THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BOOKING YOUR HELI-SKI TRIP.

THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BOOKING YOUR HELI-SKI TRIP.

1 We SIZE OF OPERATING AREA (TENURE SIZE) know you ll be thinking about cost. That s a given. Here are five other factors that we think are even more important, and help put cost in context. Getting value for your money is all about understanding the variables, and we hope this serves as a behind-the-scenes guide to help you choose the best heli-skiing experience. You want fresh tracks, right? Of course you do. That s the best skiing going, which is why you re thinking of going heli-skiing in the first place. And you re not the only one thinking it. An operator will see hundreds of skiers and riders in a season all looking for that untouched perfection. In order for everyone, including you, to have the experience you ve been dreaming of, you need lots of space to accommodate the happy masses. Of course, sometimes it snows so much in a day or two, or even overnight, that yesterday s tracks are nothing but a memory. But sometimes it doesn t. Sometimes it won t snow heavily enough to cover tracks for several weeks, and every area will see a snowfall drought of some length at some time. When and where? If someone could tell us that, they d have a job for life! Mountain weather is as tricky and unpredictable as it comes, so the only way to prepare is to consider your (and your chosen operator s) best chances of adapting to low snowfall cycles. The larger the tenure, the longer that operator can keep providing fresh tracks without any new snow. They can just keep moving to new slopes. If their tenure is small, and the drought happens during the peak season, when lots of people are out there, fresh tracks may not be what you find. Big difference, potentially, right? Generally speaking, in the most accessible areas of the province, the companies who had first pick of their exclusive area ended up with larger tenures. As the number of operators has grown, more competition for space means not as much land to choose from. When shopping around, be sure to compare apples with apples: a half a million acres is a big number, but acres aren t that big, especially if you compare them with hectares or square kilometres. Purcell s tenure is 2,000 square kilometres we started up early and are grateful to have an immense area to call our office! Bottom line: Fresh tracks are the key to a great heli-skiing experience. Ask about tenure size, how it compares to others in the province, and how long of a drought their skiing can handle.

2NUMBER OF GROUPS PER HELICOPTER conditions, you ll experience some wait time to get another lift. More importantly, you ll be limited by complexity. If the heli has to do two or three trips to move to a new area, to dodge bad weather to stay out there, or just to offer more variety in the day, those things are much harder to pull off. Your group s needs have to be balanced with others, and that means compromise on quality for all. If, on the other hand, if the helicopter is dedicated only to your group, the logistics issues fall away. Ready for another lift? Jump in. A chance or need to move to another zone? Let s go. As few limits as possible translates into the best experience possible for every skier or rider in the group. So only private heli-skiing is good heli-skiing? Nope. It s just the BEST way to do it. A fact: Heli-skiing is the most efficient way to access a lot of untouched skiing in remote terrain, quickly. The helicopter is simply the most powerful tool we have for the job. It s a pricey tool to operate, of course: hence the high-end price tag. One of the ways of mitigating those high costs is to move as many people as possible with one chopper. Even though you ve got the absolute best tool to get the most skiing, you ll still encounter limits. There are two kinds. First, Mother Nature sets her limits, in terms of the avalanche stability, or the weather, or the snow conditions. Fair enough. No one can control those factors. The second kind of limits are operational. When the helicopter is responsible for more than one group of skiers, even in ideal The more groups per helicopter, the more logistical limits will be part of the scene, necessarily. No surprise, right? We assume you already know how to share when it matters, and that you can discern when you can get the best value by sharing the least. Purcell operates each and every day as a tailored private experience one group, one helicopter, 2000 square km of terrain - for a much lower price tag than other private programs. We know that there are already plenty of unknowns when you head into the backcountry that s all part of the adventure! But when you ve waited to spend hardearned cash on this peak experience, find out how many limits you ll be up against before you go. Bottom line: The number of skiers sharing the helicopter and the terrain is an important factor more sharing will mean more compromise. Find out the operational limits and decide what will match your expectations. Private heliskiing doesn t have to blow the budget.

