I’ve had the pleasure of feeling the sensation of virgin powder spraying into my face in many places, on and off piste, but there’s something extra special about getting that face shot in an area so remote that you need to take a chopper to get there. In this particular instance, I’m recalling my heli-skiing trip with CMH Heli, and my moment of powder nirvana as I snowboarded down the Edelweiss run in the North Thompson Valley of British Columbia’s Cariboo Mountains. There’s nothing quite like making fresh lines on the mountain, as I skimmed above the deep powder on a formidable Salomon Taka snowboard, during one of several epic runs down the valley, with no one else around for miles but my small group of skiers. Our pilot picked us up and brought us up another mountain, so our heli-assisted adventure to continue.
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Heli Yeah! As idyllic as this all sounds, heli-skiing might also conjure up two other words: extreme and expensive, as in (1) it’s an extreme sport where people jump out of helicopters with their skis on, like crazed Red Bull athletes, and (2) it’s an expensive luxury winter activity only available to the super-rich. However, from my experience with CMH, a company that has been offering helicopter assisted skiing for more than 60 years, I can report that the experience is reasonably accessible. Their operation is well-organized, with avalanche training and many safety protocols in place—and no one jumps out of a helicopter—and anyone who can confidently ski or snowboard blue trails at a ski resort can experience the epic runs that only a helicopter can provide. Sound expensive? It’s actually more cost-effective than one would think, and not just because CMH offers $1,460 (USD) in credits to Ikon Pass holders. Without a multi-resort pass, prices start at $870 per night, which includes everything: all the helicopter transfers to the runs, gear, meals, and lodging in their comfy Cariboo Lodge.
But where are the Cariboos? Geologically speaking, the Cariboos are not a part of the Canadian Rockies, but rather part of Columbia Mountains just west of the Rockies in mountainous eastern British Columbia, forming the provincial boundary with Alberta, Canada. More specifically, the Cariboo Mountains lie to the northwest, between the North Thompson and Fraser Rivers, as one of four subranges comprising the Columbia Mountains. Like its sibling subranges, the Selkirks, Monashees, and Purcells (birthplace of commercial heli-skiing), they’re known for rugged, snow-capped peaks, ranging in height from 1,080 feet to 11,535 feet—the height of their tallest peak, Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Getting to the CMH helipad that services their Cariboos Lodge is about a 5 ½ to 6 hour drive from the nearest airports of Kelowna, British Columbia or Calgary, Alberta, in a comfortable shuttle bus that CMH offers.
CMH Heli-Skiing isn’t the only way to have a heli-skiing experience in the Cariboos. Other ski operators include:
Crescent Spur Heli Skiing, based in and around the Robson Valley near McBride, British Columbia, which shuttles guests to and from Prince George Airport after connections through Vancouver. They offer six day/seven night packages, running about $1,420 per night (USD, early season) to $2,020/night (high season).
Silvertip Heli-Skiing, a boutique heli-skiing experience, that flies guests by helicopter to its lodge on scenic Quesnel Lake from Williams Lake Airport after a charter jet from Vancouver. They offer bespoke experiences with unlimited vertical for small groups, or even lodge buyouts for up to 16 guests, with prices ranging $1,660 to $1,720 per night (USD).
Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing (MWHS), named after the late, Austrian-born ski pioneer who started this eponymous heli-skiing operation in 1970. They offer heli-skiing out of two private estates, a resort in Blue River, BC, or their iconic Albreda Lodge in the heart of the Cariboos. They offer packages based on ability: Deluxe packages, for intermediate-to-advanced, starting at $4,950 USD for a three-day trip, and “Elite A-Star” and “Super Elite 212” packages for experts, starting at $9,460 USD for five days.
That said, I can only speak of the CMH Cariboos experience from observations on my own Canadian Mountain holiday, which I gather is not unlike the others. The 27-room Cariboo Lodge in the middle of the wilderness was the perfect base camp for heli-skiing and boarding, with rustic communal spaces, comfortable couches, a large dining room, and a bar. Nearby is a game room and a gear shop, plus a fitness center downstairs where I embraced the morning stretch class each day before heading to the chopper. For après-ski, in addition to local beers at the bar paired with gourmet snack offerings, there’s also a spa building nearby with an outdoor hot tub, sauna, and massage rooms.
Above all these amenities, the best CMH offering was absolutely its cordial staff, which made me and my fellow guests truly feel at home from the moment we arrived at the lodge’s helipad. When I say “home,” it did legitimately feel like that since by the end of the first day of heli-skiing, everyone was already like family, from guests to guides. In fact, I really thought it was a nice touch that during dinners, the very same men and women who guided us out on the slopes earlier in the day were the same people serving us food at night. The chef-prepared meals were gourmet and indulgent—it’s an ongoing joke that you actually gain weight on an active CMH trip—but we always seemed to make room for dessert prepared by the dedicated in-house pastry chef.
All of this is just icing on the proverbial cake for the real purpose of being out in the Cariboos: the heli-skiing and heli-boarding. Riding each day in a Bell 212 helicopter outfitted for about dozen passengers, we used the latest weather data and scouting reports to find the optimal places to fly to for skiing and snowboarding each day. Guides led small groups down the slopes, through the trees and into valleys, all in virgin powder. Midday lunches were provided in the field—hearty sandwiches and hot soup—flown in by another helicopter to scenic vista lunch spots. Skiing and riding continued afterwards, and we tried to fit in as many runs as possible before après-ski—or, in one instance, before an unexpected fog blew in that almost stranded us one afternoon. (Thankfully, the CMH staff coordinated an exit and emergency back-up plan that kept us safe, informed, and optimistic.)
Anything can happen out in the Cariboo mountain wilderness, but as long as you’re up for an adventure—and perhaps the best ski and snowboard runs of your life—it’s definitely the place to be.
