Heli-ski. Where to start

Kamchatka is the edge of endless mountain expanses with interesting terrain and steep slopes. And heli-skiing gives you the opportunity to ski and snowboard on the wildest untouched snow slopes.

What is heli-ski?

We hear many interpretations of this word— heli-sky, helly-ski, even helly-sky. To understand the correct spelling and pronunciation of this word, let's analyze it. The origin of the word English is HeliSki. The first part is an abbreviation of the word helicopter, which translates as helicopter. The second part is an abbreviation of the word skiing— skiing. As a result, we get Helicopter Skiing with a Russian adapted translation — skiing or snowboarding with helicopter drops.

Level of heli-ski riders

With what level of skiing is it better to participate in programs with helicopter drops? If your skiing experience is limited only to the slopes at the ski resorts, we advise you to gain practice and ride beyond the slopes. Freeride differs from piste skiing in unpredictable terrain, obstacles in the form of trees, bushes, rocks, sometimes even animals, and, of course, the amount of snow. Your equipment should help in difficult conditions on unprepared slopes. You should be able not only to ride well in deep snow, but also to fall properly, and also to get up quickly after a fall. This is caused not only by the waiting time for you by the group, but also by the avalanche danger, which we will tell you about further. If you are not sure about your level of skiing, we will be happy to advise you, perhaps you are already ready for heli-skiing.

Ski areas

Freeride is closely related to weather conditions and heli-skiing is not an exception. Guides watch the weather forecast for a day, analyze where you can fly for a ride, but the final choice will be made only according to the fact at the moment of takeoff. The guides consult with the pilots and jointly choose the landing place. By the way, ordinary pilots performing passenger flights are not allowed to heli-ski. They undergo some training and practice, because often the helicopter does not land on the top completely, but just hovers in half meters and waits for the riders to jump out. Heli-skiing in Kamchatka makes it possible to descend from an active volcano and to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, you can even go down to wild hot springs and swim in the break between skiing. If in a day it is possible to complete all three descents (from the volcano, to the ocean and to the springs), we call it the Kamchatka combo, this is a unique opportunity that is not found anywhere else in the country except Kamchatka. We advise you to fly to Heli in the period from February to May. By February, the snow has already managed to cover the bushes and create dense layers for safer riding.

Day of skiing

How the process takes place on the day of heli-skiing with the Kamchatka freeride community. You are given avalanche equipment, explain how to use it. At the heliport, the equipment is checked again, the guides (usually 2 or 3 of them) get acquainted with the group and you get into the helicopter. The heli-ski day usually includes 2 hours of flight time — this is not the time that you will ride, but the time when the helicopter engine is turned on. During this time, it is possible to make up to 10 descents. Skating takes place under the guidance of guides, who will transmit instructions to the whole group via walkie-talkies. Guides are responsible for your safety, so you need to listen carefully to them. The guide goes first along the slope to check, then the group starts driving alone either where the guide has just moved out, or where he will indicate, observing the distance, a helicopter is already waiting for you at the bottom. After the descent, the group takes a seat in a helicopter and climbs to the top again. In the middle of the program, we arrange a hot lunch, rest and gain strength for the next descents. After the last descent, the helicopter returns to the heliport.

Avalanche gear

A freeride with helicopter drops is mandatory if participants have a full set of avalanche equipment — an avalanche backpack, an avalanche sensor, a probe, a shovel and a walkie-talkie. The option in which the rider rides without avalanche gear is not considered. We will immediately indicate that the presence of avalanche equipment does not give a 100% guarantee of survival in an avalanche, it increases the chance of survival.

Avalanche backpack. Experienced riders also call it Airbag. The principle of operation of avalanche backpacks is one— inside the backpack there are pillows with a volume of 150 liters, which inflate when activated. Due to the opened cushions of the avalanche backpack, the rider becomes the largest object in the avalanche and is naturally pushed to the surface without going deeper under the snow, from where it will be more difficult to dig it out. The difference between avalanche backpacks is in the inflating systems, the shape and the number of pillows. The inflating of the pillow with the handle on the backpack strap is activated, you need to pull it as soon as you realized that you were in an avalanche, our guides transmit such a command over the walkie-talkie.