of $2,400. The credit can be used for retail and lounge purchases. No cash value.

Chile Andes Offer for Show Guests:

Get $1,000 USD credit for extra flight time for ALL WEEK PACKAGES. This equates to approx 2 hrs extra flight time for free for every 4 member group! Deadline: Booking before Dec 2011

As I was walking around the London Ski Show last week, looking at the various skis on display I couldn’t help but marvel at the choice these days. There are now so many different types of skis to choose from and some of them like the new Salomon BBR look more like a surfboard than a ski!  With my experience skiing for so many years in different conditions and all around the world, I knew what I wanted, but I saw a number of faces around me looking from ski to ski wondering where to begin!

So, I decided to write about what you should keep in mind when buying skis.

The key to having a great time on your heliskiing adventure is to make sure that your equipment is best suited to your style of skiing so that you are left free to concentrate on enjoying yourself! Having the right pair of skis is naturally one of the most important steps. If your skis suit you, they feel more like an extension of your body and assist you to ski the best you can. On the contrary, the wrong pair can seem like you are trying to fight your way downhill!

Here are a few pointers to identify the right type of skis for you:

Know your limits:

Probably the most important element of buying the right skis, is knowing your skiing ability. Buying a ski that is not right for you will seriously hamper your skiing experience and also prevent you from developing your skiing ability.

Beginner and intermediate skis allow you to turn at lower speeds and demand lesser technique while skis for experienced skiers need to be used at higher speeds to ski effectively to give you the feedback you will be seeking, and need a reasonable understanding of skiing technique.

Size does matter:

Choose your ski size carefully. Shorter skis tend to provide you with more stability, ease of steering and are lightweight. These days, as you probably know, powder and carving skis are skied way shorter than in the past.  Longer skis give you more speed and are stable over different terrains, with twin-tip or rocker skis now on the market, people are starting to buy longer skis again as a fair proportion of these skis are off the snow when you ski.

Fit your ski to the way you shape your turns:

Your skiing style goes a long way in determining your ideal ski shape. If you like to go on long zig-zagging runs, you need to be equipped with a ski that can handle the speeds you may reach at with these. Skis with prominent sidecuts are recommended for carving runs.

If you plan to ski on different terrains, you need to pick skis that will support you equally well on all of them.  And if you like to do tight radius turns, then you equally need to find the ski that can maintain that tight control.  Of course, especially if you are a very advanced skier, you may wish to own a few pairs of skis. I personally own a few pairs including  own an all mountain pair, powder skis, touring skis, and telemarks.

As you can see buying skis is no small matter, so work out your skiing ability, desired length and key skiing style you are buying them for before you step into the shop and talk to the people there. Chances are they can help you choose the right ski for you better than anyone else! Total Heliski’s retail partner in the UK, Ellis Brigham stock a whole range of skis and they are more than willing to help out our heli skiers friends and clients.

Nominated for the prestigious Piolet D’ Or award, TIM EMMETT is one of the UK and the world’s adventure athletes excelling in Rock/Ice/Alpine Climbers and pioneers Deep Water Solo climbing. He is also renowned for BASE Jumping, Wingsuit flying and Para Alpinisme. Some of his career highlights are: Climbing the Kedar Dome 6984M, South East Face 1st free Ascent, “Spray On” the Hardest Ice climb in the world 2010, a Podium position in Ice Climbing World Cup 2000-04, Flying a wingsuit past the Dru in Chamonix, and Pioneering Para-Alpinism in Thailand, Spain and “Old Man Of Hoy”

Click here to watch a video of Tim!

Tim is also a notable TV presenter, documentary maker, and speaker- with appearances on Top Gear, The Ultimate Climb and numerous climbing movies, Tim demonstrates his world class abilities and his traits of enthusiasm, energy and positive thinking. Tim has considerable experience giving motivating lectures famed for projecting insight from his athletic experiences that capture and inspire his audience. He is a first class presenter leveraging enthusiasm, charisma and a dynamic approach.

Tim’s philosophy aligns closely with Total Heliski’s. He encourages people to “Believe in strengths, work on weaknesses, pursue dreams and find whatever it is they’re looking for. Boundaries are only formed by a limitation of imagination” As Total Heliski’s ambassador,Tim will be speaking at the London Heliski Show about his experiences heli boarding in Canada with Great Canadian Heli-skiing, and how that compares to his other exploits in an entertaining way.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company are interested building a Legendary Tour with Tim.

KENTON COOL, who developed a passion for rock climbing and the outdoors as a boy scout, is now acknowledged as one of the World’s great high altitude leaders and his record of success with clients on Everest is, without doubt, the best of any expedition leader. Kenton has personally summited Everest eight times (two of these being back to back in the same week, a global first).

Kenton was nominated in 2003 for the Piolet D’Or (climbing Oscar) for an audacious committing first ascent on Annapurna III in Nepal, adding to his reputation as being renowned for his bold approach to Himalayan climbing.

In 2007, Kenton became the first British Guide to lead a client successfully up the infamous North Face of the Eiger, commonly referred to as the ‘Death Wall’. The client was Sir Ranulph Fiennes and, in conjunction with ITN, they conducted a live interview from the face of the Eiger into UK homes. The summit attempt was in aid of the cancer charity Marie Curie, their success raised an incredible £2million.

In 2009, a similar feat was achieved. Kenton assisted Sir Ranulph Fiennes in his third attempt on Everest and they achieved a successful summit, this time filmed live for the BBC. Ranulph Fiennes went on record saying ‘Kenton is the best guide in the World.’

To add to his successes summiting high altitude peaks, in 2006 Kenton became the first Briton to ski down from the summit of an 8,000 metre peak. The ski descent was done solo and unassisted, another first. The peak was the Tibetan mountain Cho Oyu (the 6th highest mountain on the planet). Being above 8,000 metres puts this mountain firmly in the ‘death zone’, an area where there is so little oxygen that life cannot be sustained.

Kenton is one of the elite IFMGA guides and has built a reputation on a willingness to take on the impossible, providing a service second to none and gaining the respect from peers as well as clients.

Corporate Profile: Areas of Expertise:

Kenton delivers popular keynote sessions about his passion for his sport. He also explores the direct comparisons between summit expeditions and the importance of teambuilding, leadership, decision making, motivation and facing personal fears in adverse situations. His years in the mountains have taught Kenton how to face and overcome his own challenges as well as bringing out the best and inspiring belief in those around him.

• Altitude
• Aptitude
• Attitude

Kenton’s presentations are entertaining, high energy and filled with humour, yet press some serious points. Audience members will empathise with the importance Kenton places on mental strength when attempting to reach one’s goals and how combining team strengths with personal motivation and self-belief can create the winning formula. Each session is complimented with an awe-inspiring collection of photographs and video footage from his expeditions around the World.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company are interested in building a Legendary trip with Kenton.

KENT KREITLER is a Pioneer of the Popular Freeskiing Movement.  He is an International, World and US Big Mountain Free Skiing Event Champion and a Pioneer of Alaska Heli Skiing.  Kreitler was also progressive in what are now the popular terrain park skiing disciplines at one time and even has a silver medal in X-Games Skier Cross.  Kent is most known for his performance segments by US based film companies, Teton Gravity Research, Matchstick Productions and Warren Miller Entertainment where he is seen racing down the most challenging and spectacular Big Mountain Heli-skiing terrain in the world and at times performing massive flips and spins.  Much of Kent’s skiing career can be viewed in the Biography Film, “Reverence, the Kent Kreitler story”.  Kent has had signature clothing and ski lines with several companies throughout his career including K2, Blizzard and Spyder and currently has a ski which he designed which is built by HS, Heidiskis, in Switzerland.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company want to join the above tour or are interested in building a Legendary trip with Kent of your own.

]]> http://www.totalheliski.com/heliski-legends/kent-kreitler/feed/ 0 http://www.totalheliski.com/heliski-legends/graham-bell/ http://www.totalheliski.com/heliski-legends/graham-bell/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:09:07 +0000 Hayley http://www.totalheliski.com/?p=7757 Continue reading →]]>

GRAHAM BELL is a former five times Olympic skier, TV presenter, adventurer and journalist. He is the face of BBC TV’s Ski Sunday and in 2009 with Ed Leigh presented High Altitude, the primetime BBC2 adrenaline packed winter sports programme. Highlights included Graham tackling the Arctic Circle Race; a 160mile cross-country ski race in Greenland, surviving a night in a snow-hole without food, water or a sleeping bag, and set a new personal best top speed on skis of 121mph.

Graham Bell is regarded as one of the finest Downhill skiers the UK has ever produced. He and his brother Martin flew the flag for Britain throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. Graham took a Silver Medal at the World Junior Ski Championships in 1984 and the result that Graham is most proud of is his 12th place in the infamous Hahnenkamm Race in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

After retiring as a professional ski racer in 1998, Graham started his television career at Eurosport commentating live on the World Cup Ski Circuit for two years, before moving over to an in-vision role on Ski Sunday. Graham was part of the team that saw Ski Sunday win a prestigious Royal Television Society award in 2002. He has presented and commentated on the 2002, 2006, and most recently was an integral part of the BBC’s coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Away from the mountains, Graham is the presenter of the BBC’s World Championship Series Triathlon coverage, has worked on The Tour de France for ITV, and in 2009 competed in the Fastnet Race with Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss, filming, interviewing and presenting as well as working as an active crew member.

