FAQs

What is heli skiing?

Heli skiing was invented in the 1960s by the Austrian pioneer (and founder of CMH heli skiing) Hans Gmoser.  Essentially, heli skiing is the use of a helicopter to access remote mountain environments and enjoy un-tracked powder skiing.  The use of a helicopter rather than a traditional lift system allows for huge amounts of terrain to be covered and a lot of skiing to be done. Read our blog post “the 8 myths of heli skiing” for further details.

Am I good enough to heli ski?

Heli skiing is for you if you are a strong intermediate skier with some off-piste experience. If you are at all worried about your ability, we would recommend CMH’s Powder Introduction Programme in Canada which is designed to introduce intermediate skiers to powder skiing for the first time. You will ski with 2 guides in your group and get tuition where necessary. Some heli skiing destinations are better suited to first timers – please have a look at our Heli Skiing Overview for more info.  If you still think this is too advanced for you, have a look at our off piste trips in Europe.  

How fit do I have to be?

We think that fitness is almost as important as ability when considering heli skiing.  When you heli ski you have the potential to ski huge amounts of vertical meters in any given week – and being fit is one way to make sure you get the best out of the experience.  Have a look at our ski fitness page for more details.

Where is the best place to heli-ski?

Although heli skiing was born in British Columbia, Canada there are now opportunities to heli ski all around the world.  We have used our 30 years of experience to source what we think are the best and safest operators.  Which one to go for depends on the type of experience you are after – have a look at our heli ski overview page or our Powder Finder for more information.

Will booking my heli skiing trip with Pure Powder cost me more?

Absolutely not. We always charge the heli ski operator rates – so you pay the same amount as if you booked direct. However, you benefit from our in-depth knowledge, personal service and wealth of experience - more about us.

How safe is heli skiing?

All of the heli ski operators that we represent have safety as their number one priority.  However, heli skiing is a unique wilderness skiing experience and is not (and can never be) risk free. You are asked to share these risks and carefully read the operator terms and conditions / waiver carefully before you commit to a heli skiing trip.  Please contact us for more information about safety.