Whistler Heli-Assisted Ski Touring Expedition
Heli-drop into a remote ski touring basecamp in the Whistler backcountry
Ready to take your backcountry ski touring to the next level? Time to push your boundaries with Mabey Ski’s very own base camp ski expedition.
Heli-drop into a remote backcountry zone selected by our expert mountain guides. From here your hosts will set up base camp, complete with communal base camp bell tent and surrounding private tents. Then ski tour the surrounding powder covered peaks for 3 days and 2 nights.
Our guides have a set of locations within the Squamish-Lillooet region, and selected by your powder guru ski guides. We can select the best option depending on snow, weather and how far you can travel.
For the adventurous backcountry skier looking for something challenging, memorable and exhilarating. You should have a decent level of fitness and be able to ski black runs in variable conditions. Whilst we do our best to keep you warm, you should be prepared for some cold moments!
We can run this trip any time between December and May, however we suggest March-May as the temperatures tend to be a little warmer, the snowpack a little more stable and the helicopters can fly more regularly and reliably.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Your alarm rings at 7am, you wake up in your cozy cocoon-like winter sleeping bag and slip on an extra puffy jacket before stepping out of your hardy 4 season tent to stretch under the glorious morning sunrise. You take a moment to breath in the fresh air and take in the blissful silence. Soon the rustle of sleeping bags and crinkling Gore-Tex pants fill the air as you head over to your communal Emperor tent to get the morning coffee on the boil.
Your host serves up a hearty backcountry breakfast as you sit around the map and discuss the day of adventure ahead. You look out of the tent and see the objectives of the day and smile. Time to pack your snacks and water and perform a group check to make sure your transceivers are working seamlessly.
You meet bright and early at the heliport, time for a quick safety briefing and introductions as your hosts start to load up your helicopter with all the necessities for a comfortable weekend away. after a 15 minute stunning flight over old growth forests, you land at your basecamp destination where your hosts get to work setting up the basecamp and you head straight out to make the most of the days skiing. Your guide makes short work of breaking trail as you follow in their tracks, snaking your way up the mountain. You discuss various risks and route-finding techniques as you ascend towards objective 1 – the warmup lap, and before you know it you are ripping your skins off and getting ready for the first descent of the day. You ski one at a time, whooping as you make your mark on the pristine coastal powder – time to take some pictures and a well-deserved breather before heading up for run 2, something a little steeper this time.
Adrenaline pumping from the second and third laps of the day, you stop for lunch and take in the views, recounting the morning’s epic powder runs. Time to chat about the afternoon action plan and get back to it. 3 more laps of fresh tracks, and it’s time to ski back to basecamp. The sun is starting to fall behind the ‘snow bar’ that the hosts have been busy building, and before you have time to click out of your skis you have a glass of bubbles in your hand, toasting to an awesome day out in the backcountry. You scan your eyes around the rest of the basecamp and notice your hosts have been working all day – tents carefully erected, a beautiful round table carved out of snow with charcuterie boards laid out, and a canvas bell tent with wood burning stove to retreat to once the sun goes down. This is a backcountry experience you’ll never forget.
Pricing
Starting at CAD$2,800 (+5% tax) plus tax per person for 2 days, 1 night based on a group of 6.
Included for this price:
- Heli-drop off and pick up
- ACMG backcountry ski guiding for 2 days
- Fully hosted 2 days with handbuilt basecamp, snow bar and table
- Gourmet backcountry meals
- Alpine après-ski drinks and appetizers
- Top-of-the-range down -40c rated sleeping bags and padded sleeping mats
- Communal expedition-style basecamp tent to warm up in when the sun goes down
- Private Big Agnes 4-season tents to sleep in
You will need to bring:
- Ski touring/splitboarding equipment (available to rent for an additional fee)
- Avalanche rescue equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel – available to rent for an additional fee)
- Winter/ski clothing and gear
This experience takes place in partnership with Blackcomb Helicopters and Black Tusk Aviation, the crown land tenure holders.
Ski At Mabey Ski's very own basecamp
We live, breathe, work and play in the mountains of Whistler, BC – home of this epic alpine adventure. We thought up and created our ultimate adventure, then tested it rigorously (tough job, we know!) to bring you the best Whistler backcountry trip yet. We might be biased, but this has to be one of the best Whistler backcountry ski experiences out there.
