How good do I have to be to go heli skiing?

This is a question that’s posed all the time to heli ski operators. Actions sports movies (and the occasional Bond film) may suggest that heli skiing is only for the elite skiers of this world, but in reality, it couldn’t be further from the truth.
People are generally looking for heli skiing because they have spent years exploring resorts, building up their skills and now look towards the horizon where long glaciated runs exist without a single track going down them. Powder – and lots of it – is what heli skiers pay good money for. Heli skiers needn’t be competitors in the Freeride World Tour.

But it isn’t for novices, either. Here at Last Frontier we want our guests to get the most out of their experience, which means if you’re still on your first or second season on skis or a snowboard or you haven’t made turns in powder before, heli skiing probably isn’t the right choice for you – yet. As skills progress and experience is gained, it won’t be long before you’ll be ready for your first heli ski trip.

In order to get the best value out of a heliski trip, one important consideration is endurance. While we guarantee a minimum amount of vertical (weather permitting) for your stay, a great day on the mountain may bring up to 15,000m  (50,000 feet) of vertical when groups and logistics allow. Over a four, five or seven day trip, that much vertical can be a challenge, even for the fittest of skiers. Be sure to get in enough ski days in the early winter before your trip!

Heli skiers also need to be ready for all types of conditions. In the backcountry there are no grooming machines burning the midnight oil for you to enjoy the morning corduroy. If conditions are ideal, you’ll be skiing blue and black level runs with bottomless powder from first lift to apres. But occasionally you’ll be greeted with more challenging conditions such as flat light and wind-pressed crust. As experienced, confident skiers, we hope all of our guests can cope with these types of conditions as they arise. This is also a safety consideration, as we also require guests have the skills to ski blue and black terrain with parallel turns and be able to side-slip, side step, traverse and make kick turns.

Timing throughout the season is also a factor. Early season offers tons of snowfalls and makes steep skiing through treed terrain a delight for the more avid skiers. If you’re looking for long, cruisy glacier laps, the best time to book is in April with longer days and more reliable snow coverage.
Better start preparing with those squats soon.