This is a re-enactment: “So Sam, what are you doing Thursday?” “Nothing that I can think of, why?” “Wanna go heli skiing?” “Does a bear shit in the snow?” “Well, no Sam, they are hibernating.” “Oh yeah, so they are, but hell yeah I’ll go heli skiing !!” OK so the marketer in me was compelled to use a little creative license with the re-enactment, however, I did manage to get myself a heli skiing gig for FREE. Yep, FREE. Now, this particular activity would normally cost you CAD$669 per person for 3 descents. Yep, $669 but I did it for FREE. So you think I’m going a little overboard with the free thing? $669 in Banff currency is about half a year’s wage so you’d go a bit berko if you were me too!
This was a familiarisation tour for my job for a supplier, RK Heli Skiing and let me tell you, they pulled out all the stops to impress us. We were picked up in a kick arse rock star bus. This thing had a flat screen TV so big Greater Union would be impressed, a lounge bigger than our apartment and a toilet it didn’t feel right to pee in. It also had a full sized fridge and well stocked bar. I felt it only fitting to demand sushi and M&Ms be delivered to me by pygmies but only the blue ones (M&Ms that is, not the pygmies)!
We arrived at RK’s lodge where we were
treated to breakfast, taken through avalanche training and kitted out with some fat skis before being driven to the helipad. Once there, we unpacked our gear and positioned ourselves in readiness for the arrival of the helicopter. In my infinite wisdom, I decided to film the chopper landing. This proved to be entertaining for the rest of my group, as I was so focused on my
cinematography masterpiece that I was immensely unprepared for the wall of snow that promptly put me on my arse as the chopper landed. No need for a chemical peel and a face lift now, the same result was achieved through snow blasting. The camera faired no better. Don’t tell Chris or he’ll have an embolism but it was nicely cocooned in ice as a result.
I’m pretty confident that the guides and the pilot get a kick out of this happening on a regular basis as no warning was given (unless I wasn’t listening, which is highly likely given I was so excited I had the attention span of a border collie
in a room full of sheep). I also managed to stack it (ie slip) getting into the chopper. I had bingled (ie slipped) twice before I even looked like putting on a pair of skis! Not a reassuring start.
I needn’t have worried. The skiing was absolutely amazing and the powder like nothing I’d seen. This is what it must feel like to play in a cloud. We ended up doing 4 descents that involved runs through trees, down some steeper slopes and skiing from the top of a peak over a glacier. The common element of each run was the powder. If you stacked it, you spent the next 10 minutes digging yo
urself out (a good workout for sure). There were a few obligatory face plants, close encounters with trees and 5 star cartwheel like crashes but landings were soft so it was all good.
After the last run we were dragged (or rather choppered) back to the lodge kicking and screaming for a few drinks before boarding the rock star bus for our journey back to Banff. The bus ride home was full of energy, recounting funny stories of the day and a few b
evvies. We couldn’t wipe the smiles from our faces.
I have to say that this experience was definitely a highlight of my time in Canada and one I won’t forget in a hurry. It was worth every cent!!!
Heli skiing – done!
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