# Planning Heli-Boarding next year - Gear Upgrades



## ETM

I dont see why you would need different boots and bindings because you just got out of a heli. I would be looking at a nice big powder board before anything else.


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## Whitey161

It was an article i read where it stated that the deep pow can work its way under certain bindings and cause then to come away from the board. Also wrt boots i presume i may need something with more support.

This is why im asking for advice 

Agree about the pow board, i have an old timeless 161 (green genie) which is nice in the pow but a board i can get next season before i go, trying to spread the cost a bit.


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## ETM

Whitey161 said:


> It was an article i read where it stated that the deep pow can work its way under certain bindings and cause then to come away from the board..


Ahh a magazine article. All magazine articles are thinly veiled adverts, go back and read the article again, I bet its steering you toward a pair of bindings that are advertised on the page after the article. Its a classic magazine caper.

I managed to get through a few weeks of this without my bindings being worked loose by the deep pow.


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## Whitey161

oooh nice. TBH it wasnt a magazine article. It was on a website which sold hel-boarding holidays. I shall try and find the link.

Besides the avalanche safety stuff are there any specific items you would recommend taking/upgrading?


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## ETM

All you really need is gear you are comfortable with. Sounds like you want new stuff which is a completely different matter to needing new stuff and perfectly normal by the way.


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## Whitey161

Haha new stuff is always good but if i dont need it i'm happy to save the money for more heli-runs 

I will most likely get new boots this year anyway though tbh.


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## Edp25

Did my first heli trip this year and it was life-changing beautiful. I would stress preparation as well as gear. Being from the east coast i had never been in powder that deep
and had a sharp learning curve. Get into the deep to prepare if you can. Also felt that me pack was most critical piece of gear as i was happy mith my board, boots and bindings. The ability to access things in th pack easily and to ride any terrain comfortably was huge. Having my camera and radio quickly and comfortably accessible was also key.
Have fun!


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## Whitey161

Good advice, thank you. I shall invest in a decent pack. I would imagine one of the packs with a drinking straw type thing would be great as its thirsty work?

Will try get me some pow but not that likely as i board in europe.


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## Edp25

We were actually cautioned away from the packs that have hydration bladders and drinking tubes. They freeze. Have a few good water bottles in your pack. Cheers!


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## killclimbz

Actually, a good winter pack with an hydration system where the hose zips up into the sleeve is a good way to go. Make sure the tube is also insulated or it will still freeze. It's much easier to stay properly hydrated if you don't have to dig into your pack every time you want a drink. I have never had a problem with the hose freezing using the sleeve/insulated hose combo. BCA and Osprey both make packs that have this option. I'm sure there are a few other guys that are in on this design too. 

The other plus is that as you drink you are creating a little more room in your pack. Water bottles don't facilitate that. The down side is that bladders to spring leaks. Usually after a couple of seasons. Regardless, it really sucks when that happens...


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## poutanen

I'm a former east coaster (well maybe not the coast but still)... After several powder days in Fernie and Lake Louise, I think I would spend more time focusing on my strength than on my gear. I was grinning a lot this year while riding the powder with a freeride board instead of a powder board. It worked fine but my muscles usually were way behind my ability and the ability of my board.

Train your quads, calfs, feet, abs, glutes, and anything else you might need while surfing the snow.

For what it's worth, I'm thinking about doing a couple cat days in the rockies next year and I'll be bringing my Burton T7.


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## poutanen

Snowolf said:


> Keep in mind too that on a cat or heli trip, you will generally not be accessing the super gnarly terrain that you see in the films as they must cater to the weakest rider or skier in the group and typically blue terrain is what they take the group to with some access to more challenging terrain that guides may allow some in the group to ride.


This is good to know. I typically like doing a few "extreme" runs in a day, and obviously I like doing them at my own pace. I think hitting the untracked powder would make a cat/heli day fantastic, but I'll stick to the resort moderated (i.e. avalauncher controlled) extreme runs for my thrills.

BTW, on my last days of this year I hit a section of Lake Louise called "the ultimate steeps". These used to be permanently closed, but in recent years they've done a lot of snowpack studying in the area and now open it up on occasion. I got a pic half way down to show the slope. It's a full 100% (45 degree) slope! Felt fantastic to be in there... 

Obligatory pic, and yes the camera was held parallel to the horizon.









CRAP! After seeing this pic again it reminded me that it's been two months since I've been on the snow. IT AIN'T RIGHT! I miss snowboarding!!!


