Italian Aviation Authority Revokes Pilot License of Millionaire After Repeated Helicopter Landings on Ski Slopes Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, has revoked the pilot’s license of entrepreneur Bortolo Giorgio Oliva after he repeatedly landed his helicopter directly on ski slopes, raising serious safety concerns in busy Alpine resort areas. Oliva, 66, is an industrialist from Odolo, in the Valsabbia valley, and a member of the Oliva family, which founded Olifer S.p.A. in the early 1800s. Olifer […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | December 30, 2025 0 Comments
Community Outraged After Italian Business Man Lands His Private Helicopter in Ski Resort for 2nd Time An Italian entrepreneur has found himself in trouble with authorities after illegally landing a helicopter on an active ski slope and skiing away as if nothing had happened—an incident that has reignited scrutiny of his conduct and background. To make matters worse, the culprit committed the same offense just eight months ago in a different area of the Italian Dolomites. […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | December 15, 2025 1 Comment
The 8 States Where You Can Heli-Ski Heli-skiing is a lifetime dream of countless skiers, the chance to fly over a sea of rugged, untouched and unmaintained mountains, scouting the perfect peak to land on. To venture deep in the depths of the mountain range exploring terrain otherwise impossible to reach. Then, run after run, skiing the greatest lines of your life, on thousands of feet of […] Deep Dive Zach Suffish | August 20, 2025 0 Comments
How to Properly Signal a Rescue Helicopter Emergency rescuers have urged people to familiarize themselves with effective ways to signal a helicopter before exploring the backcountry. Time and again, hikers will get lost and won’t actually know how to properly signal to the emergency helicopters that they need help. In a 2022 case, a hiker was missed because he seemed to be waving. Summit County Rescue Group explained: […] Julia Schneemann | August 2, 2025 3 Comments
The One and Only Time a French Test Pilot Landed a Helicopter on the Top of Mt. Everest Nearly two decades later, the feat remains one-of-a-kind: a helicopter landing on the summit of Mount Everest. In May 2005, French test pilot Didier Delsalle touched down at the highest point on Earth, a moment still regarded as one of the most daring and technically challenging aviation accomplishments ever recorded. Related: American Climber Sets New Mt. Everest Speed Record Flying […] Brains Martin Kuprianowicz | May 22, 2025 0 Comments
8 Hikers Face Being Charged $25,000 Each After Hiking in Closed Area at Jasper National Park, AB The 2024 Canadian wildfire season was one of the worst on record, torching over 13 million acres across the country. One of the most destructive fires crossed paths with the popular mountain town of Jasper, Alberta, where over 25,000 people were forced to evacuate the area. Destroying over one-third of the buildings in Jasper, the fire was not fully controlled […] Climbing Luke Guilford | October 9, 2024 1 Comment
Valdez, AK, Report: Questioning Reality on “Snow Dome” Above The Ocean Report from April 23, 2024 (If you are interested in skiing Alaska in 2025 with Miles please email us at contact@snowbrains.com, thanks 🙂 Yesterday was one for the record books. Well, maybe just for my record book. 6 fun runs with clients in the Little Las Lenas zone. Again, Evan sniffed out good snow which is impressive because it’s tough […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 24, 2024 0 Comments
Valdez, AK, Report: Sniffing Out Good Snow 9-Days After the Big Storm Report from April 21, 2024 On Sunday, we were on the hunt for soft snow. It hasn’t snowed up here since April 12th. That April 12 storm dropped about 30″ of snow in the range and since then that new snow has been slammed by wind, scorched by sun, and hammered by skiers. But the Chugach Magic has been in […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 24, 2024 0 Comments
Valdez, AK, Report + Photo Tour: The Search for Good Snow on Big Terrain Led Us To “The White Room” Wall Report from April 20, 2024 (If you are interested in skiing Alaska in 2025 with Miles please email us at contact@snowbrains.com, thanks 🙂 The terrain here is hard to understand. It’s so big. It’s too big. It’s supernatural. It’s face-melting. I think these photos show this. On Saturday I flew out with a specialty crew on an evening mission with […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 24, 2024 0 Comments
Valdez, AK, Report: What Is “Alaskan Velvet?” Hint: It’s This… And It’s Great… Report from April 16, 2024 On Tuesday, we got out to have a look in a northern zone I’d never been to with Pulseline Adventure. 3 Pigs. It was windy out there. More than expected. We skied 2 runs in good, wind-buffed powder in some high-quality ski terrain. I wanted more, but the wind sent us back to our staging […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 19, 2024 0 Comments