Since retiring from competition Graham has continued to test his competitive instinct. In 2003 he competed in the return of BBC1’s ‘Superstars’, against some of the country’s top sportsmen. He achieved an admirable fourth place in the final, the best placed non-current athlete. Graham has competed in numerous Triathlon competitions, 24hr Mountain Bike events and regularly rides the grueling Etape du Tour cycle race.

Graham has worked with a number of celebrities on High Altitude and Ski Sunday taking them on a journey to experience the latest extreme sports, pushing the limits of endurance and adventure in a high octane mix. Sky Diving with actor Ralph Little, heli-skiing with model Jodie Kidd and Ice Sailing with pop star Simon Le Bon, as well as skiing with Ben Fogle, Fiona Bruce, Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Marcus Brigstoke, Frank Gardner, Heston Blumenthal, Colin Jackson and Clare Balding.

Until recently Graham held the prestigious title of International Performance Director for The Ski & Snowboard Federation and is the patron of The British Ski Academy. He is internationally admired and respected as an ambassador promoting skiing and winter sports, encouraging young people into the sport. He is still very much involved with the British teams coaching and motivating them and currently sits on the board of SnowsportGB.

Join Graham’s New Year’s Total Heliski Tour:

December 27 – January 5: Spend the first 3 days in Whistler and the next 4 days heli skiing in the Skeena Mountains, BC Canada. With Graham and the Total Heliski team, you get to do some world class skiing at Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and then explore the vast areas of the Skeena Mountains by helicopter. So what are you waiting for? Grab the chance of this intimate heliskiing experience, the way heliskiing and boarding was meant to be! More info here.

Price from £6,585 pp.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company want to join the above tour or are interested in building your own Legendary tour with Graham.

Powder Magazine names DAN EGAN one of the “Top Skiers of All Time.” And it is no wonder, when extreme skiing was emerging as a daredevil sport, Dan Egan established his reputation as one of the premier adventure skiers in the world. Warren Miller, an International Award Winning Sports Film producer for over 45 years, first recognized Egans abilities, and used him in 12 of his films. In the ensuing years, Egan has become an award-winning producer in his own right, and has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.

His Wild World of Winter television series continues to air today. His programs regularly appear on United and America West Airlines and he syndicates shows to over 70 million homes. Dan has also authored two books and produced a dozen videos on skiing.Dan founded the Egan Entertainment Network, Inc. (EEN) in 1989 to market and promote skiing around the world. EEN has created promotions and multi-media shows reaching consumers at theaters, ski shows, retail outlets, corporations, and universities around the world. Egan leads and participates in adventure travel trips ranging from the Alps to the Artic. He co-founded Skiclinics.com and coaches the X-team Advanced Ski Clinics all over the world.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company are interested in building your a Legendary trip with Dan.

CHEMMY ALCOTT is Great Britain’s number one skier, 3 times Olympian, and the 8th best skier in the World under the combined discipline. Her triumphs include being the 1st first British woman to qualify for the World Cup Finals, first British skier to win a run in a World Cup race, first British skier to win the British Land National Ski Championships six times in a row, Olympian at Salt Lake City 2002, Turin 2006, and Vancouver 2010 where she achieved her best Olympic result so far, placing 11th.

The next Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia 2014 is her big focus now, it’s all about gold, and there are many In the world of skiing convinced she’ll make it to the very top.

Chemmy is more than just a speed queen; she’s a successful brand ambassador, a charity powerhouse, a budding TV presenter, a speaker, a model and an Inspiration to young athletes. In alpine countries they stop her In the street and that’s fast becoming the case in the UK.

She’s unstoppable.

Enquiries

Please contact hayley@totalheliski.com if you or your company are interested in Chemmy’s Tour, OR are interested in building your own Legendary Tour.

Being the founder and CEO of Total Heliski brings it perks, I can’t deny.

They usually occur in the winter, however, a few weeks ago, I was fortunate to be invited by a Total Heliski client to sail with him and his Australian pro-crew, on his yacht in the Rolex Maxi Yacht Regatta held in Porto Cuervo, Sardinia, Italy.

At 67 feet, we were the ‘mini-maxi’ class, i.e. I was surprised that there was an even bigger class of 100 foot and over. The Regatta, which is the official World Championship consists of the best of 5 races held over the course of a week.

We were operating with a professional crew of approx. 8 leading Australian sailors. With the likes of the ‘Wild Oats’ team (Sydney to Hobart winners for 5 years now), and world renowned round the world race sailor Gordon Maguire as our ‘tactician’, we were definitely skilled up to the hilt.

Over the course of the week, conditions varied from too much wind to race, to almost none. As every sailor knows, the success of the boat depends on a combination of boat design, tactical skill of the team, and the team work of the crew on board.

We placed approx. half way in our boat class, which was actually a great achievement, since we are a cruiser-racer boat and therefore we can’t really compete against the pure-built race boats which win yacht races like the ‘Sydney to Hobart’.

What I observed at the regatta, was quite interestingly, a very strong correlation to the way a premier heli operation is run. Like sailing, a heliski operation needs to run like clockwork,  and it’s only as strong as it’s weakest team member. The owners must carefully weigh up safety, conditions, client enjoyment, and staff satisfaction to ensure their operation is running at both optimal efficiency and most importantly maximising customer satisfaction. In Sardinia, like with my heliski operators, it was a pleasure to be witness to a team of professionals, who care so much about their client’s enjoyment, whilst making sure that the activity is conducted to the highest levels of performance and safety, all the while, without any concern needed by the client except to enjoy themselves.

Canadian style heli  skiing staying in a destination lodge with the helipad outside, but in the convenience of the French Alps and only a stones throw from Val D’Isere for a night out. Avail of this heliski package and surely, you and your mates will have an amazing heliski vacation. Absolutely no ski time wasted on travelling!

Price from £3,790.
For singles and double bookings, travel date is March 18 – 25.
Groups of between 4-18 can depart any Sunday to Sunday any time they wish.

You do not adjust for this heliski package, the package adjusts for you! The activities will reflect your group’s ski ability for you to enjoy every moment of your ski holiday.

Price from £2,640.
For singles and double bookings, travel date is January 18 – 22.
Groups of between 4-18 can depart any Sunday to Sunday any time they wish.

Prepare for this European backcountry heliski experience which will surely make heliskiing a part of your every ski holiday. This is your chance to enjoy the miles of untouched terrain and breathtaking views which are attained only through heli drops.

Price from £1,540.
For singles and double bookings, travel date is January 15 – 18.
Groups of between 4-18 can depart any Sunday to Sunday any time they wish.

We always try to bring you the best places to find some fresh powder and our friends at Chatter Creek go out of their way to make sure that your skiing experience is truly amazing!

They invest a lot of time and money into creating unbelievable ski runs, making the mountains more accessible and above all ensuring that your ski holiday is safe and secure..

To do this, they recently invested in a Spider Excavator, an amazing machine that helps them cut ski runs, thin forests and build roads. This flexible machine has an adaptable chassis that can be used to work on different terrains with an option to secure a winch cable on especially steep slopes to keep it stable. All this just means better powder for you when the ski season kicks in!

They also maintain and clear out the cat roads with the excavator by removing debris and fallen trees. So when you want to climb up high to begin your ski run, there are no problems and you can focus on enjoying an unforgettable skiing experience

Chatter Creek also offers you some quality family time with their 2 day family tours. With the option of going in the weekend or for a mid-week break, you have no reason not to go!

So, begin planning your next vacation at Chatter Creek. Get in touch with Hayley for more details

Get ready to take your skiing and boarding to the next level!

Last year’s successful Total Heliski show returns to Central London for all aspiring skiers and snowboarders. Get the flyer here.

What: The Total Heliski Show, London 2011

When: Nov 3, 2011

Where: The Hotel Andaz, London

Click here for more details on the show, exclusive news and fabulous offers!

Click here to buy tickets to the show!

Heliski where Alaska meets Canada in the most dramatic stretch of Alpine terrain in BC. 200km of the biggest glaciers, huge rock spires, couloirs, glacier bowls in an amphitheater of unmistakeably West Coast mountains

Enjoy 9 nights of pure heliski pleasure with our 9 Night Special from Feb 23 to Mar 3 at Tweesmudir with an amazing 127,500 feet of vertical for just CAD 12,380

Or you can choose to ski for these days at Big Mountain for just CAD 10,280

We also have offers on 5 nights at Big Mountain from Feb 27 to Mar 3

Write to Hayley for more details on these offers

Welcome to the Total Heliski World of Adventure! You may be surprised to hear that you can heliski almost anywhere in the world these days where there are majestic mountains of snow, and passionate, visionary people to make the logistics happen. There are over 130 operators worldwide, with varying degrees of sophistication, so working out which ones are the best for you can be quite daunting. At Total Heliski, we make it our business to identify and work with the best so that you can rely on our research.

Here we show you region by region some of the highlights.

Event: Premiere of Sherpa Cinema’s new epic: All.I.Can

Date: Oct 6

Location: Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, London

Time: Entry 8:30pm, Starts 9pm

The time has come for a ski film that stands for something. Whistler based, Sherpas Cinema, the up and coming Film Company present their newest film–2 years, 5 countries and over 15 skiers in the making called: All.I.Can.  Tickets are available here.

Total Heliski can provide you with a chance to win tickets to their premiere on Oct 6.

All you have to do is:

1) ‘Like’ Total Heliski on Facebook

2) write a post or upload your best ski picture.

The best entries will win premiere tickets!