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## killclimbz

Any cat or heli operation is only going get you on "extreme" terrain if they feel the conditions are safe and people in the group have the ability. So if they are willing to take you to the "gnar", I would be all over it. It's pretty damn hard to beat riding steep powder lines.


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## Whitey161

Thank you for the further responses. Ill take on board all of the advice and info i can get.

Seems like i am possibly overthinking it though.

Im looking at doing the heli-boarding with Blackcomb whistler...probably 2 days, here is a link:

Whistler Heli-Skiing - Official Website - British Columbia, Canada

Anyone heard of or used these people?


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## poutanen

I haven't done anything out near Whistler, but you may want to look into stuff more in the interior of BC instead... Better snow?!? :dunno:

Island Lake Catskiing - Snowcat Boarding, Snow Cat Skiing in Canada near Fernie...

Baldface Where redbull supernatural was filmed...

They're both selling out fairly quick though.


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## killclimbz

I had a friend use that outfit when he was on a company paid trip to Whistler. He liked them well enough. There is definitely great terrain that can be accessed from that location. From what I remember is that it was mostly alpine in Nature. That means they will only fly if conditions are favorable. Poor visibility/high winds = no fly and would be no fun to ride in anyway. Outfitters with below treeline terrain can fly or operate on more days because the tree'd terrain allows you to see variations in the terrain in poor conditions. If you have to go heli, I believe Micah powder guides flies in most conditions due to the huge amount of terrain they have access to that is below tree line. Most cat operations have below tree line terrain they access.


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## Whitey161

Thats great information thankyou.

So is the general opinion that you get better conditions further inland. Ive never boarded in the US/Canada so dont know much about it. Any good recommendations?


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## killclimbz

Generally speaking, you get heavier snow fall totals the closer you are to the coast. As you move inland, the snow fall amounts back off, but the snow quality is of a much lighter and drier snow. It also ratchets up the avalanche danger though. It really depends on what you want to ride. Some people will argue that the lighter snow is ideal. The blower stuff is great and riding it in the deep feels like you are on a cloud. The wetter coastal snowfalls tend to dump a lot more snow, and the avalanche danger generally stabilizes withing 24-48 hours. It also sticks to much steeper lines. That is why Alaska has become to big mountain rider's mecca. So positives and negatives to either option. 

I personally don't care, 2 feet of fresh snow is awesome. Regardless if you are riding a wetter Maritime climate or a super dry Continental climate. You'll still have that shit eating grin on your face.


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## timmytard

poutanen said:


> I haven't done anything out near Whistler, but you may want to look into stuff more in the interior of BC instead... Better snow?!? :dunno:
> 
> Island Lake Catskiing - Snowcat Boarding, Snow Cat Skiing in Canada near Fernie...
> 
> Baldface Where redbull supernatural was filmed...
> 
> They're both selling out fairly quick though.


I totally forgot about Island lake Lodge, as soon as I read that name, my memory was flooded with pictures accumulated from 23 years of magazine readin' & video watchin' 
As far back as I can remember, all the best heli/cat boarding that I've seen comes from there.

If there was one place in the world I could go, that's the place.
I'm going to go there this year, I just made up my mind.
Woooooo!!!!!!!
Thanks poutanen, :thumbsup:that just made my day:thumbsup:


Try & find some vids on google, I' sure there all lots of insanely deep bluebird days on there.

Just curious if anyone from here has been there?


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## timmytard

Just go to the video section of Island Lake Lodges website, & watch the first video on the far left.

That should pretty much clinch it. I think?

TT


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## Whitey161

Thank you


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## poutanen

timmytard said:


> If there was one place in the world I could go, that's the place.
> I'm going to go there this year, I just made up my mind.
> Woooooo!!!!!!!
> Thanks poutanen, :thumbsup:that just made my day:thumbsup:


Cheers! Can't wait for the trip report! I think there's a reason it's already almost booked up for next season. If I were booking I'd pick March instead of December though...

One of these years I'll splurge and take a trip there!


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## Whitey161

Ok i have been looking at some other locations but TBH i dont know canada at all so could people recommend some locations further in land that i can investigate.

Oh and my plan is a week holiday on a ski resort with a couple of days of heli-boarding so it cant be a dedicated heli-lodge or anything. Thats why i looked at whistler because i can ski piste (or around the piste) for the week but take two days heli-boarding.

tTat island lake one is a bit pricey, looks good though


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## poutanen

Whitey161 said:


> tTat island lake one is a bit pricey, looks good though


Whistler was $1150 for 8 runs (I'm assuming that's no lodging, meals, or anything). While Island Lake is $2500-$3000 or so in March for 3 days. Including lodging, meals, probably 8 cat runs each day, etc. etc. etc.

