First-time heli-skiers
You've had a lot of memorable firsts.
First day of school.
First kiss.
First sip of beer.
First car.
None of it will compare to the indescribable feeling of your first day heli-skiing.
Get a feel for it
Experience it in virtual reality. Don't forget to click around!
Are you thirsty for magnificent backcountry powder, but not sure if you can ski it?
Your heli-skiing debut awaits if you’ve already clocked experience catskiing or backcountry touring, or if you’re a strong-intermediate to advanced skier/rider who hasn't yet left the resort. Read on to learn more.
What is heli-skiing?
This is free-range, naturally sourced winter bliss. Heli-skiing is a guided experience in personalized groups led by highly qualified mountain guides who know the area best. You’ll be whisked via helicopter to the top of a descent in the backcountry where there are no chairlifts, line ups, and no resort fences. Nothing but you, some friends, and thousands of acres of untracked powder in front of you. It's all yours, all day.
How it works: full details
Terrain & snow
The beauty of heli-skiing is the near-endless terrain our guides can choose from to best suit the conditions. Where you’ll explore and the snow you’ll encounter depends on a variety of factors including the weather, snow stability and time of year. Not every heli-ski trip is the same, and because we work around the whims of Mother Nature, you can realistically expect to ski and ride a combination of terrain and snow conditions – everything from wide-open high alpine bowls to tree skiing in old-growth forests, traverses and more.
What to expect: full details
Safety & risk awareness
Learn more about the inherent risk of heli-skiing, what CMH does to reduce that risk, and what your responsibility is as a guest.
Are you heli ready?
“Am I a good enough skier/rider to go heli-skiing?” It’s a common question.
You don’t want to be stressed your entire trip, wondering if your skills and pace will cut it. We get it. We want you to have an incredible experience, too. CMH can easily be the best time of your life – but only if you’re ready for it. Part of this is being honest with yourself, and honest with us about your current abilities. To make sure you’re 100% ready to live your downhill dreams, we hope you can answer the following with an enthusiastic HELI YES!
CMH-ready checklist
Most CMH trips are 3-7 days long. Your muscles are up to this task, and your cardio fitness means you can sustain a consistent pace – whether it’s more relaxed or fast – with some breaks. (For most people, this means regular exercise 2-3 times per week all year long).
Even if your form isn’t fantastic while you do so, you’re able to at a minimum navigate the type of terrain typically found on “black diamond” rated runs.
It's not always possible to access perfect snow conditions every moment of every day when heli-skiing. Depending on the weather, the area you’re skiing in, and safety decisions by your guide, you may encounter sections of snow that are tracked, cruddy, crusted, heavy or deep, with flat light or low visibility. Even if you find conditions like these less comfortable, you can still make it through them at your own pace.
While heli-skiing, you’ll be guided through terrain that is at times treed and/or steep. This may be only a short section of a run, or you might spend back-to-back days in tighter trees due to stormy weather or avalanche stability. Even if you don’t regularly spend a ton of time in this type of terrain, you can still descend through it if needed.
You’ll have more success heli-skiing if you practice various terrain types and snow conditions at your local resort in the lead-up to your trip.
Heli-skiing is wilderness skiing and riding in an uncontrolled and wild mountain environment. Terrain is unmarked, ungroomed and includes potential hazards.
Your guides are constantly evaluating the terrain, the conditions, group dynamics, and other factors to minimize potential hazards and to make the best decisions possible.
However, despite the most diligent efforts to reduce hazards, incidents can still occur.
All good?
Then it’s time to start planning your trip. Even if you’re not completely confident with every answer, we can help. Call us anytime for a personalized assessment or to ask more questions.
Quiz: Find your best trip
Answer a handful of questions to learn which CMH destinations & heli-ski trips are best-suited for your on-snow abilities.
Suggested program: Powder Intro
If you’re brand-new to backcountry powder skiing, we highly recommend starting with a Powder Intro trip. You’ll receive tips and ski at a more relaxed pace, so you’ll have extra time to navigate your powder turns.
Frequently asked
How many runs and how much vertical you ski each day depends on weather and safety conditions as well as the pace of the ski groups. Your heli-skiing trip comes with a vertical guarantee based on the length of the trip.
Visit our planning centre to learn more
We suspect you’ll be having so much fun you won’t want to come in, but if you’d like to return to the lodge midday, there is typically at least one opportunity to do so.
Visit our planning centre for a sample daily schedule
Most of our heli-skiing trips include backcountry luxury accommodation at your chosen CMH lodge, food and non-premium non-alcoholic beverages, certified guides and helicopter pilots, safety training, transportation and the use of specially designed heli-skis. There are some exceptions, such as CMH Purcell, which offers day heli-skiing without transportation, food or accommodation.
Visit our planning centre for a detailed breakdown of what’s included
More resources
InstantlyFell in Love
I went into my first trip thinking it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I instantly fell in love with it and knew it wouldn’t be my last. I just finished my third trip and have already booked my fourth.
Ready to inquire?
Now you know what it takes to be a first-time heli-skier. Are you excited? Nervous? (Both are normal.) Trust us, you can do it! We can’t wait to host your first day heli-skiing.