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Last week, Whistler Blackcomb public relations released a statement saying that Whistler Heli-Skiing will remain open throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This is great news, there was a lot of confusion about the issue since the Olympic Committee wants to enforce ‘no-fly’ zones all over the valley in the name of security.
I have never been Heli-skiing, but it is certainly near the top of my list of ‘must-do’. However, I have done a Heli-drop on Rainbow Mountain, which was probably the best skiing of my life. A single drop means the helicopter drops you and your friends (no guide) off at the peak, then flies away leaving you by yourself. In hindsight, we were not experienced enough, but managed to ski down safely, with some of the biggest grins on our faces I have ever seen. Below are two photos from that day.
Heli skiing on Rainbow Mountain
Skiing RainbowSimply put, the skiing you access from a helicopter is the way skiing is meant to be. No one but yourself, and a glacier/bowl full of untouched powder. Also, you don’t need to be an expert skier to enjoy it, to quote the press release
“There’s been a myth that heli-skiing is an experts-only experience where you leap 20 feet out of a helicopter onto the most challenging, wind crusted terrain, but this simply isn’t true,” adds Sadan. “While experts can certainly tackle the more challenging slopes, the reality is, heli-skiing is an exhilarating trip through natural terrain that intermediate level skiers and riders, not just the pros, can enjoy.”
So if this is something you have a chance to do, do it!
One more note I should mention – is that due to the Olympics, anyone flying with Whistler Heli will have to undergo a brief security screening (apparently the same as when you travel through airports)
Heli-skiers on Decker GlacierHere is a link to see more photos from my Heli-drop on Rainbow Mountain (they are on page 2)