An Adventure Travel Insider’s Guide To Heli-Skiing In 2021

With many of the popular ski resorts closed or off-limits, it could be time to try something new when you’re able to make that next journey throughout the coming year. The experiential travel specialist Cookson Adventures suggests making your next trip to the slopes a heli-skiing expedition.

«Refresh the annual getaway to the slopes by skinning up to a remote peak or flying by helicopter to an unexplored summit, ready to descend on virgin slopes,» says Henry Cookson, founder of Cookson Adventures. «When the run belongs to you, après celebrations can begin at any point. Raise a glass of champagne while overlooking a carpet of clouds, knowing that you’re sharing the mountain with friends and no-one else.»

By venturing to these extraordinarily remote slopes, you’re promised the ultimate in adrenaline-filled, socially-distanced travel.

Kackar, Turkey

Cookson recommends this overlooked heli-skiing location for its narrow mountain range boasting perfect skiing conditions owing to storms that blow wet air off the Black Sea to above the mountains before dropping a surprising amount of fresh snow onto them. Exclusive access can be arranged for small groups per week, so you can enjoy the mountains with just your friends or family.

Being lifted by helicopters onto the Karakoram Mountain Range in Pakistan (home to the second highest peak in the world) allows you to ski down barely touched slopes. Having only opened up to heli-skiing in recent years, this remote region provides a rush of adrenaline as dedicated military officials escort you down fresh powder runs. An itinerary can include scenic mountain dinners, a personal media team, helicopter tours and nights in a bespoke luxury camp featuring wood fires and throws.

When to go: February*

Denali Range, Alaska

Alaska is a land of gargantuan proportions where 600 inches of fresh snow falls every season. A land promising high-octane adventure, this is a second home to many big-mountain ski professionals. This means the level of guiding and local knowledge is outstanding. With the dramatic Alaskan landscape as a backdrop, you can heli-ski, ice fish, take a polar plunge, fat bike and explore the valleys by snowshoe.

When to go: March – April*

Iceland

Tackle untracked heli-ski descents on Iceland’s Arctic maritime snowpack where volcanoes and glaciers look down on cragged coasts and crashing waterfalls. Here you can ski a huge variety of terrain, from open bowls and steep couloirs to long runs from mountain peaks. You even descend into the heart of volcanoes, ice caves and glaciers. Coming here allows you to marvel at Iceland’s geographic wonders in the company of world-class guides with cutting-edge equipment.

When to go: March – May*

Baffin Island, Canadian High Arctic

Experience slopes few have skied before by venturing to the northernmost ski-fields in the Arctic tundra of the Cordillera Mountain Range. Set out from a heli-ski base located among the fjords of Baffin Island to reach untouched wildernesses that allow you to be the among the first to ski such slopes. Cookson hosts clients in a private collection of Pacific Domes, which include dining and club-house tents, while offering exploration of the slopes via snow-cat and helicopter. As well as challenging yourself with some of the world’s longest couloirs and highest vertical cliff faces, you’re able to experience the culture of the native Inuit people.

When to go: March – May*

Kamchatka, Eastern Russia

Wildlife enthusiasts as well as intrepid heli-skiers are blown away by this volcanic archipelago in the Russian Far East, which is home to untamed landscapes and endemic species. According to Cookson, when you aren’t spotting killer whales or Arctic foxes, you can heli-ski in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, with instructors at your side. The archipelago encompasses over 200 volcanoes and has the ideal weather conditions for light powder slopes.

When to go: March – May*

Greenland

Greenland’s vast wilderness of glaciated mountains offers some of the finest first heli-skiing descents in the world. Paired with this is the flexibility and luxury an explorer yacht can provide, seeing you dive among historic shipwrecks, spot marine life and engage with a truly isolated culture. Here, you can ski first descents over wildly varied terrain, cold-water dive in crystal-clear waters and spot marine life ranging from beluga to narwhal and bowhead whales. Cookson is also able to fly you onto the ice cap to kite-ski, dogsled or snowmobile over the ice sheet.

When to go: April – May*

Chilean Andes, South America

The Chilean and Argentinean Andes are among the highest mountains in the world outside of the Himalayas, with long runs, sunny days and dry snow. With a knowledgeable guide at your side, it’s possible to locate and ski virgin slopes here, and if you’re based in a mountain range in the Maipo Valley, you’re also just a one-hour drive from Chile’s capital, Santiago.

When to go: July – September*

*While these are the recommended months for heli-skiing in each region, travelers need to take the latest travel restrictions into account.

 

Source: Forbes.com