Valdez, AK, Report: Skiing Through an Ice Cave & Epic Powder on a Heli-Assisted Ski Touring Trip Report from April 14, 2024 On Sunday I got the nod to take a fun group of skiers on a heli-assisted ski tour with Pulseline Adventure. Malou Peterson, Etienne, and Carson. We chose to get dropped off near “Girls” and drop down into the Hoodoo Glacier zone. The first run held happy, fun, blower powder. The second run was right […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 17, 2024 0 Comments
My Ego Led To The Hardest Crash of My Life in Alaska Report from April 13, 2024 On Saturday, I took the hardest fall of my life. It was 100% preventable… On the first run of the day, we found 75 cm (30 inches) of new snow. “The deepest snow of my life!” yelled our buddy Travis Ganong (former World Cup ski racer) after his first run. Related: U.S. Ski Racer Travis […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 17, 2024 1 Comment
Valdez, Alaska, Report: Impeccable Snow & Big Sluff on an Amazing Shoup Glacier Island Report from April 9, 2024 Monday was the 2nd day of my 2024 Alaska heli-ski season. The day started cloudy and slowly started clearing. By 1:30pm, we were in the air. We bumped out to the Shoup Glacier, a place I spent 1 month camping and skiing with a buncha crazy Aussies back in 2014. Huge glacier. Gorgeous zone. We […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 11, 2024 0 Comments
Valdez, Alaska, Report: 9-Runs in Explosive Powder on Phenomenal Terrain on Day #1 Report from April 7, 2024 (if you would like to heli-ski with Miles this April please email us:Â contact@snowbrains.com) Sunday was the first day of my 2024 Alaska ski season. This is my 3rd season heli-ski guiding for Pulseline Adventure and my 16th spring in Alaska. I consider skiing up here a completely different season because there’s nothing else like […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | April 9, 2024 0 Comments
Avalanche Hits Helicopter near Verbier, Switzerland, Leaving 3 People Dead [Updated April 5, 2024, with correct last names for survivors] A fatal helicopter accident was reported on Tuesday, April 2, at Petit Combin, near Verbier, Switzerland. Three people lost their lives in the accident while three further people were injured. According to the police report, a type B3 helicopter crashed at the Petit Combin, a popular backcountry and heliskiing location […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | April 3, 2024 0 Comments
Skier Rescued After 3 Days Stranded Inside Mountain Hut in French Alps Aurélie Dutertre, a 46-year-old French mountaineer was stranded in the Alps for three days and four nights. Dutertre found refuge in a small wooden hut on the Sept Laux mountain in the French Alps after a snowstorm hit while she was alone in the backcountry. Related: Teton County Search & Rescue Conducts 2 Heli Rescues in 1 Day, Including a […] Backcountry Luke Guilford | April 25, 2023 0 Comments
Valdez, AK, Report: Big Lines in the Shade + Happy Powder in the Sun Off the Pencil Glacier Report from March 26, 2023 I arrived in Alaska on March 21st for my 16th ski trip here and my 2nd season of heli-ski guiding. I went through 4 days of guide training with Pulseline Adventure:Â Â Crevasse Rescue Avalanche Rescue Medical Fuel Truck Dispatch Aircraft Safety After guide training, my clients arrived on Saturday and we were ready to roll […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 30, 2023 0 Comments
Air-Dropping Hay to Feed 1000s of Starving Cattle in California If you haven’t heard, California has been slammed with snow this winter. A combination of snow and downed trees have blocked off some private roads, preventing ranchers from accessing their cattle in Humboldt County. Cattle usually feed on the grass around the ranch property this time of year, but in some places, the grass is buried 6 feet or more […] Industry News Luke Guilford | March 14, 2023 0 Comments
Skier Rescued 6 Hours After Being Buried to His Neck by Avalanche in Switzerland Deep in the Liddes region of Switzerland, a skier was buried up to his neck in compact snow with only one arm free. Night had fallen and hypothermia was setting in for the young man trapped helplessly in the mountains. Air Glaciers set out to find the missing person via helicopter, where after six hours of being buried, the man […] Industry News Luke Guilford | March 6, 2023 0 Comments
[VIDEO] Pilot Balances Blackhawk Helicopter on Ridge During Rescue Mission on Mt. Hood, OR Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office deputies launched a search-and-rescue mission after a climber fell several hundred feet near the Old Chute area of Mt. Hood, OR. The climber was transported off the mountain with serious injuries to an area hospital. At around 6:30 am on Saturday, July 2 a 43-year-old man from Happy Valley was climbing Mt. Hood, when he fell […] Climbing CragBrains | July 5, 2022 0 Comments
Industry News
Deep Dive
Brains
Climbing
Conditions Report
Avalanche
Backcountry