Following on from my previous two posts, where I talked about the myths regarding heli skiing and the cost of heli skiing, i’ll now talk about the third myth about heli skiing that you need to be aware of

Myth 3: Last minute bookings are the best for low prices

Reality: Book as early as possible

Heli skiing involves a lot of planning on the part of the operator to make sure the chopper are ready, the guides have been briefed and the preparations are in place for you and your group. Bookings hence need to be made sufficiently in advance to allow for all this.

Unlike the aviation industry, heli skiing operators DO NOT reduce their costs closer to the date of the trips. In fact if you book early enough you could also take advantage of early bird savings in other parts of your trip like the flights and stay.

There you have it. Some common myths about heli skiing busted! Now that you know, spread the word and get your skis out as you plan your first heli skiing adventure!

The Himalayas have long been known around the world as the home of the highest peak in the world – Mount Everest. But they also comprise of a number of other high mountains, all of which make the range one of the most daunting in the world. Consider this: The highest peak outside Asia stands at just under 23,000 feet while the Himalayas alone have over 100 peaks in excess of 23,500 feet! The Himalayas have thus created a natural barrier that has resulted in a unique culture in these high hills.

With the harsh terrain and climate in the Himalayas restricting the movement of people, the region has remained largely untouched by modern developments. A number of the Himalayan peaks have importance in Hindu mythology and as a result the region is a spiritual centrepiece. If you are out looking for a pristine location to spend a few days while skiing, you could not have chosen better! People living in different regions of the Himalayas have preserved their cultural identities. Ladakhis, Nepalese, Bhutiyas and Sherpas are some of the common cultures spread across the vast mountains. Even among them the traits and behaviours differ as you climb higher into the isolated peaks. Inspite of the fact that nearly 40 million people living here, the cultural peculiarities of each group is still clearly evident.

The general standard of living in the Himalayas is low as a result of its location. Lack of communication, infrastructure and development potential has meant that the way of life has remained the same over the years. In some of the high altitude places, you may find a few agricultural developments, but these are few and far apart. Tourism is the biggest industry with the high peaks attracting thousands of eager climbers every year.

Food here is relatively simple because of the cultural isolation the region experiences. Lentils soup and rice curry are popular dishes while every group of people may have their own peculiar styles. But as a skier you need not worry because the locals here have perfected the art of getting optimum nourishment to sustain the body in the climate.

In my last blog post, I started writing about common myths about heli skiing. Here I continue the series….

Myth 2: Heli Skiing is exorbitantly expensive and only the extremely rich and famous should think about doing it.

Reality: It is definitely an investment above a regular ski holiday, since it’s an incredibly difficult logistical experience to supply safely, but there are lower entry points that you expect

Yes heli skiing does involve an investment, but it is not as prohibitively expensive as it is made out or thought to be.

When you think about it, the thought of traveling to a suitable, remote location, being lodged in 4 star surroundings in pristine mountain wilderness, renting out a chopper, hiring a highly trained mountain guide and using the best safety equipment around, it’s completely understandable why heli skiing requires investment. It might appear that it’s going to be a very expensive activity that only a privileged few can enjoy. But this is far from the truth. If you compare heli skiing (and all you get in your ‘package’ above) with other holidays, it’s actually incredible value to be jetted around in a chopper all day long.

There is also the option for you to cat ski instead of heli skiing. This basically means that instead of the chopper you use a snow cat to get up the slopes. The main difference being that with cat skiing the cost tends to be almost half of heli skiing.

To give you an idea, here are some ballpark base prices for tours we offer right now:

3 days cat from CAD $1,900

6 days heli/cat from CAD $4,750

Heliskiing Myths

In my last blog post I interviewed Mike about his first heli skiing experience. Apart from the questions I asked him for the blog we also got talking about heli skiing in general and why it took him so long to hear about it. One of the things that stood out during my conversation with him was the fact that, there are a lot of myths and pre conceived notions, most of them wrong, about heli skiing. These myths are what put a lot of people off the idea of trying heli skiing!

So, as I sat to write my latest blog post, I am positive that busting a few myths would be a good idea….Here is the first in my series of Myth Busters blogs….

Myth 1: You need to be an expert to heli ski

Reality: You just need to be a competent regular skier to heli ski

All you need to be is a competent skier or boarder in off-piste conditions. You don’t need to be an adrenaline junkie who loves to jump out of choppers onto steep slopes and ski like a demon to be a heli skier.

Heli skiing is all about finding fresh powder that allows you to truly enjoy the skiing experience. The choppers don’t hover and wait for you to jump off with your skis onto the slopes either! They land so that you can get off, put on your skis and ski down the slope you are comfortable on at your own speed!

Besides this, with Total Heliski’s Operators, you will always be skiing with a highly experienced and qualified mountain guide  who will be responsible for you and your group’s safety.

So, as you can see, heli skiing is a much more organised and safe activity than you can imagine. I’ll be blogging more on the safety elements of heli skiing in future, since it really is an amazingly well managed sport in general.

Watch out for some other common myths busted, right here…

The Tordrillo Mountains in the Alaska Range continue to push the imaginations of even the most accomplished skiers. Although these mountains are located just 75 miles west of Anchorage, they remain one of the most remote and untouched ranges in all of Alaska. Hundreds of glaciers, granite spires, and the largest mountains in North America set a surreal backdrop. These are ski lines that only nature could design with endless steep and incised couloirs set in golden granite that catches the light. So if you are looking for an entirely different heliski experience, Tordrillo Mountains is the place to go.

Price from US $9,900

Are you wondering where your next (or first) big heli ski experience is going to be? The answer could be in – wait for it – the weather channel! Seriously! Ocean currents and surface temperatures could really spice up your heli skiing trip this season. This is all about the phenomena called La Niña of course.

More snow to ski?

You would have heard the term all over the news, along with the other famous one – El Niño. But what are these?

Basically, they both refer to large-scale changes in sea-surface temperature across the central and eastern tropical Pacific. This results in change in climactic conditions including rain and hurricanes in different parts of the world. The exact effect depends on the geographical location.

The term La Niña has a rather interesting origin. Fishermen off the coast of South America noticed warm water in their fishing grounds periodically, around Christmas and started calling it El Niño, which means “The Little Boy” in Spanish, in reference to Jesus Christ. When scientists recognised that there was an opposite event in the southern Pacific, they dubbed it La Niña, which means “The Little Girl” in Spanish!

So how does this affect your skiing? This season’s La Niña, made a lot of headlines and they say that when La Niña gets this strong, chances are there will be another strong La Niña event next season! And in Canada this makes for an unforgettable skiing experience!

Total Heliski has some amazing ski tours for Canada and a number of our premier operators in Canada for 2012 are filling up fast as a direct result of last year’s La Nina season being so epic. So book yourself a Total Heliski Info Show for your group asap, click here to request a Total Heliski Customer Proposal for your trip next winter or check out the just released Total Heliski Canada Tours.

Skiing in the Andes in Chile is a magical experience in itself, but Chile offers so much more with its diverse array of wines, beautiful beaches and places to visit.

For the connoisseurs, Chile is a great place to wine and dine. Being one of the largest producers and exporters of wine, you can expect Chile to provide you with a wine experience like never before. With Spanish, German, French and English influences and because of the geographical and climatic variety of the region, the Chilean cuisine has something for everybody ranging from seafood and meat to an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

When you are not skiing, you have a lot to keep you busy. Beautiful lakes and national parks abound around Chile to keep you fascinated. If you fancy a trip into the city, the port city of Valaparaiso is a World Heritage Site with architecture that will leave you breathless. After a day in the sun, you can also relax on the vast beaches of Chile’s coastline. And if all this doesn’t make your trip truly magical, you can top it off with a visit to the legendary Easter Island!

So, head to South America this season to unwind. Skiing may be your main reason, but there’s no reason not to turn it into a full-fledged vacation!

Click here to book your place on the Total Heliski Chile Member Tour from Aug 20 – 27

What – Everything you wanted to know about heli-skiing and were afraid to ask!

Where – Profeet, 867 Fulham Road, SW6 5HP

When – Sept 21, Wednesday, 6pm onwards

Hear from Hayley Melidonis, CEO of Total Heliski (the experts behind London’s Total Heliski Show), as well as John Forrest, the Owner of Northern Escape Heli Skiing. They will share their expertise on heli & cat skiing in general and the Canadian Rockies in particular and launching special Total Heliski Tours for our clients.

Technical staff from hosts Profeet will be on hand to answer any boot queries you may have, as well showcasing the latest & greatest of  next year’s ski boot ranges. Ever wondered what extra considerations you might need in a ski boot for heli-skiing? This is the night to find out!

More details to be announced soon! Register your interest here!

I have written a number of blog posts about my passion for heli skiing and my experiences during my trips. And whenever I speak to people, especially the ones new to heli skiing, I speak to them about what it is like for me to experience the fresh powder when I ski. During one such conversation I said to myself “Hang on a minute. What they really need, is to hear from someone who they don’t consider an expert. They need to hear from someone, who until recently was just as new to heli skiing as they are!”

This got me thinking and I decided to get the thoughts of my client, and friend, Mike who had recently gone on a Total Heliski trip.

The Total Heliski team asked him a few questions and this is what he had to say….

Ready to Heli Ski

So Mike, what made you take the plunge and go heli skiing in the first place?

Hayley’s awesome salesmanship at the Heli Skiing Show, insisting anyone can do it who can competently ski or board off piste in a resort. I had relatively little snowboarding experience compared to what I expected you needed and hoped I would cope in the field!!

