Brought to you by Black Ops Valdez
Located in the middle of the eastern legendary Chugach Mountains surrounding Valdez Alaska and Thompson Pass, Black Ops Valdez are in the prime position to offer you the ultimate in Alaskan heli-skiing.
With a huge operational area, over 2,500 square miles of the world’s finest mountains and glaciated terrain perfect for skiing and snowboarding, their heli-ski runs average between 3,000 and 5,000 feet on over 1000″ of snow every year.
Black Ops Valdez can fly directly from the lodge on Robe Lake, or from their heli base just 10 minutes away perfectly situated at the base of Thompson Pass. Depending on weather and operations for the day, they are set to provide the most efficient experience for their guests. If unable to fly for the day, they are surrounded by their snowcat skiing nirvana of five cat skiing locations and maritime snowpack.
A maritime snowpack is wetter, sticks to steeps, forms spines and pillows, is more predictable and stable and has a lower avalanche danger than continental snowpack.
If you book a week of heli-skiing, you want to maximize every single flying hour available. Black Ops Valdez is uniquely situated to offer you just that, for a number of reasons:
The major advantage Black Ops Valdez have over other Alaskan heli-ski operators is their location with regards to weather. When flying from their heli base below Thompson Pass on the other side of Keystone Canyon, they are flying from their own protected ‘blue hole’. The clouds clear out of there more often and sooner than anywhere else. The quicker the clouds move out, the quicker you can get in the air whilst others on the pass, or at sea-level, remain grounded. Black Ops Valdez are often able to fly away through the corridor beneath the clouds that sock in Thompson Pass, and out through the many valleys that run right to their base. They are in the perfect location for sneaking out and accessing the Chugach.
Winds regularly reach in excess of 100 mph in the wind funnel that is Thompson Pass. Both the lodge location in the shadow of Hogback Mountain, and their heli base at the base of Thompson Pass, allow them to fly out several valleys to access areas and operating locations and escape the wind and road corridor, while other operations on the pass are grounded and tied down because of these winds.
Black Ops Valdez is right in the center of their operational terrain, so everything is easily, and quickly accessible. Operators to the north have to fly over half an hour to get to their skiing, Blacks Ops’ northern border. The operators in the south have to fly north to access the southern reaches of Black Ops Valdez’s terrain. With flying hours limited, and costly, it pays to be in the center of it, right where the action is. Less flying time equals more skiing! Black Ops Valdez couldn’t be better situated.
More centrally located. Clearer skies. Way less wind.
More terrain within shorter flying distances and a much higher likelihood of beating the weather and getting in the air to your powder filled dreams. Meanwhile, other operators are grounded, watching Warren Miller shred Alaska whilst Black Ops Valdez are out there doing it.
Black Ops Valdez boasts THE best location for your ultimate heli-skiing experience.