Every winter is different as far as snow goes, but I'd say Lake Louise had more consistent snow last year than some of the others. It's that much farther north vs. Fernie and Nelson so when they were getting rain it was getting snow. You might want to try to book a trip to Lake Louise or Kicking Horse and then find a heli/cat place close by. For a relatively cheap cat day check out kpow.ca it's the closest cat skiing to Calgary, obviously not going to have the sheer volume of powder that some of the interior mountains will, but I've had plenty of fun powder days at nearby Nakiska, and with them only running smaller quantities of people there should be plenty of good snow there all year long.

I'm sure there are hundreds of places near Kicking Horse and Revelstoke. I've got a heli-cat guide somewhere I'll have to dig up and get back to you.


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## Whitey161

That would be great thanks. Yes the white island may be 2500-3000 for three days which seems like a better deal but my plan is to go on a week package holiday somewhere and have a couple days heli-boarding as thats all i can afford.

My initial idea was a week in whistler incl fligts etc for 1500. Then two days heli boarding at about 1400 (Im probably not capable of doing the 8 run trips as they are advanced only and i havent done any previous heli or big mountain powder before).


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## eclipse1018

Getting back on the subject of having a pack! Put a portable shovel in it for safety and maybe for some a little bit of fun as well! Grainy-carb-rich snacks for on demand energy.. and some toilet paper wont hurt either! it might seem funny now but maybe not later! If its like the heli drops in switzerland.. than you might want to grab you a ski pole or 2 for flat areas before you get to the pick up site! If you have the money for it.. splitboards are perfect for this kind of thing!!


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## Whitey161

Thank you for your advice.

Having done some more research based on the information you guys provided Revelstoke Mountain looks really good. Less busy and some great pow by the sounds of it. However i am having trouble finding package deals there. Any advice? Anyone been there. They do day trips for heli and cat boarding alongside lifts and pistes so sounds ideal to me.

OOOOH they do his 4 day package too which mixes several disciplines...looks fun 

http://www.revelstokemountainresort.com/lessons-activities/cat-skiing-at-rmr


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## schmitty34

I'll be looking forward to the trip report because some day I'd like to do a heli/cat boarding trip.

My snowboard buddy really wants to do Baldface lodge for his 40th (still a few years away) so that may be my first real temptation. He wanted to do Baldface well before supernatural came out so I am not sure if he did a ton of research and settled on that or just picked it out of thin air. 

Very interested to check back in several months from now to see how it went.


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## poutanen

Yeah I think K-POW will be my first cat day only because the price is so reasonable. I heard also if you can get a group of people together to rent the whole cat, it's significantly cheaper. I may try to go that route through this forum some time this year. Who knows... Might be too late already.


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## killclimbz

Don't know about lodging and packages around Revelstoke. El Chupacabra hangs in that area I believe. Eagle Pass heli is co owned by Scott Newsome. The first snowboarder to get an ACMG guide certification, which is pretty amazing. The terrain is supposed to be off the hook great and the operation is ran by some of the best professionals in the business. Scott Newsome is one of the guys Jeremy Jones used for safety on Deeper and Further. In other words, he's bad ass. I believe Scott is also a member of this forum.


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## gstboy

Anyone have any experiences with Great Northern Powder Guides? 

Great Northern Powder Guides


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## Whitey161

Some more great links and info guys thankyou.

And to shmitty - i am planning this for the 2013/2014 season as its uber expensive and i need more time to save. If i somehow manage to get the finances ill go this year but more likely next year 

Ill still have two cheapy ones to europe this year 

What is Jasper like?

What about Jackson Hole?
There is a place called Grand Targhee nearby which is apparently great for powder?

Another edit.... Have found a couple good deals for Ferniw which looks great.

I really know nothing about the US and Canadian resorts so advice on any of these would be helpful...im learning alot researhing them and Fernie is promising.


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## gstboy

Are you planning to go by yourself or with some people? Renting a condo or cabin may be cheaper if you go with more than a few. Also depends on *when* you go too. I was planning to go to Fernie for the 2nd to 3rd week of February next year but found out that there's some kind of Family week going on. Priced out a cabin for 8 people and it was about $15,000.00 US just for that week. 

Forget that, Whitefish, Montana just two hours away I could find a house that sleeps 12 for $2k for the week. Which comes out to $165/person for one week. Plus the lift tickets for whitefish are about $100.00 for two days if you get em at costco. Priced out Great Northern Powder guides and they are $350 for the day which is $100 less than the going rate in Canada. Since Fernie is only 1.5 to 2 hours away I could just drive there for a couple days for boarding there. 

