ABOUT US
Last Frontier Heliskiing
Way back in 1969, the Grand Duc Mine, near Stewart BC, required an expert to complete avalanche control work. Herb Bleuer, a mountain guide recently arrived from Switzerland, was their chosen man. Herb not only worked there but also spent most of his spare time ski-touring in the area.
Later, Herb went onto guide heliskiing all over the province, including 25 years in the Whistler area. It wasn't until 1996, based on his recommendation, that George Rosset and his ambitious partners set out to explore the area with heliskiing in mind.
What they found left them all in awe. The fact that Bell2 Lodge was located right smack in the middle of this Nirvana just added to the euphoria. The original lodge was built in 1979 to service travellers on their their way to and from Alaska. After 2 seasons of operating successfully from here, Last Frontier Heliskiing acquired Bell 2 and began a full re-construction program.
In 2001 the operation was expanded to work from a 2nd base in the nearby town of Stewart - Ripley Creek Inn.
The People
Last Frontier Heliskiing is owned and run by three partners. They are fully involved in the business year-round and have a big passion for all things snow.
George Rosset began his skiing career in the 80's with Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) as a guest in the 80's. He liked it so much he came back for a 2nd trip. This time he liked it but figured he could do it better (and for any of you that have visited CMH that's a big challenge to set yourself.) He started TLH Heliskiing in 1991, and went on to run that until 2009 when he sold it - his heart was in the north.
George is Swiss. He like things done right - just watch him at breakfast testing the freshness of the croissants. He also likes things to be fair. With those two simple concepts in mind, he has successfully shaped Last Frontier to be one of the most sought after heliski destinations in the world.
Franz Fux, also Swiss, also fair and with more experience in the mountains that you could shake a ski at is a 3rd generation mountain guide. He has 4 brothers, 3 of which are mountain guides. It's safe to say that there is something in his blood. He too started his career in Canada with CMH and pioneered the building and exploration of their revered Adamants Lodge. He took a good look at the Last Frontier proposition and made the move in 1996. Franz knows these mountains like no other. He is the wise owl, constantly ensuring that safety is of primary concern to the newer and ambitious guides that enter the ranks.
Mike Watling - not Swiss, actually from England. For him the mountains were too far away - very unfair. After a short time in south America working for Shell, he came to work with George in 1996. He liked what he saw and stayed. Like many Europeans that have moved to Canada, it's the sense of space and proximity to the wilderness that keeps him here. There's no shortage of that at Last Frontier. Even after 15 years, you will find Mike is still impassioned to convince keen skiers from around the world that heliskiing must be on their 'to do' list.
