Helicopter Skiing was one reason I went on the Baltimore Ski Club's Banff trip a few seasons ago. To me, heli-skiing is the epitome of skiing. I am no stranger to doing wild and bizarre things, I have made over 200 skydiving jumps, am a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver, been white water rafting both in the east and the west, been spelunking, hang gliding, flying, and in addition to being a Lawyer by profession, am a volunteer Firefighter in Harford County, Maryland.
It was probably those Warren Miller films that first attracted me to the thought of heli-skiing. Assuming you had to be an expert, research revealed that 80% of those that heli-ski are intermediate skiers. To be profitable, the heli-ski companies must appeal to the masses.
So the Banff trip was for me. Banff is in Alberta, a western province of Canada. I was excited about going and began talking up heli-skiing to the other participants of the trip. This was not easy due to an article that appeared in Sports Illustrated the month of the trip. The article detailed the reporter's experience on a heli-ski trip in which a skier was killed. By the bus ride from the plane to the Banff springs Inn, where we were staying, 10 people had committed to go.
It has been my experience that on ventures of this type, many claim, and even brag, that they will participate, but when the time comes they have other things to do. True to form, I was ultimately the only one to go from the Club.
After looking into the various outfits offering heli-skiing, I chose R.K. Heli-Ski because of their safety precautions and knowledgeable guides. After a two hour bus ride from Banff Springs through the most beautiful countryside, we arrived at the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia, located just south of the Bugaboos. Before skiing we went through two hours of safety training. The first hour and a half we learned the use of transponders, a device carried so that we might be found in case of avalanche, a very real possibility and danger for this time of the year. We had to prove our proficiency in locating fellow skiers who might be below the surface. The final half hour was on helicopter safety, since the renting of the copter cost over $1,000 per hour, it would not stop between dropping our group off and going on to get the next group. The blades therefore would remain on while we departed and re-boarded. Because the helicopter would sink into the snow when it landed, proper procedure was essential to keep our heads.
Although I consider myself in good shape, I did spend the four months preceding the trip swimming and exercising until I was in condition for the challenge I anticipated. Those that went on this trip were divided into who had heli-skied before and who had not. My group, the had nots, were about my skiing ability, that is, strong intermediate skiers. Each run was 2,500 feet of vertical drop. We made four runs for a total of 10,000 feet of vertical skiing, skiing on a glacier down to a wooded area. The base was 11 feet with 2 1/2 feet of powder. It was all that I expected. In my minds eye I was Jean-Claude Killy, but others told me I skied like Daffy Duck!
After the second run, I noticed I was breathing very heavily due to the altitude. The helicopter landed on the crest of the mountain, 10,000 feet above sea level and we skied down to 7,500 feet. At the conclusion of the 4th run we were asked, for an additional $50, would any of us like another run. Gasping for air, I declined. The price tag of $300 for the day is no doubt steep, however, it was well worth the money. For those of you who have the opportunity to go heli-skiing, please don't pass it up.
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