Where was your first heli skiing trip and what was it like?

400 miles inside the Arctic Circle, a Swedish village called Bjorkliden.  Hell of a place to get to! Fly to Norway and drive across. I could have taken more time over the driving and seen more of these awesome countries in hindsight.

First trip, as I said, I was a bit concerned about whether my level was right, but I was unnecessarily worried. Heli skiing is much easier than piste boarding. It’s immensely enjoyable and far less effort to get through the fresh powder.

I had trained for this by climbing 1k verticals in snow shoes just to get a taste of powder prior to the trip.  The heli could allow us to ski upto 20k feet per day if the budget and weather allowed.

Cutting up some fresh powder

What would be your advice to first timers?

Fitness is vital; one member of the group ended up sat in the heli for 10k feet of vertical due to tiredness.  What a waste!!

And where would you like to go heli skiing next?

Anywhere with even greater vertical would suit me perfectly. Got an addiction now and banned myself from pistes!

So, there you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth. Heli skiing is an experience like no other.

When are YOU starting??

Join Total Heliski Legend Graham Bell on one of our popular hosted tours this New Years. Benefits are the ease of having the itinerary already created, peace of mind in knowing that your operator has been chosen for their quality, and the fun of great company. You will warm up with us in Whistler first, and then we’ll head to do 4 days of pure heli skiing.

With Graham and the Total Heliski team, you get to do some world class skiing at Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and then explore the vast areas of the Skeena Mountains by helicopter.  So what are you waiting for? Grab the chance of this intimate heliskiing experience, the way heliskiing and boarding was meant to be! Click here to download the dossier.

Price from £6,585. Departs December 27 – January 5.

Join other Total Heliski members on one of our popular hosted tours. Benefits are the ease of having the itinerary already created, peace of mind in knowing that your operator has been chosen for their quality, and the fun of great company. Like every proposal we offer, you are not paying a penny more for booking on one of our tours versus booking direct.

Grab the chance for joining Total Heliski for this all you can ski, powder buffet in the legendary Selkirk and Rockies Mountain Ranges of British Columbia.

Price from $3,600. Departs January 2 – 8.

Join other Total Heliski members on one of our popular hosted tours. Benefits are the ease of having the itinerary already created, peace of mind in knowing that your operator has been chosen for their quality, and the fun of great company. Like every proposal we offer, you are not paying a penny more for booking on one of our tours versus booking direct. In this featured Total Heliski tour, you get to ski the wonderful terrain of Manali and at the same time, take a peek at India’s rich and colourful culture. Click here to download the dossier.

Price from €6,850. Departs February 11 – 18.

Join other Total Heliski members on one of our popular hosted tours. Benefits are the ease of having the itinerary already created, peace of mind in knowing that your operator has been chosen for their quality, and the fun of great company. Like every proposal we offer, you are not paying a penny more for booking on one of our tours versus booking direct.

This is a semi private (meaning only 2 groups per heli), North American style heliski operation. It’s also the biggest heliski operator in Sweden, and the choice of Sweden’s world cup ski team. Located close to the mountain village of Björkliden, their heli-skiing is in an area with no fewer than 200 peaks and equivalent to half the size of Austrias ski area set in pure Arctic wilderness. The accommodations in the mountain town of Bjorkliden, are to the typically high Swedish standards. Pippi Longstocking can’t be wrong! Click here to download the dossier.

Price from 23,900 SEK. Departs May 3 – 7.

Join Total Heliski’s CEO, Hayley and others for an incredible Alaskan heli skiing adventure. Total Heliski Tours offer extraordinary experiences with benefits of EASE, PEACE OF MIND, AND FUN. Remember, heli skiing is not just for experts, it’s for competent skiers who want to go above and beyond.

You will be heli skiing on top of the world based in a charming Alaskan town with a like minded group of Total Heliski members. The pictures say it all. There is also an option to be guided in Total Heliski Pro Skier Legend Kent Kreitler’s group which will be expert standard, for a reasonable trip supplement. Click here to download the dossier.

Price US $7,435 (Skiing in Kent Kreitlers group a further $1600 weekly supplement). Departs April (over Easter).

Midsummer in the northern hemisphere means lots of outdoor theatre, parties, BBQs, and picnics. But whilst we may be ‘ski-dreaming’ in summer, our operators are investing in improvements for your skiing pleasure.

In BC some heli ski operators conduct a run enhancement program referred to as ‘glading’. Open spaces that occur naturally in the forest are called glades. The operator’s crew goes in and mimics these opens with a specific cutting plan and thus opens the inter tree spacing. The wood, that is cut, is referred to as coarse wood debris and is cut to lie flat on the ground and return to the earth adding to the soil.

The optimum inter-tree space they strive for is 7 meters and the results are nothing short of remarkable! It creates a great skiing experience for all to enjoy. Tree skiing is a critical part of the heli skiing program and on snowy stormy days where visibility is poor in the alpine, glading helps to ensure a safe skiing trip.

Information provided by our partners at

]]> http://www.totalheliski.com/hayles-trails/a-mid-summers-ski-dream-the-art-of-glading-2/feed/ 0 http://www.totalheliski.com/newsletters/newsletter-14-summer-rousings-around-total-heliski/ http://www.totalheliski.com/newsletters/newsletter-14-summer-rousings-around-total-heliski/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:46:24 +0000 Hayley http://www.totalheliski.com/?p=6578

An ultimate backcountry heliski experience for the whole family or group. The heliskiing operations offer some of the most diverse and expansive terrain in the world. Alaska’s Western Chugach Mountains wrap around some of the best helicopter skiing and boarding terrain in the world. The 3,000- to 4,000-foot vertical runs are found across hundreds of peaks, providing guests with more powder than they can ride in one trip.

Price from US $5,050

Summer has sprung in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Britain it’s a very social affair. Henley, Wimbledon, Ascot, for starters, and they are just the organized events. How does one manage the waistline to keep it trim for impending seaside holidays, and maintain the fitness for the upcoming winter?

I have always been a fan of running outdoors, ideally in a woodland or park, preferring to run on grass in order to cushion and preserve my knees for the sport I love. This was further made necessary after an injury this winter requiring knee surgery. On return to full activity, I needed a new pair of running shoes, and after meeting the Profeet guys recently at the City Ski Championships, they told me about the custom running shoe fitting they do. I decided it might be the right way to go.

When I arrived at Profeet’s Fulham London store, despite being a runner since I was a teenager, I never really knew much about the science of running, or the difference between shoes, but was well educated after my visit. The guys at Profeet told me that each one of us is unique. No one shares your precise body structure, your biomechanics, your injury history, or your ambitions. So the path to enjoyment in whatever it is you love doing, cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.

They take you through a process of having you run on a treadmill (under video surveillance), running distance over special pads, and a consultation about your exercise habits, and running goals.

From all of this, they select several shoes to try on, and then by showing you how you run comparatively in those (via the video footage again), they prove to you why a certain shoe is best for your particular makeup.

In my case, I have very high arches, (apparently my mother’s insistence on me wearing the correct school shoes, despite my Aussie upbringing, didn’t flatten my feet much) and I pronate, putting more pressure on my old knee injury in my inner knee joint. My previous running shoes had effectively been too soft and had been exacerbating my previous knee injury, not helping it. Oh well, the benefit of hindsight.

Once they help you select the best fitting shoe, based on your biomechanical evaluation, my technician then hand crafted my insoles (orthotics) while I waited and fit them into my new running shoes.
The whole process took maybe 90 minutes. I have been running a number of times since in my new shoes, and have already noticed less knee pain, and also less hip aching afterwards. It was quite amazing to experience the personalized consultation blended with state-of-the-art technology, scientifically engineered new running shoe options, their dedicated fitting process and a wealth of experience and knowledge.

I was very impressed and decided to do a partnership with Profeet for our London based clients, as they have the reputation as being the best boot fitters around. Check out our Profeet member offer this month for all Total Heliski members who recommend others to us.

Recently, Alex and his crew successfully negotiated the race course for the Rolex sailing regatta in St Tropez in his boat Caol Ila. He’s also joining us heli skiing next season in Canada!

What’s the draw of skiing when everyone else is surfing this summer? Skiing in South America and particularly in Chile is an amazing experience, especially when you combine it with the rich Chilean hospitality and culture. Also, not to mention the wonderful wines which are famous from this region!

Total Heliski works with South America’s premier heliski operator based in the heart of the central Andes in Chile. This means that every detail of your heliski holiday down under will deliver you an exhilarating experience second to none. Because they operate in the Northern Hemisphere summer, they are fortunate to be able to secure the best guides and heliski pilots from around the world during their ‘off season’. They use Swiss pilots who are the highest trained professionals in the industry, as well as a combination of European and Canadian heliski guides. The owner-guides also have vast skiing experience of the area.

They operate with the latest professional Heliskiing equipment. You will be heli skiing in Total  Heliski’s  preferred ‘small group style’ in either their Eccuriel AS 350-B3 or Bell 407 helicopters, equipped with safety gear such as GPS, satellite phone, VHF radio and avalanche rescue equipment. And each client benefits from having their own ABS airbag system included in the price, in addition to the standard transceivers, probe and shovel. This leaves you with the peace of mind to enjoy your day in the incredible virgin powder!

