Are you heli-ready?

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 at a minimum able to 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. 

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