# Best Value Place in the world to Heli Board?



## snaw (Mar 8, 2011)

Guys,

Looking for a bit of advice on the best value place in the world for a heli boarding trip (1 week)

Group of three advanced riders, all heli boarded once before (one day) and about to hit 40, so a wee bit of money to spend and the desire to get it in before we get too fat to get up after a stack 

We're coming from all over (Scotland, Oman and Singapore) so there's no ideal destination in terms of travel, reason I'm putting it out there as a 'world' question. I've looked a wee bit already and some of the best value seems to be in the 'Stan's (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and some of the US stuff seems a bit mental price wise.

Please hit me with any suggestions, happy to go research myself, just after ideas, it's a big expense and something we'll probably never do again (Least for a week) so wanna make it a special one.

Cheers.


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## RaID (Aug 27, 2009)

For a trip of a lifetime like this first place id be looking is Alaska the backwards from there.


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## snaw (Mar 8, 2011)

RaID said:


> For a trip of a lifetime like this first place id be looking is Alaska the backwards from there.


Had a look there already, but prices I'm seeing are around the $7000 mark. I've seen trips in for less than half of that in the stan's, or volcanos in the far east of russia in old military helicopters. If you know somewhere there that's reasonable I'd be all over it.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

I would personally look into the heli operations out of Mentone, Alabama. Most people do not know of this place, but it looks pretty legit. Terrain is pretty sick too.

Cloudmount Heli Operation


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

For half the price you get an old Russian Helicopter. So you spend $3500 on a helicopter that has 20X the chance of going down? I'd bet if that happened on your trip, at that moment you'd be willing to pay $24,000 to be riding in a newer helicopter in Alaska...


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> For half the price you get an old Russian Helicopter. So you spend $3500 on a helicopter that has 20X the chance of going down? I'd bet if that happened on your trip, at that moment you'd be willing to pay $24,000 to be riding in a newer helicopter in Alaska...


That's what I was thinking. If I'm flying, I don't want it to be on some decrepit old piece of shit.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

snowvols said:


> I would personally look into the heli operations out of Mentone, Alabama. Most people do not know of this place, but it looks pretty legit. Terrain is pretty sick too.
> 
> Cloudmount Heli Operation


150 VERT? GNARBUCKLE


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## fattrav (Feb 21, 2009)

snaw said:


> Guys,
> Looking for a bit of advice on the best value place in the world for a heli boarding trip (1 week)
> We're coming from all over (Scotland, Oman and Singapore) so there's no ideal destination in terms of travel, reason I'm putting it out there as a 'world' question. I've looked a wee bit already and some of the best value seems to be in the 'Stan's (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and some of the US stuff seems a bit mental price wise.
> Please hit me with any suggestions, happy to go research myself, just after ideas, it's a big expense and something we'll probably never do again (Least for a week) so wanna make it a special one.
> Cheers.


Try NZ. Your dollar will go far, the helicopters are safe, they speak english (better than americans) and the riding is just about on par with any where else. There are numerous companies in the South Island that run heliskiing, and you'd be able to do a trip through various south island districts over the period of a week using different chopper companies (watch Thats it thats all for some of the typical NZ scenery...you'll be blown away)

Still, the 'stans....i have heard that the riding is as good as anywhere else, plus you get to go to a place that not many people can say they've holidayed at, and get a look into a very different culture. I heard that you can actually do Mule Skiing there...and some of the packages actually come with your own armed guard for alot less than the cost of a pesky helicopter.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

fattrav said:


> Still, the 'stans....i have heard that the riding is as good as anywhere else, plus you get to go to a place that not many people can say they've holidayed at, and get a look into a very different culture. I heard that you can actually do Mule Skiing there...and some of the packages actually come with your own armed guard for alot less than the cost of a pesky helicopter.


I saw some guys doing that in a video, semi-mainstream one (Warren Miller maybe?).


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I would love to ride NZ, the stans or Alaska.... I would pick the cheapest trip of the three given the choice.... I am all about experience. The rugged, rural aspect of the stans or russia would be incredible...


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## snaw (Mar 8, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> For half the price you get an old Russian Helicopter. So you spend $3500 on a helicopter that has 20X the chance of going down? I'd bet if that happened on your trip, at that moment you'd be willing to pay $24,000 to be riding in a newer helicopter in Alaska...


Where's your sense of adventure boys? 

I reckon it'd be awesome riding old russian military helicopters in Kamchatka (If you've played Risk you know where it is) while dropping down dormant volcanoes slopes, and all these operations are in business every winter - if they had accidents they wouldn't be for very long. Plus Russian chicks are seriously hot 

NZ is awesome, but I did a season there many moons ago (The club fields are the bollocks), so wanna make it something special. Alaska is a contender, just the price that's steep (Steeper than anywhere else). 

Kyrgyzstan is the winner so far, 5 days, 6 hours heli time a day for $2500 plus you get to go to a country know one has ever fckin heard of (Or can pronounce)


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I have no doubt it's pretty rad riding in Russia. Alaskan Heli's go down too. I'm just saying that I wouldn't make price the main factor here. There is also the "Corn and Kings" trip you can book. Riding spring (or powder if you are lucky) Alaskan snow in the morning and catching Salmon in the afternoon. Guess what's for dinner?

Russian women are hot. You won't have much of that in Alaska for sure.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Russian women are hot. You won't have much of that in Alaska for sure.


An ex-girl threw away this playboy I had with a women of Russia special or something like that. Needless to say, we aren't together anymore.


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## Shwank (Feb 15, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> I have no doubt it's pretty rad riding in Russia. Alaskan Heli's go down too. I'm just saying that I wouldn't make price the main factor here. There is also the "Corn and Kings" trip you can book. Riding spring (or powder if you are lucky) Alaskan snow in the morning and catching Salmon in the afternoon. Guess what's for dinner?
> 
> Russian women are hot. *You won't have much of that in Alaska for sure.*


Isn't that the truth... The pickins here are slim.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Chile actually has some good deals on Heli's if you hunt around. I remember finding stuff for 100 bucks USD down there on top of having some solid terrain. Problem is that fucking Volcano that exploded this year. What about going to Gulmarg? Sure you might get shot at for being a rebel insurgent but I bet the snow is all time.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Chile actually has some good deals on Heli's if you hunt around. I remember finding stuff for 100 bucks USD down there on top of having some solid terrain. Problem is that fucking Volcano that exploded this year. What about going to Gulmarg? Sure you might get shot at for being a rebel insurgent but I bet the snow is all time.


Viva La Che!


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## Sim79 (Aug 15, 2008)

snaw said:


> Where's your sense of adventure boys?


What more important saving few dollars or your life?

Life = Snowboarding


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

I have seen the Russian one before. I would be into that. Not against the Alaskan one either! 

One to keep in mind in Russia is that it looks like its all above tree line. Long way to go if the heli can't fly. When I did it early this year in British Columbia it was low cloud but we could still ride in the trees.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Alaska suffers from that same problem as you describe for Russia. That is an advantage some of the Canadian operators have is that they have tree'd terrain that allows them to fly in bad weather.


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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)

HoboMaster said:


> Viva La Che!


i would heli board in chile considering im chilean and my whole family is there haha, but next time i go im gona stay with my moms friend for a bit because he has a condo at a ski resort )) im hopin to go next summer which is their winter idk though


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## BoricuaBoarder (Mar 24, 2011)

Chile seems among the best allarownd deals. As a bonus, you get to do it im the summer.


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## chupacabraman (Jul 30, 2009)

Revelstoke.


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