After a long, yet thrilling day of skiing, you will want to come back to your mountain lodge accommodation and relax. This mountain lodge has a character all of its own. Situated within 5 minutes of the South American continent’s best heli-skiing, lodge keeper, Carlitos, welcomes returning heliski groups with your apres-ski shoes in a wheelbarrel to change into as soon as you land, homemade pastries, and ice cream of all flavours .

Treat yourself to a massage after skiing, or read a book in front of the open fireplace while served delicious appetizers prepared daily by their Chef. Or just chill in the outdoor hot tub and swimming pool.

Having a mythical ski around the Andes is unbeatable. But the experience is far sweeter if you immerse yourself in the regions culture and history.  Our Chilean operator is well versed with the culture of the region and will happily share their knowledge, allowing you to have a complete skiing vacation.

We invite you to share this amazing experience, joining other Total Heliski Members for our Total Heliski Chile Member tour from August 20-27. Price is €7,150pp or book your own group via Total Heliski at the best possible tour price.

This season, Total Heliski are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with London based athletic footwear fitting specialists Profeet. Profeet specialise in custom fitting running shoes, cycle shoes, ski boots and other footwear for active people as well as custom bike fits. Like Total Heliski, they offer their clients personal service, using cutting edge technology including video gait analysis and pressure-plate foot scanning, combined with their biomechanical expertise to help you select and tailor your boots to ensure that you experience the perfect fit.

Total Heliski have partnered with Profeet in order to be able to offer our clients the best opportunity to be fully prepared for your heliski or catski holiday. A well fitting, comfortable, yet performing ski boot is one of the essential ingredients to an excellent heliski holiday, and Profeet are the renowned experts in this field.

Check out Hayley’s blog about her experiences this month being fitted for running shoes.

To introduce the partnership, all UK based Total Heliski members who invite two or more fellow skiers or boarders to download Total Heliski’s informative FREE Heliski Guide, and join Total Heliski are invited for a FREE ski boot MOT by Profeet. This boot check is carried out by one of Profeet’s expert technicians during which they will take a look at any current discomfort you’ve been experiencing and make any necessary adjustments. If you do need new boots Profeet are currently holding their summer ski boot sale it’s always very popular & if you miss it you’ll definitely be missing out!

Click here to recommend two of your fellow skiers and boarders and receive your FREE Ski Boot MOT.

More news and offers to follow – including an exclusive event to be held at their Fulham store – watch this space!

Manali, in India’s Greater Himalaya, provides easy access to the most exciting skiing terrain on earth. Grab this chance to a world’s ultimate heliskiing experience while taking a peek into India’s rich and beautiful culture.

Price from €54,600 (Package A); €49,800 (Package B)

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This week-long getaway experience will surely make you crave for more. Not only that you get to ski the wonderful terrain in Manali but you also get to discover the superb history of India which sets it apart from others.

Price from €6,850

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Not a lot really, but I thought this was a neat title to use for this blog entry about my recent experience at the 2010 (London) City Ski Championships.

Whilst Total Heliski members were flying through the pow-pow in Canada, Alaska, and Europe this season, Total Heliski set our sights on our mission to convert a whole bunch of neat, disciplined ski racers into free- willed, hedonistic heliskiers.

So, I packed up my powder skis, got out the skinny planks, and took to the hard-packed groomed slopes of Courmayeur to attend The City Ski Championships. This event is an excuse for a myriad of excellent skiers from around the UK to roll up and socially compete for various titles like ‘Fastest  Male Skier’ or ‘Fastest Banker’.

Lots of tight lycra around- male and female

Over the three days of the event, I met a great crowd from London’s (mainly) financial community who taught me how to party hard, (not that I needed teaching), then get up at the crack of dawn, put on a tight, uncomfortable, cold  racing suit and get amongst it. I must add, I didn’t actually race this year, since I have a little knee upset right now. But, I did hear about amazing stamina by some of those at the event, racing after sometimes less than 60 minutes sleep.

Total Heliski Legend, Graham Bell, 5 x Olympian getting a power nap in between runs.

Not surprisingly Canada, was well represented in the title ranks, (given the oil and gas industry representation in London), with Total Heliski member, Derek Smith, a clear standout for his 2nd place result.

Yann, (already a heliskier) from Maseco Private Wealth, loving his work

Equally, the Italian aristocracy, with Felippe leading the Lloyds winning male team.

Lloyds of London's City Ski Champs Race Team revelling on the pistes

What occurred at the presentation dinner, when the ‘winners’ celebrated, by creating a sea of champagne, (mostly being poured on each other) was nothing short of eye-boggling.

Comedian Marcus Brigstocke compering the charity raffle

I am sure they won’t mind me posting the pictures here.

Don't ask!

Lloyds of London and their Sea of Champagne Celebrations

Additionally, the raffle for Damon Hill’s charity ‘Halow’, was not only a great earner, but also a highly entertaining event as it was compered by none other than comedian Marcus Brigstocke (from the BBC).

Charity Raffle - This guy bought a down hill suit donated by Graham Bell that he didn't fit, almost

So, what do the two disciplines of ski racing and heli skiing have in common? Well, actually, like I said before, not much. However, one thing is for sure, that no matter where you are in the mountains, what you are there for, and what you set out to achieve, they are completely an adult’s play ground- on and off the slopes, and for that I am so glad to be able to have discovered skiing. I must thank my parents next time I see them.

I think Damon Hill's expression says it all!

Oh, and one other thing- F1 drivers can indeed exert speed on the race course- that I also learnt. Well done Damon!

Meadow Creek is located at the heart of the legendary Selkirk Mountains. All the way up in the mountains, you can see the birthplace of heliskiing.

Price from $750

I was chatting to one of my operators last night, to their lead guide, who told me that he’s in the heliski business for his love of heli skiing (no surprise). And he told me that the reason he wanted to work with me, was because he could see from my website and had heard through the grapevine, of the passion that I hold for skiing and specifically heli skiing. No surprise either.

Yours truly loving this powder day at Chatter Creek Cat Skiing over New Year's 2010.

He then told me about his clients, who, in their 80′s, are the oldest heli skier couple in the world, an Austrian couple who are in the Guinness Book of World Records for it, and they only take heliski holidays (that’s a whole ‘nother blog though).

On a related note, I met a very wealthy business man recently, who I discovered is a skier but hasn’t heliskied. (I think he does all of the usual adventure male sports though like car racing, and sailing, so I figure he has the guts and all). This got me thinking…Firstly, ‘why not?’ I mean the guy can clearly afford it, and has a penchance for adrenaline sports, so why hasn’t this guy gone heli skiing before?

I figure that my long held belief holds true- That there is a huge educational opportunity to create awareness about heli skiing, and dispel myths about the level of skier you need to be to do it. Meeting him also made me slightly sad, since I know so many amazing, adventurous skiers/ boarders who would LOVE, no practically give their right arm to go heli skiing but the financial investment is beyond their means right now (we do have a product though which may appeal, cat skiing as it’s half the investment).

And you see, sitting in my shoes, as the CEO of  Total Heliski, (the fastest growing winter sports company who specialise in promoting and booking heli skiing), what my operator said to me holds true. Without meaning to pose, but being honest here- I have done many amazingly adventurous and fun things in my life- race track driving, solo parachuting, surfing, scuba diving, learning to fly planes, big rollercoasters, rock climbing, rafting big white water, trekking in the Himalayas, mountaineering, mountain biking to name a few.  And NONE of those experiences (with the exception of solo parachuting), come close to the adrenaline rush, and endorphins or ‘feel good’ sensations that I have achieved and continue to achieve via heli skiing. It’s indeed a powder addiction for me. And, I love sharing and enabling others to try it too.

So I guess after I got off the phone from that operator, I felt enormously pleased that he understood what I am trying to do with my business. To educate and inspire people to try the one thing that I adore and love, even after doing all of those other fun things. I made a ‘note to self’- I am on the right track here….

The exclusive to Total Heliski ‘Heli Ski with Legends’ programme is a truly unique product, developed by Total Heliski in conjunction with some of the world’s top winter sports athletes. It allows you to have a once in a lifetime trip with a real ‘Legend’ as your personal host.

When your group of friends, company colleagues or family book the ‘Heliski with Legends’ Programme’, you will be able to select which of our elite athletes on our program you would like to accompany your group out to the European Alps or to North America to either Heliski (Winter) or Heli Mountaineer (Summer). Whether it be the top ice climbers, mountaineers or elite ski racers your group will not only share the experience with these elite athletes, but you will also hear their legendary stories of ski racing, big mountain skiing, TV presenting, ice climbing, even wing suit flying.

These athletes are all past or present elite winter sports champions and so ‘Legends’ in their own right. Their wealth of experience has enabled most to become formal corporate speakers in high demand and this can be leveraged as part of the program experience – perfect for corporate team building and training events.

Be assured participating in this program will be an unforgettable experience for you and your group. Your group will create everlasting memories and relationships, and may even be pick up a tip or two from a true ‘Legend’.

Please see the 2011 Programme also for specific tours you can join in 2011 to Heliski with a Legend.

Introducing the Legends

TIM EMMETT

Nominated for the prestigious Piolet D’ Or award, TIM EMMETT is one of the UK and the world’s adventure athletes excelling in Rock/Ice/Alpine Climbers and pioneers Deep Water Solo climbing. More….