Heard many good things about Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee too. Aside from places in Colorado like Vail, it would be a lot cheaper to board at places in the US than it would be anywhere in Canada with the exchange rate as it is now.


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## LuckyRVA

I spent a week at Whitefish this past March (with one day trip across the border to Fernie). Whitefish was awesome, great tree riding all day long! The crowd during the week were non-existant which was a bonus. Took a video on my gopro one day from top to bottom and only saw two people until I got to the main lift. 

I had originally planned on taking 1 cat trip with the Great Northern Powder guides. However, when we arrived some of the lower elevations had lost a lot of their snow pack there were no huge dumps while we were there. So, we decided against it.


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## gstboy

Sounds like my kind of resort. Crossing fingers for an epic snowfall right before I get there.


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## DrnknZag

One word of advice for your first time heli boarding.....do not overestimate your skill level. If you do and end up in a group who are all way better than you, they will dispise you. I went cat boarding last year with my main group of guys and signed up for the expert group, thinking we'd be able to hit some gnar stuff. We ended up with two guys from Cali in our group who had never ridden powder before. Half the time we were waiting for the two to get unstuck, the other half we were trying to find "easy" runs down so they didn't get hurt. Such bullshit. So yeah, don't be those guys.


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## poutanen

DrnknZag said:


> One word of advice for your first time heli boarding.....do not overestimate your skill level. If you do and end up in a group who are all way better than you, they will dispise you. I went cat boarding last year with my main group of guys and signed up for the expert group, thinking we'd be able to hit some gnar stuff. We ended up with two guys from Cali in our group who had never ridden powder before. Half the time we were waiting for the two to get unstuck, the other half we were trying to find "easy" runs down so they didn't get hurt. Such bullshit. So yeah, don't be those guys.


This is another reason I've been sticking to resorts (the obvious reason is it's much cheaper). At a resort I can ride at my own pace. Sometimes I want to warm up on groomers, other times I want to dive into a steep chute or a nice gladed bowl. Especially on those steep runs I like to stop, plan my line, dive into it and then stop to catch my breath, pick my next line, etc. I think I'd feel either rushed or bored riding steeps with a group.

Now if I found 3-4 other people that were very similar in skill and pace, it would make for some really fun riding! I think that's the key, but very hard to find...


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## LuckyRVA

gstboy said:


> Sounds like my kind of resort. Crossing fingers for an epic snowfall right before I get there.


This past season they had something like over 300" of snow. The week I showed up the the daytime temps got high and melted most of the snow in the valley which some locals told me was odd and doesn't happen often. It snowed everyother day we were there but mostly just a few inches here and there. The day after I left they got hit with over a foot of snow. 

The only negative thing I can say about Big Mountain is the fog. If it rolls in you won't be able to see an inch in front of your face. But, on the plus side everytime it rolled in it was gone or mostly gone within an hour or two.


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## Whitey161

I got a custome package back today from a company i have been speaking to so i thought i would share to get feedback:

Dates 25th February – 4th March – 7 nights only.

Monday 25th Feb – Depart Heathrow 13.00 – arrive Calgary 15.20.

Collect SUV – on the road by 4.20 pm. 3 hour drive from Calgary to Golden.

Spend first night in Golden, Ramada, standard room with 2 queen beds. Driving from Calgary to Revelstoke is not an realistic option after a 9 hour flight, hence the stay in Golden which is only 2 hours from Revelstoke, and seeing as you cross a time line on the way from Golden to Reve you get an extra hour back.. 



Tuesday 26th Feb - Next morning leave early from Golden and drive to Revelstoke.

Ski/Snowboard for the day, check in with Revelstoke Outdoor Centre, 4 pm drive to Revelstoke town, check into Sandman Hotel. Standard room 2 queen beds. You have 5 nights here. I’d recommend an early night as you have 4 huge days coming up.



Wednesday 27th Feb – Saturday 2nd Mar. Ultimate ROC Pack 4 day experience.

ROC Schedule
•	Day 1 - Cat/Heli Prep - Full Day session with a Snow Pro from the Revelstoke Outdoors Centre and lunch at the Rockford wok|bar|grill. – Wednesday

•	Day 2 - Cat Skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort - Includes unlimited vertical, equipment rentals, on-slope lunch, and après ski appetizers. – Thursday

•	Day 3 - Day Heli Skiing, Powder Excursion with Selkirk Tangiers - Includes three runs, equipment rentals, buffet breakfast, on-slope lunch, and après ski appetizers. – Friday

•	Day 4 - Day Tour in the Backcountry of Revelstoke - Includes Guiding Services and a Backcountry Lift Ticket. Equipment Rentals are available through the RMR Rental Shop. - Saturday



Sunday 3rd Mar – Ski/snowboard Revelstoke (or Kicking Horse is also possible) – 3 to 4 pm – Drive to Golden. Spend last night in Sandman Inn. Standard room 2 queen beds.



