 Poster: A snowHead
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In his Ski Clinic in today's Observer, Jeremy Wilson of Bracknell asks Martin Bell for the cheapest place to go heli-skiing.
And Martin spells out 'the price' ...
What's the current thinking about heli-skiing amongst fellow snowHeads?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, I've been twice. THe first was outstanding, we got in about 125,000 feet vertical and set a record for the company in doing so in a "standard" group. I.e. mixed party, mixed ability, standard heli, etc.
Which is why I went twice.
Second time we got smacked by an unusual weather system and spent 5 days amusing ourselves in a log cabin 6 hours from the nearest entertainment.
If you have buckets of cash it's a fairly fun thing to do. I can think of interesting alternatives if you just want to do some great skiing.
NB. I hear Alaska typically involves a great deal of waiting around for the weather...
P.S. yes, it is all about vertical feet...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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David Goldsmith, I would tend to agree with Martin Bell on that one. A better alternative is to do what the DAV Summit Club calls 'Ski Plus', which means using lifts to get as far up as possible, and then skinning up for at most half an hour and then spending a great day exploring the backcountry, always returning to the resort (or possibly being returned by Taxi), and up and off again . All guided by an expert Bergfuehrer of course. I've done with the DAV in St.Anton (living in the Ulmer Huette) and Flims (living in Berghaus Nagens). Fantastic. You may not get the sheer vertical that you do with a Helicopter, but at the end of the day you definitely know that you have been working that day 
If I did want to do Heli skiing then I would probably choose to do it somewhere a bit more exotic than Canada or Alaska. If only because of the price difference. A colleague of mine once did a week in Gudauri in Georgia. He hasn't stopped raving about it since. A friend of a friend did a couple of weeks in Kamchatka, which he also hasn't stopped raving about. Although apparently the trip to Kamchatka is the most adventurous part of the journey!
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Mike Lawrie, that all sounds rather fun!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I,ve been a few times. I havent read the article yet.
First time in with Galtur. I was working in Ischgl & a group of likeminded skibums ( scandinavians) clubed together & done a deal direct with the Lorenz family who arranged everthing. The chopper came over from Switzerland . We skied above Matton & Galtur ( where all the Avalanches came down in 99) . Fantastic experience and only cost €25 each for 5 drops !!!
Another way of doing it on the cheap is to put yourself on a reserve list as soon as you hit town. We tell the operator to call us if they cannot fill there seats or if someone drops out.
I have done this a couple of times in Telluride with Helitrax. A Friend & me have got a a days heliskiing for $200 when most of the group were paying $400 !
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David Murdoch, it does. Unfortunately, with two small children I don't think I will be getting round to doing Gudauri or Kamchatka anytime soon 
But if you're interested in Gudauri, here's some information http://www.alpintravel.ch/e_heli/heliski.htm
The hotel was built about twenty years ago by some Austrian outfit. It is apparently quite good, and the advantage is that even if the choppers can't fly you still have a couple of lifts to resort to, so you wouldn't have to repeat your log cabin experience!
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Or just get into easy mountaineering and climb up the hills before sking down them.
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I've only done day trips - all in Italy - and the Monterosa from La Trinte ( 65 km ) was 230eu IIRC.
Heli skiing is fun but expensive so all my trips this year are planned around lift served or maybe short hikes off the back of somewhere. I might go to a heli for a day or two.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What does everyone think about what Martin Bell says in the article? Does heliskiing really contribute that much to environmental damage? Should we not go heliskiing for the reasons he lays out?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| conor wrote: |
| What does everyone think about what Martin Bell says in the article? Does heliskiing really contribute that much to environmental damage? Should we not go heliskiing for the reasons he lays out? |
I dont know how much damage it really does. I've heard that animals get woken out of hibernation and use valuable fat reserves which can lead to them not surviving the winter.
I'd rather hike for my turns I think, but if someone offered me a days heli-skiing for free I would have a real dilemma!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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conor, compared to the environmental damage caused by resort building, I doubt heliskiing is very significant. I'd love to go heliskiing, but it's massively out of my budget.
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conor
the enviromentalist got there way in the Tirol in Austria & it has been banned for some years but you can still pop over to the neighboring provence of Voralberg and book some flights up 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Martin Bell wrote: |
Heli-skiing burns aviation fuel, contributing to global warming. It would be better for the future of snowsports if you went ski-touring, and hiked for your fresh powder.