CHEMMY ALCOTT

CHEMMY ALCOTT is Great Britain’s number one skier, 3 times Olympian, and the 8th best skier in the World under the combined discipline. More……

KENTON COOL

KENTON COOL, who developed a passion for rock climbing and the outdoors as a boy scout, is now acknowledged as one of the World’s great high altitude leaders and his record of success with clients on Everest is, without doubt, the best of any expedition leader. More…

GRAHAM BELL

GRAHAM BELL is a former five times Olympic skier, TV presenter, adventurer and journalist. He is the face of BBC TV’s Ski Sunday and in 2009 with Ed Leigh presented High Altitude, the primetime BBC2 adrenaline packed winter sports programme. More…

KENT KREITLER

KENT KREITLER is a Pioneer of the Popular Freeskiing Movement.  He is an International, World and US Big Mountain Free Skiing Event Champion and a Pioneer of Alaska Heli Skiing. More….

DAN EGAN

Powder Magazine names DAN EGAN one of the “Top Skiers of All Time.” And it is no wonder, when extreme skiing was emerging as a daredevil sport, Dan Egan established his reputation as one of the premier adventure skiers in the world. More…

The London Total Heliski Show was such a success, and there were so many who couldn’t make it, that we’ve been asked when will we be holding our next event?

Well, we believe we’ve done one better.

Rather than inviting you to OUR event, until the next Total Heliski Show, we’re going to let you invite US to YOURS. Total Heliski are inviting bookings for your very own Total Heliski Info Show Meeting.

The idea is to get a few of your mates together (or an organised group, audience, club etc) to your favourite watering hole or other relevant venue. Over a few drinks, over a half to one hour meeting, we will show your group a few of our most captivating shots and footage while we take you through the paces of what you would  like to see and hear about heli skiing and cat skiing.

You can get us to tailor your Info Show Meeting to your groups experience, interests or budget. We will show you some incredible experiences that await, and how you can go about making them happen at the BEST possible tour price.

Total Heliski Info Show Meetings are the ultimate way to benefit from our FREE expert heliski advice, and our hand-picked, boutique network of heliski and catski locations around the world.

Also, if we are geographically challenged, we can run your Total Heliski Info Show Meeting  by webinar/ conference call at a time that is convenient to your group.

There is no commitment involved, all that we ask is that you make sure you keep the appointment. However, don’t be surprised if we make some offers on the evening that might be hard to refuse…..

BOOKINGS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR Summer 2011 and Winter 2012 Tours. Contact Hayley to organise your Total Heliski Info Show Meeting now.

Here are some direct quotes from people at The London Total Heliski Show so you can see what’s involved.

From Ross Taylor, Recruitment consultant, Virgin Heliskier:

From Jan Michael, frequent heliskier:

From John McGrath, Heliskier Enthusiast

From Tom Robbins, Travel  Editor at The Financial Times, London.

From Kenton Cool, Mountaineer and Total Heliski Legend:

From Gary Wardrope, Owner of Get Skiing, Total  Heliski’s Travel Agent Partner:

From Helena  Rea, MUMM Champagne PR company

Contact Hayley to organise your Total Heliski Info Show Meeting. For your comments and suggestions, you can reach us here.

Due to a recent injury, I’ve been forced to take a little break from heli skiing. Of course, I am devastated, but, on the plus side, this gave me a chance to do some other things with my time during winter for once. A couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine suggested I visit possibly the world’s most influential festival in music, film and everything- the-internet, none other than SXSW (pronounced south-by-south-west), or just ‘south by’ to the indoctrinated.

Here we are in Austin Texas (not real Texas, we are told).

So, I hopped on a plane, jetted out to Austin, Texas, couch surfed with two cool, amazing locals who fortuitously lived just 2 blocks from the epicentre, and experienced ‘complete immersion’ with the 20,000 other attendees. There is no other way to describe South-by, and I expect Burning Man has a similar impact.

A Young Entrepreneur being interviewed from Hipmunk (Ashton Kutcher invested in them)

I could not have imagined the enormity of the event, in terms of both the volume of people, the interesting engagements we shared, nor the amazing overlay on such an exciting, vivid, and totally cool town that Austin is.

Even the police are cool in Austin

Not to be cliché, but I met so many interesting, and friendly people, passionate, and doing really interesting things in their part of the world. I have never seen such a high concentration of i-everything, and Steve Jobs look-alikes , nor learnt so many ‘in vogue’ terms. I had no specific objectives other than to network, and learn about the possibilities emerging now on the internet, and boy, was I indulged. There were no less than 30 sessions of panels, presentations, workshops, films, book readings happening simultaneously at any one time, to immerse in.

Art Installation at SXSW

I watched startups run by practically teenagers, pitch in the competitions that launched companies at SXSW like Foursquare and Twitter and even met Ashton Kutcher at one of their parties where I wasn’t meant to be, but was.  Then of course, come 3:00pm each day and you had the other tempting alternative of the copious happy hours, and parties being hosted by savvy sponsors. I don’t think I have quite ever seen so many places so generously offering free drinks and food, all competing for the attention of this influential, thought leader crowd.

The infamous free beer and whisky tent kicking off at 3 ish most days.

I met and shared my passion of heli skiing and my business- Total Heliski with many people, gained many good suggestions for business development, and generated much interest, that I left inspired.

These are exactly the people who will love the rush of heli skiing, and who I can’t wait to introduce this amazing experience to.

Party Town of Austin

However, compared to South-by, it’ll be a complete reverse immersion. I mean, it would be a total get away from the rest of civilization, engagement with nature rather than technology, spending a week getting to know an intimate group, rather than a mass-meetup, float in powder and to be surrounded by sheer beauty of the wilderness of mountains rather than hanging around the cool urban canvas of Austin. But I am certain the impact of a reverse immersion on the creativity on this cool crowd would be similar.

Be ready to explore an entirely new dimension of remote heliskiing with world-class standards and vast terrain for skiers from all over the world.

Price from €8,800 (Package A) or €9,900 (Package B)

By Hans Solmssen, Guide de Montagne.

The Sheer Beauty of This Wilderness Will Captivate You

I first came to Greenland to heliski 10 years ago. I expected quite mellow and monotonous terrain, given all the talk about the ice cap. What I discovered, was better skiing than any other place on the planet. And because the area is so vast, using a helicopter to access the terrain provides the ideal way to ski here. My “little” area covers an area greater than all the Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt. Not only is the skiing much more exciting than what any other heli operation has to offer, but the stunning views and cultural experience is simply outstanding. Many of our runs approach 2000 meters of decent, which means we do in 3 days what most operations do in 6.

You Will Also Have an Interesting Cultural Insight into the World of Greenlanders

We stay in modern houses, rented from the local people, on the tiny island of Kangaamiut on the west coast of Greenland. Because of this intimacy with the local population, the clients feel, after only a few days, a close affinity with the local people. They are on a first name basis with many of the people they see day to day. We are not isolated in a hotel, which could be anywhere in the world. And as such, people come away with a feeling of having learned a great deal from their time spent in Greenland.

Ski 'Summit to Sea' on epic verticals in Greenland under Arctic Skies

Skiing the first few runs after arriving the first day in Greenland, one hardly feels one’s skis because the views are completely overwhelming. There are fiords stretching away in every direction. We use boats many days to return from skiing, allowing people to relax and view the scenery from the glassy fjords. It is not uncommon to stop and observe whales and seals on the way home.

Email us at sales@totalheliski.com to join Total Heliski’s 2011 7 day Heliski Tour to Greenland from April 25th for €8,600 all inclusive.

The annual 2011 City Ski Championships take place from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th March in Courmayeur, Valle d’Aosta Italy where the snow has been plentiful this season.

Up to 200 skiers from over 40 City firms will experience a full itinerary of skiing, guiding, coaching, racing, dining on & off the mountain, partying and prize-giving in a programme of friendly competition.

Total Heliski have teamed up with the organizers, Momentum Ski to provide a special complimentary racing/ award dinner package for the first 10 members who get back to us with interest in attending the Ski Champs, valued at £225 per person.

Download the information pack here.

Additionally, we have launched our first Heliski with Legends Programme with  Ski Racer Legend Graham Bell- A Heliski Adventure in Italy coordinated perfectly for attendees at the City Ski Championships. See here for details. Please Contact Us or email hayley@totalheliski.com for further details of either of these amazing events to book your seat.

Be among the first to ski & discover the legendary mythical Andes Mountains which just might be the last virgin mountain range in the world!

Price from €5,150 (Package A) or €7,150 (Package B)

Book a Canada tour to be taken this season and we have some FREE limited Revelstoke lift tickets to give away to your group for use this season, while stocks last.

Contact us or email sales@totalheliski.com for more details.

But then again, ISPO 2011 isn’t exactly your every day trade show. What’s ISPO you ask? Well, it’s the world’s largest sporting goods trade fair, and it’s literally a gear freak’s wet dream. The most extensive ISPO is held in Munich every year, and has grown to a size no less than 12 (Yes 12) massive exhibition halls full of every conceivable brand of sporting goods ranging from winter to summer sports that you can imagine.

Yours truly with Glen Plake

Yours truly at the entrance to ISPO in Munich on a sunny winters day

The fact that one hall alone was dedicated to Scandinavian outdoor companies, another 3 to skiing, that Moon Boots were having  a revival, and ABS airbags even had a large stand…well, see below, you get the picture.

Moon Boots are seeing a revival. I recall my mother (and maybe me too) wearing these in the 80's.

Norwegian brand Norrona, increasing in popularity had a real ice block display. Impressive!

As the CEO of Total Heliski, although we are mad busy during the winter season, I figured it would be great to check out ISPO to take a look at the new products and trends, and network more with contacts from the world’s leading ski and board companies to discuss some partnerships for our members.

