There's no shortage of reasons why you should go for a heli skiing or riding trip this winter, and there's just as many reasons to choose us. Let's start with five...

1. Less Travel equals more Skiing and Riding

Bella Coola is simply the easiest destination heliskiing operation to travel to in the world. Less travel time of course means more time to ski and less time away from home. Bella Coola is a one hour five minute flight north of Vancouver, BC. The short travel time makes it possible for our clients to ski and ride both on their arrival day and their departure day. This means in a one week stay you have the possibility to ski 6 full days and 2 half days.

Talk about maximizing your holiday time. Gear up upon arrival, brush up on some safety training, sit down for lunch, and load the chopper. Does it get any better? We know what you're coming for, why make you wait until tomorrow? Nowhere else can you access this much pristine wilderness and terrain with such ease!

2. Great Snow and Lots of It

The snow is plentiful and reliable. Most years there is a 4-5 metre base in the alpine and total snow fall averages 20 to 30 meters (65 - 100 feet) over the course of the season. In addition, it is usually a stable snowpack and means we can ski more challenging and interesting terrain then at most other heli skiing destinations.

Also important, our skiing and snowboarding play ground straddles the Coast Range from the dry eastern side to a wetter western periphery. This is ideal. Our lodges are situated on the dry east side and on snowy days we can stay close to the lodges and ski trees, but then when it’s blue we can fly west into the Big Snow zone as well as into the high alpine.

3. Small and Private Heli Groups

Small and private heli groups are integral to our philosophy because it creates a more rewarding and intimate ski experience. Smaller groups make for a more cohesive ski group with respects to ability level and means you won’t have to wait for stragglers. Private helis insure there is never any waiting time between runs. In addition, smaller helis require less space to land which means more terrain choices, while the private heli format increases flying range and therefore the possibility to fully explore the whole tenure. The result is that our guides and helicopter pilot have greater operational flexibility with which to find you and your group the best snow.

In addition to the small private heli format, we also subscribe to intimate and private lodge settings for your accommodation. In all, we offer a choice between three lodges, hosting anywhere from 8 to 15 people maximum. By focusing on small intimate lodging, we are able to better cater to the individual goals and desires of our clients.

4. Huge Terrain

The size of our permit area is unrivalled. It is 2.64 million acres or 10,700 sq/km, which translates to 4,300 sq/miles of mind-blowing ski & snowboard terrain. This is 325 times the size of Whistler Blackcomb. In addition, the mountains and terrain in Bella Coola are unique. They are certainly the most dramatic in British Columbia and include the highest peak in BC. Expect epic 3000-5000 ft descents, even up to 6000ft at their longest. Yes, that's almost twice the height of Vail, top to bottom, and it’s all untracked.

Combine these facts with the fact that we host a very limited number of people per week and you have the lowest density skier ratio in the world. The maximum number of people skiing in our permit area at any one time is 33. This means we never have to ask our clients to "farm" the snow and there are always lots of places to go for new tracks.

5. Focus on Safety

We are a member of Helicat Canada. This means we operate according to the most comprehensive safety guidelines in the world as far helicopter skiing safety is concerned. These guidelines were developed over 45 years of operating experience. For more info on our safety program see http://www.bellacoolahelisports.com/safety-first

In addition we are very proactive in furthering safety in all aspects of the skiing and flying experience. For example, this year we have introduced the Snowpulse Floatation backpack for clients to use while skiing.