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A couple heli days with Selkirk Tangiers
We got two days with Selkirk Tangiers earlier this month, after a nice snowfall and bluebird for flight days. This post is mostly for reference for those considering this kind of trip. This was my first heli ski experience and while the guides said they don't usually get very rowdy with "day skiers", less than 3 day packages or something like that, they did seem pretty thrilled to get us up on the Albert Glacier. So we had some of the longest runs they do apparently. The views were spectacular and the snow quality was great; combo of soft windbuff and patches of deep powder. Avy risk was generally moderate I believe; we saw some small north-facing wind-loaded sluff slides and later some small south-facing wet sluff slides. So they probably had to be careful with us somewhat.
That said, we generally skied the lowest angle options. Occasionally we had something steeper but never anything steep enough you couldn't easily point if you wanted to (or were allowed to). We were generally on quite a short leash and nearly skiing on each other's lines as they asked us to fill in, at least in part explicitly for safety (close to lead guide's tracks). So this put quite a premium on being one of the first of the group of 10 to drop. We had 3 groups of 10 sharing one heli, shuttling one group while the other two skied, so I don't think strength of group would make much of a difference unless you had all three groups cranked up. The first day on lower levels they were ok with a little jumping, spinning, etc. but they wanted slow cautious skiing once we got higher, even when crevasses were quite far away.
I understand the need for caution and safety, but it's tough to spend a lot of money for great snow and then be forced to slowly wiggle through it. It seems like a good choice for people who would like to ski conservatively, but not if you want to charge. I'd heard this before but it was a birthday group so out of my hands. Having access to Revelstoke for extra inbounds and sidecountry days helps to make up for it. And the nice pool/rec center for tubs and the water slide in Revelstoke at night. Actually to be honest, probably the 16-20 cm resort day we had before the heli was the best skiing of the trip. Pretty easy to hike/skin from the resort to just as good of terrain as the heli options. The whole process with the heli ride is pretty fun, but I could see a couple heli runs and then mixing resort with touring (maybe heli-assisted) as a more satisfying strategy if I just want the best skiing I can get. Small sample size I realize. And maybe a couple days of steep lines with cliffs and chutes all over at RMR first makes the low angle ultra-scenic pow cruising less of a thrill.
A couple heli days with Selkirk Tangiers
Lots of the ops play it super conservative... to be honest, the ones that play it loose are the ones that make me scratch my head.
...that said, I too would be choked if I paid dollars for goods and did not receive. I think it's hard for those who actually know the potential that exists. A big portion of the market is the DD's and Bobby stainless's of the world. Stoked on the heli, best runs of their season, throwing their billions around because they own these bitches.