However, I wasn’t expecting the sheer excitement, and energy, nor the spontaneous crossing of my path with some of the world’s greatest ski icons.

Columbia introduced electronically heated (and waterproof still) ski wea

Tent-esque backpacks from Columbia and bright colours everywhere

Not wanting to drop names, but how often do you get to be photographed with skier legend Glenn Plake,  (Mohawk in action), have a drink with his eclectic wife and CEO of  Julbo a major eyewear company?

Kimberley Plake, Glenn Plake's wife at ISPO 2011 with her friend an American Mountain Guide

The man himself- Glen Plake extreme skier and heliskier extraordinaire

Hayley Melidonis having dinner with Kenton Cool and the Mountain Hardware, Icebreaker, Schoffel crowd

Or when do you get to discuss new material technologies in depth with Tim Boyle (son of founder of Columbia Sportswear, USA’s leading sporting goods brand), propose cool marketing ideas to EU’s marketing director for North Face, discuss Chemmy Alcott’s broken leg recovery with Atomic, her sponsor, and then have dinner with 8 times Everest mountaineering veteran and Total Heliski Legend Kenton Cool?

Eery 'live breathing' display by Goretex. Each of these jackets was literally breathing in unison

ABS Airbag's exhibit had the right idea.....heli skiiing yeah!

But above all, there was one over-arching observation that I took away from ISPO. That this is an enormously vast and high quality industry, that is focussing more and more towards servicing the ‘freeski’ market. It’s doing this, since there are a really high number of people out there, who just want to adventure, explore and feel alive from experiences they can find from engaging closely with nature, and doing their favourite outdoor sports, people like my clients who just want to get above and beyond the resorts.

I discovered entirely new categories like 'Outventure' that I didn't even know existed.

Mike Hattrup, Marketing guy from K2/ Ex pro skier I think chilling, chatting about heli skiing with me.

I have no idea what the Rossignol guy was trying to demonstrate on the skis, but I went along with it.

One piece suits from Norrona in Scandinavia that would make you attractive to hungry polar bears

Black Diamond's Fatter than Fat Powder Skis - Can we call them obese?

A comfortable and authentic boat will sail you amongst Greenland’s fiords to discover the wonderful view of mountain and sea offering the opportunity for those who wish to organize helicopter drops during the week.

Price from €3,200

Prepare to go out into the backcountry to experience powder skiing and riding like it is supposed to be- untracked, unhurried, uncrowded, unbelievable.

Price from C$2,590

An all-inclusive heli skiing experience at a great price. You get to enjoy the spectacular scenery, endless powder and some of the world’s best tree skiing.

Price from C$22,752

A comfortable and authentic boat will sail you amongst Greenland’s fiords to discover an archipelago of islands offering opportunities of unlimited skiing: large valley, nice glaciers, canyons, couloirs with the continuous sea view and the opportunity of skiing down to the water line.

Price from €64,800 per group (€8,100 per person)

Chamonix is Europe’s mecca for adventurous winter sports. The town is situated at the foot of Mt Blanc close to the Swiss and Italian borders and just 1 hour from Geneva Airport. The resort is renowned for its snow-sure, high altitude skiing combined with stunning mountain scenery. The off-piste is ideal for adventurous off-piste skiers and each day you’ll set out with your guide to explore the best that Chamonix has to offer.

Price from £895

An extraordinary vacation where you get to explore the vast area of the Skeena Mountains with your chosen friends in your own private helicopter with the accommodation in your own private chalet. With a trip like this, what else can you ask for?

Price from C$23,990 (Package A) or C$50,990 (Package B)

Whether you’re an expert from a mountain town or a first time heli skier looking for some action, the Ruby Mountain is just the right place for you. A variety of terrain to tailor each trip to each group or individual is what the Ruby Mountain can offer.

Price from $4,250

A heli skiing adventure in wide-open spaces with majestic views of glaciers to the sea.

Price from €8,800 (Package A) or €9,900 (Package B)

Probably the best skiing in the world, first from a chairlift and then from a helicopter! Spend as many days as you like pre-or-post your heli adventure in beautiful Whistler.

Price from C$7,000

Experience the best of both worlds at South Chilcotin Range, the transition zone between the Coastal Mountains and the dry rolling Fraser Plateau, with its magnificent mountains, an abundance of dry powder snow and plenty of sunshine.

Price from C$9,200

This blog was written just after my trip last year.

I was on Top of the World, Literally

As I sit here on the plane, on the long flight home from Valdez Alaska, I am literally brimming with blogs that I can’t wait to write about my adventures up here. To think that for the Easter holiday in the UK, I considered going to Marrakech instead of AK. Unbelievable to me now, given how epic it’s been.
This was to be my 4th trip across the Atlantic this year, to explore amazing heli skiing options. But when Matt White, heliskier, owner and operator of Valdez Helicamps suggested I hit it at Easter, he was spot on with his timings. The conditions were excellent.

The views on the way in are spectacular for 360 degrees around you.

The journey to Alaska is part of the adventure, changing airports in Seattle and Anchorage, I met some interesting people enroute for heli skiing. on the way in.

Arrival in Valdez, Ecstatic!

From the moment I arrived in Valdez, I was surrounded by the friendliest, funniest, and warmest people around- staff and clients alike. I met with Matt, his staff, and Dave his mate who started heli skiing in AK, but the story of how they got started is another blog post altogether.

Meeting Matt and Dave plus his team in the bar overlooking Valdez Harbour

And it quickly becomes evident, -everyone’s here for pretty much the same reason- to get ‘The Pucker Factor’. Let me illustrate:
Although a London-based Australian, surprisingly, I hadn’t come across this term before in my skiing career. But it was pretty self explanatory in the context it was uttered. You see we’d just been heli-dropped on a ‘toe-in’ landing, which is a landing space so small on the top of an exposed Alaskan Chugach peak that only the heli body fits.

Heli Landing for the Pucker Factor Chute

The pilot has to very carefully hover, allowing for the gradually decreasing weight as the skiers gently hop out one by one to avoid lop-sided spills.

Coming in for a Toe In Landing

Once the heli flew off, we had to carefully click on our skis or boards in the narrow space that the heli vacated, and then Barney, our guide edged us towards the entry point for a 43 degree powder chute.

Barney Staking out The Run

As Barney, took his bearings, and readied to brief us on how to ski this thing, there was a bewildered uttering from my new friend,  ‘Hippie Texan’ fellow group member Bernard of  ‘Oh boy, the Pucker Factor’s pretty up there now’ (pronounced in thick Texan drawl).

Bernard Uttering About The Pucker Factor

Bewildered by the sensory overload of all of the events of the last 10 minutes combined with the anticipation of what we were about to do, Bernard shared with us his rectal tension at that very moment – a nervous tightening to be precise.

I took this peering down from the top of the chute

Suffice to say, as usual, Barney skied the chute first, instructing us precisely where, what and how to ski it safely, and then to follow one by one. This time, the guys politely offered if I wanted to ski first. (Normally it is a case of shotgun after the guide, but for some reason this time they were happy for me to go first). So, I was up first, and honestly, once I got in there and committed, it was the sweetest, steepest, powder turning experience ever- kind of like biting into a chocolate with a delicious soft centre. True! A long run out at the bottom gave us a great stopping point from which to take pictures of the whole affair.

From underneath, doesn't look half as scary as from above

Yes, it was powdery inside, just like a chocolate with a deliciously soft centre.

Skiing the powder in the chute reminded me of eating this chocolate

In case you didn’t know it, in the world of heli skiing and heli boarding, Alaska is, and has always been the ultimate destination. Watch any ski-porn movie, and you will see AK featured almost always. It’s the only place in the world that allows such extreme skiing owing to the steep Chugach mountains, the more stable coastal snowpack, and the attraction of a culture of safely pushing the boundaries of skiing.

Big mountain terrain that's safe to ski late in the season makes AK an advanced to expert skiers dream

The WESC or World Extreme Skiing Championships were born in Valdez Alaska, in 1999, and over time, although they paused for a bit,  they have progressively nurtured a new form of free, big mountain skiing that made names like Scott Schmidt, Kent Kreitler, (and the late) Shane McConkey, and Doug Coombs world famous.

Epic AK Lines- Valdez is the snowiest place on the planet and there's 1.6M acres of Chugach Mountains to explore

And so, it is with this noble heritage, and thanks to the dedicated commitment by operators like Valdez Helicamps for providing epic adventures with managed risk for maximum safety, that the every day punters, (like you and me) can realize our dreams of coming to Alaska and experiencing our very own ‘Pucker Factor’. Heck this place should come with a general surgeons warning LOL.

I am fascinated by the concept of ‘ tipping point’ as it relates to the commitment to go heli skiing (for first timers), not in the collective sense of the market, but in the individual sense. In business speak, the tipping point normally refers to the moment when a product or service achieves mass adoption. For Facebook it was several years ago, for Groupon it’s more recent.  As an expert on heli skiing, I wish I was better at determining the individual tipping points of my clients sooner. It might allow me to better manage my time and disappointment. Here’s what I mean.