Monday 4th Mar – Depart Golden, drive to Calgary, you would have enough time for a nice lunch in Banff or along the way somewhere, maybe Lake Louise also.. Check in is open at 16.05. Flight departs at 19.05 arriving into Heathrow at 11.00 following morning.

How does that sound to people, looks good to me if not a little rushed, im tempted to try and add an extra day either side. Price for this is £2285...

Thanks


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## Whitey161

Also this is probably a bit wierd but if there is someone out there who is thinking i would likw to do that but have no-one to do it with....neither do i....id be happy to discuss going with someone else


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## killclimbz

Looks like a good trip though the Heli runs seems a bit light. 3 runs? Most heli outfits offer at least five and the option to purchase additional drops. I know the vertical is huge at Revelstoke resort. Over 4k (vertical feet) top to bottom. So if you are getting heli drops in that range, say with at least 3k vert, than that is not bad at all. I am really unsure of what type of average vertical they have access to, but I am sort of thinking it's probably not that big. Then again, it could be. Either way, I'd pad a little extra money to buy a drop or two.

Doing a backcountry tour at the end of your trip sounds a little brutal. This also depends on what type of tour. If you are going to need a splitboard to get out there, could be a little tough after your previous two days. If it's just a lift assisted boot pack to your drop and an easy ride back to the lifts, then maybe not. I think I would prefer to do that one first, but these guys have been running this tour, not me. Maybe it just works better in this format. If you are doing a lot of hiking or skinning, your legs could be burnt after this day, so it could be a great way to finish your trip.

Overall, looks like a lot of fun. Canada is a great place. I need to schedule a backcountry riding trip on Rogers Pass at some point in the next year or two.


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## ETM

I would throw a week of resort riding infront of that tour. From my experience the first 4-5 days straight in a trip take a toll on your body, you get sore, it takes a few days for the body to get over the initial shock of riding every day. By day 5 my body is fighting back and feels like it could do 3 months straight. Plus its a big effort for just a few days riding, you will want more.


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## ETM

Whitey161 said:


> Also this is probably a bit wierd but if there is someone out there who is thinking i would likw to do that but have no-one to do it with....neither do i....id be happy to discuss going with someone else


I would go with you as I am also a solo traveller but I will be in Japan on a 6 week journey from jan 20 to march 3. Going solo says a lot about your character in my opinion, most people think im crazy, im not that crazy, I just found something in life that my friends didnt and Im now on a journey of enormous reward.


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## Whitey161

thanks for the responses guys.

I agree with the point about having extra days beforehand. I got a reworked quote for 2 extra days before hand so you can get over jet lag and warm the legs up!!! Was not much more at all.

As for going on my own im the same. I go on two snowboard holidays a year with my mates but they cant afford this, ive been saving and have promised myself id go by the time im 30 so thats this year or next 

agree 3 runs isnt alot, there is the option of extra runs for 65 or 85 CAD per run, cant remember which. I would like more but i guess they know what they are on about.


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## Bones

Whitey161 said:


> Monday 25th Feb – Depart Heathrow 13.00 – arrive Calgary 15.20.
> 
> Collect SUV – on the road by 4.20 pm. 3 hour drive from Calgary to Golden.
> 
> hence the stay in Golden which is only 2 hours from Revelstoke,


If the weather has been good, then the driving times are accurate. If there is a dump, then expect significant delays for highway avy control. I've done Calgary/Golden in 3 hours and I've done it in 9 or not at all. And Rogers Pass is not conducive to maintaining a strict timetable.

Perhaps you should consider heli-skiing out of Golden with Purcell Heli? Base yourself in Golden or Kicking Horse, day-trip or overnight to Revelstoke as your schedule/weather permits. I'd hate to see you stuck in Golden while your heli lifts off in Revy.

Word to the wise, if you're renting a car in Calgary, pay for the windshield insurance and if you can get a winter tire upgrade, then do it. No fun driving the Kicking Horse Canyon or Rogers Pass on all seasons in snow.


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## Whitey161

Its not splitboarding. Its off piste hiking to diffferent points and locations.


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