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Flying to a resort burns aviation fuel, driving to a resort burns petrol / diesel. Sitting on a lift uses electricity which is normally produced from some sort of fossil fuel. Where do you draw the line?
Of course I go on the train and use lifts powered by electricity produced from renewable hydro power. You sinners/environment killers should really think about staying at home and leave the fresh powder for me 
Seriously - Helicopter rides are fun but earning your turns by hiking up a bit is better for you and the environment.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| DB wrote: |
| Martin Bell wrote: |
Heli-skiing burns aviation fuel, contributing to global warming. It would be better for the future of snowsports if you went ski-touring, and hiked for your fresh powder.
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Flying to a resort burns aviation fuel, driving to a resort burns petrol / diesel. Sitting on a lift uses electricity which is normally produced from some sort of fossil fuel. Where do you draw the line? |
Aren't there a couple of resorts now using windmills to generate electricity? Failing that just hook the windmills up directly to the lifts, the harder the wind blows the faster you get up the mountain. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If Martin reads this, has he ever heli-skied?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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martins an infrequent poster so you may get a response
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Forget Heli skiing. Yak skiing is the only environmental way to go!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Now that is alternative
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gregh, one time, in Italy, just the one drop.
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| DB wrote: |
Flying to a resort burns aviation fuel, driving to a resort burns petrol / diesel. Sitting on a lift uses electricity which is normally produced from some sort of fossil fuel. Where do you draw the line?
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It's a tough one. I was not attempting to forbid people from heli-skiing or trying to brand anyone as sinners, but just really wanted to register the fact that it's a fairly energy-intensive pursuit, even by the standards of skiing in general which is of course also energy-intensive.
But what can you do? I'm not suggesting we ride donkeys to the resort, hike up and ski down wearing clothes woven from yak's fur!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There is no need to take a heli to any of the peaks in the Alps, the access with lifts, roads and trains are more then enough. I dislike heli skiing not only because of its negative environmental impact, but also because I hate getting a group of heli-skiers dropped on my head after 4 hours of skinning to a supposedly remote and peaceful place!
I must admit I have once done heli-skiing, but looking back I must say that even though the skiing was great, the over all experience was much less memorable then any of the big ski tours I have done on foot.
For anyone wanting to support an organization against motorized recreation/sport in the mountains look at Mountain Wilderness:
- http://www.mountainwilderness.ch/projekte/silence/stop-heliskiing/ (german)
- http://mountainwilderness.fr/projets-mainmenu-48/pratiques-sportives-mainmenu-180/2205.html?task=view (french)
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I have done it in the Val Veni and Valgrisenche. Good Fun but as Eskil says - the more memorabe stuff I have done has been on my own two feet (and a lift or 2!)
Saying that I happliy go and sit in Valdez Alaska for a month  waiting for the good stuff.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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barry, ha didn't see that!!
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heli skiing, love it, want more, more more!
no crowds, no queues, great snow no speed limits, no beginners, drunks (usually) ski school classes.... did I mention no crowds? does that sound elitist?
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helkicopters/heliskiing is great,expensive, noisy, burn lots of fuel, get right up peoples noses...and then you ski without a crowd around you, whats not to like?
of course its not for everyone (which is why so many seem to hate it hiding their envy behind eco pc cr*P) but that is good too! did I mention no crowds?
of course its a tough one for the hair shirt eco warriors, but hey we need to burn more fossil fuels and build lots more nuclear power stations everywhere to counteract all those windmill white elephants, to stop the next ice age being a big one....I vote for more oil fields in alaska and all those other places people dont live.....
anyone know of a website to offer support more mechanisation of wilderness areas?
now, if only I can find a way to load my skidoo onto the bell 212 as well.....that would be heaven
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You know it makes sense.
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snowornever,
I like a bit of crowd, fun steering round them at speed anticipating their mooves.
I have never been heliskiing and i'm not jealous at all (in fact, with an attitute like that, i'd be suprised if many people wanted to ski near you at all !). What I hate it when i'm having a nice dink or ski taking it all in and then a bl00dy heli (or skidoo) comes over making a racked and stinking of diesil. I enjot the great outdoors for what nature provides.... not a bl00ming engine !!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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i smell a troll....
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowornever, nice trolling!
tell you what though... you don't need a copter to be rid of crowds....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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