Photo Courtsey of Great Canadian Heliskiing

I received a phone call from a client yesterday who was planning a trip for 2012 for his group to Canada. After chatting for a few minutes about what he was looking for, I told him that it was good for him to be planning now this far in advance, and getting the buy in for the options from the whole group. To my surprise, he told me that he’s actually been planning this for a couple of years already and they are now ready to book. I naturally wondered what’s changed between now and the previous two years that he’s been looking into it? He told me that although he had been looking into it himself on the web, he was perplexed because of the complexity and enormity of the options and just the lack of simple knowledge about options which matters for such an important and large purchase. He confessed that he’d finally decided to use a ‘broker’ since he realized that this minimizes his risk and that it’s much easier to consult with someone who knows the score than guess from internet surfing and direct enquiries with venues which are prone to bias. I confirmed to him that since it costs him nothing to use us, and we offer so much choice, why wouldn’t he? He concurred and within a short conversation, (i.e. compared to two years of his investigations) we had pinpointed a couple of suitable options for his group and budget along with extra, important info from our first hand experience such as access, flights, and pre ski options.

In contrast, I received a call from another client who was pretty adamant he was going to book a trip for himself this season as a single traveler (I sensed he might have had some family troubles recently since the emphasis was on him being solo). So as I always do, I took his particular requirements into consideration, invested considerable time with him, followed up as necessary with the operator parties, answered all of his objection questions, such that his perfect trip was now presented to him. Then I called him to progress the booking, and he was rather nervous and told me that ‘He couldn’t get the time off work now’, clearly something we couldn’t help him with. Of course, even if I could know he wasn’t really ‘committed’, I would still help him as much as I could, because what I now realized, was that whether it was true or not, I guess he just hadn’t reached his personal tipping point to commit to the amazing experience that heli skiing is.

The thing that confuses me the most of all of this, is that there is considerable witness and evidence from people who do heliski that it’s either ‘ the best day of their life’ or ‘the best thing they have ever done’, so I just can’t help but wonder why so many people’s tipping points seem so high and take so long to reach.

Looking 2011 Straight in the Eye

As 2011 unfolded for me, almost 18hrs after it did for my friends and family I’d just left behind in Australia, I was fortunate to be in one of my favourite places on earth, doing my favourite past time. I was in interior British Columbia, tucked away in a little known remote heliski lodge called Snowwater, embarking on a 4 day heliski tour with my Total Heliski company clientele.

Partying with Californians at New Year's

We partied hard on NYE, with the other arriving guests from California, Denver, NYC and around Canada watching home-made fireworks and enjoying complimentary shots delivered by the flamboyant heli lodge owner (Patric) and his intentionally handsome bartender (Alex) in ice-glasses served on their ice bar. This was some welcome I thought.

Ice-glass shots served on the Ice Bar by Patric and Alex

Then as New Years day dawned and the whole world nursed their hangover, we chose to ignore ours, arising instead to a blue-bird powderday, with our sexy (yes, I do believe you can label an inanimate object such as a heli as sexy) red heli at the ready for lift off, and indulge every one of our senses.

Blue Bird Powder Day Jan 1, 2011

As we flew out to our first heli run- (my first of the year), with the sun low in the wintery sky, shining warm in my eyes, I took in the white, wondrous beauty of the Selkirk wilderness afore me whilst contemplating the events of the past year.

Flying out to the first run- Winter Wonderland

I realized that I had passed some major milestones with my business (Total Heliski), and formed some amazing relationships, but at the same time suffered some costly personal losses. I had built a major website, successfully held a world first event, (the world’s first heliski show), built some important business relationships, met some amazingly inspiring athletes and dedicated employees, found an amazing new home, and held down my day job.

Blue Bird Powder Day Heliskiing at Snowwater New Years Day

However, I had also lost a couple of friendships that were dear to me, had been deceived in situations I thought not possible, I had put on weight, and lost fitness from lack of ‘time’, and suffered some pretty extreme stress when I couldn’t accept limits on my bandwidth. I also learnt some important things like what drives me isn’t what I thought it was, that finally I had found some way to express my creativity, that I needed to improve my dealing with media ‘noise’, and that at times you have to be plain tough, even when you don’t want to be in order to stay standing upright.

So, what do these realisations mean for 2011 I wondered?

Well, to start with, I plan to dramatically increase my fitness (and lose those pounds), to better manage my expectations around what I can and should achieve with my work and business, to cherish and invest in the people who support me, and divest those who don’t, to appreciate everything I have no matter how small, every day; and to map out my future, something I’d been avoiding for quite a while of late.

And then we landed!

And then we landed and the action began. (Yes, helis land for heli skiing!)

Just beyond the ski lifts of Whistler and Blackcomb, minutes from North America’s #1-ranked Ski Resort, awaits the ultimate high-alpine experience. Expect a day filled with untracked powder, endless terrain and breath-taking scenery. A truly amazing heli skiing experience that can be enjoyed when staying in Whistler!

Price from C$815

I am sitting on a plane, embarking on the second leg of (I am guessing), my 40th trip around the world. Today I left for a Heliski and Catski trip across British Columbia, Canada, I am hosting for Total Heliski Clients.

As we have been in the peak sales period now for Heliski and Catski Tours, I have recently been thinking about my interesting predicament as the CEO of Total Heliski, my heliski bookings and media business.

I am really just an instigator. In the end, it’s up to the client to take the final leap. All I can do is present these amazing opportunities to the people who are most open to them (not always easy to pinpoint), provide them with enough stimulus, to bring about their desire to book, and ultimately make sure they get there and have the time of their life.

I was thinking, what was it that ultimately convinced me to try the unusual things that I have done first, time like heli skiing, parachuting, climbing large mountains, or travelling around the world?

I took a look back at my first ever heliski pics taken in Alaska (shown here)- in fact, my first ever heliski run,  and as I did so, I got this incredible sense of warmth, fondness and desire come over me. For the first time in years, I stopped and recalled what it was like that first time that I went Heliskiing at Points North in Cordova, Alaska.

The pics you see here of flying over incredible Prince William Sound, of snow against water, and mind blowing top of the world photos amongst epic ski shots.

Our Piste- Heli Skiing Butter Bowl, Alaska

Flying out over Prince Willliam Sound to go heli skiing, Points North, Cordova

I paused for a few seconds, grinned broadly and then remembered back to what it was that made me first go heli skiing. I am not afraid to say, it was a Warren Miller Film I saw whilst living in Australia, where Heliskiing in Cordova AK was featured. All of those above ideas were featured in absolutely crisp inspirational detail. By the end of the film, I was brimming with desire, I told my friends, I was going to do it, (who probably by now did believe me), and I went straight home, googled it, and booked my first heliski trip across the world 2 days later. Of course, back then, I didn’t have the benefit of an independent expert to talk to, who could recommend me the best trip for my ability, budget and mindset, and do the running around for me. But the point is, there was the stimulus, and I was obviously open to it.

And a few weeks ago, an old school mate from Australia summed up what I am doing at Total  Heliski brilliantly. She had invited me to an ‘event’ on Facebook, a yoga shakra dance retreat in Byron Bay, Australia that she is holding (I gather she is now a yoga teacher in Byron). It appeared on my feed, I clicked, it looked fun and interesting (I am guessing some people do this to my posted photos, emails, blogs about heli skiing etc). I felt inspired to message her and wrote ‘Bec, looks fab, if I was living in Australia, I’d definitely pop up for a look’.  To which she succinctly replied ‘Just putting it out there hon’. So, that’s what I am going to keep doing here at Total Heliski- just keep putting it out there- Up for heli skiing in interior British Columbia with us next week, anyone?

Nestled in Northern British Columbia’s famous Skeena Mountains and centered in the picturesque town of Terrace, grab the chance of an intimate Heli-Skiing/Boarding experience, the way Heli-Skiing and Boarding was meant to be! This operator is known for their deep powder snow, easy access, snow cat backup, small cohesive groups and new powerful Koala helicopters.

Price from C$3,690

Grab the chance for this all you can ski, powder buffet in the legendary Selkirk Mountain Range of British Columbia right near epic Red Mountain Resort.

This heliski operator offers packages unparalleled by anyone in the heli ski industry and are guaranteed to bring you back time and time again. Catering to only 12 clients a day (skiing in groups of 4) maximizes skiing time and leads to avoidance of long waits for multiple fuel runs, which often associated with bigger helicopters.

Price from C$4,200 (Package A) or C$2,850 (Package B)

La Grave is one of the Alps’ most renowned off-piste ski areas. For years it has attracted the best of the world’s off-piste skiers who come for the great skiing and the majestic beauty of the place. The vertical drop off is over 2100m and much of the skiing is not for the fainthearted! NOTE: This is not a heliski trip. It’s a high energy off piste advanced ski week. You must be up to adanced to expert standard to participate!

Price from £1,195, Departure date: 29th January 2011

Heli-skiing at its best in a high alpine Arctic environment, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. This is a semi private (meaning only 2 groups per heli), North American style heliski operation. It’s also the biggest heliski operator in Sweden, and the choice of Sweden’s world cup ski team. Located close to the mountain village of Björkliden, their heli-skiing is in an area with no fewer than 100 peaks and equivalent to half the size of Austrias ski area set in pure Arctic wilderness. The accommodations in the mountain town of Bjorkliden, are to the typically high Swedish standards.

Price from 17,700 SEK

A new wave in Alaska heli skiing adventure. You will be heli skiing on top of the world based in a charming Alaskan town.  The picture says it all…

Price from $7,200

Come ski the wild terrain of West Greenland. 2000 meter runs to the water’s edge in deep powder and corn snow, make the Greenlandic experience life’s best. Accommodated by true Greenland hospitality.

Price from €8,500