3 BACK-UP PLAN I know we ve already talked back-up plans so far what s the plan if it hasn t snowed for a while? But there s also the big picture back-up plan to consider. What happens if the day gets cancelled? Different operators have different back-up plans, and it s smart to investigate your options and think about which one would make you happiest on an otherwise disappointing day. But why worry so much about it? Aren t down days really rare? Nope. They don t happen all the time, but they do happen. Admitting that they happen is what s rare. We re not shy to admit down days happen, for two reasons: First, we think our guests are smart enough and mature enough to handle the straight up truth, with no sugar-coating. For anyone flying a helicopter in mountain conditions in the winter, there will be times when it s not safe to go. End of story. Second, our openness about down days is all part of our nocompromise attitude about safety. If you want to be in this business for the long-term, you have to care more about taking care of people than keeping their money. We believe that when a business puts people first, success in the big picture is inevitable even if that means a full refund for everyone today. So, what will you be doing if you find yourself booked on one of those unlucky days? If you ve flown into a remote lodge, you re stuck where you are. Many operators have recognized that a massage and a few card games can fill the time, but people are there to ski, and cabin fever sets in quick. Several lodges now have snow cats on standby ready to take you to the skiing they can drive to, which takes visibility for flying out of the picture. This can be a great option if you don t mind subbing in some cat-skiing for heli, but keep in mind that the vertical you ski will likely count toward your promised package, and you and your operator may have a different view on how equivalent that really is, especially from a terrain quality point of view. Also, if you choose not to get onboard the cat, you ll be refusing skiing when it was possible to go. Most refund policies won t apply under those circumstances, so you likely won t be able to take a refund instead. If you ve chosen a self-accessed operation, your options are more diverse. You ll likely find yourself in a ski town, so the local mountain will be minutes away, and likely in great shape if the weather s too stormy to fly in! You ll also know what you re getting in terms of terrain, whether you re after the steeps or just a good stretch of vertical you can t get at home. Purcell is based right out of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, which has a well-earned reputation for exciting, challenging terrain and big vertical. If there s a delay due to weather, or a full down day, the gondola is literally RIGHT THERE, and if you don t get your package done, you get a refund AND you get to ski. Or maybe if the conditions aren t stellar, you d be happier with that full refund you ll get, and can enjoy a day doing something other than skiing. When you have easy access to the Trans-Canada, you can check out any number of local amenities and restaurants, in that town or the next one East or West. In a word freedom. Bottom line: Plan for bad luck so there are no surprises. Find out how much freedom to choose you have if the operator can t fly, how that might affect the refund policy, and consider what would be your top runner-up activity.

4TRAVEL TIME They say getting there is half the fun. But is it, really? I suppose it depends on your attitude, and you might be a more patient traveler than I, but travel times to your heli-ski experience can differ widely across the board (and across the province), so it s a significant factor to consider. Even from when you first arrive in Canada (or in the West from another part of the country), it could still be a couple days before you take those first deep turns. Getting to Calgary or Vancouver might be just the beginning. Some lodges will require another provincial flight to get you closer, or a full day s drive. This province of ours is big! Once you re at the road s end, you ll often have an overnight in a hotel before the next leg. Once you re shuttled to a staging area, a heli flight will get you to your final destination. For some people, this is all part of the adventure, and we re not trying to convince you otherwise. However, travel time can be significant if you choose a remote lodge, so it s good to become aware of just how much time it will take, whether that s acceptable to you, plus what happens if there are complications along the way (with logistics, weather, luggage, etc.). If there are any delays on the way out, you may be late getting to flights, so covering yourself with insurance, leaving extra time, or having some other kind of back-up plan may be smart planning. If all that time and travel sounds like a headache, then a self-accessed operation will strike you as refreshingly simple. Self-accessed means that regular roads and a regular vehicle can deliver you right to the door, where your helicopter awaits. Purcell operates right at the base of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, only 2.5 hours drive from Calgary International. No extra flights, long shuttles or heli timing to worry about. All the skiing amenities, all the terrain, all in one place. It s true, the Trans-Canada can be subject to bad winter weather and avalanche closures like anywhere else, but you can be sure that it s the first one to get the resources to open it as soon as possible. And don t worry: the starting point need not be remote for the terrain to be as empty and pristine as you re hoping for. From our heli-pad, you ll feel like you ve entered a different world after only a 10 minute flight. Bottom line: Your holiday time is precious. Look into how much of it will be spent getting there, what are the possible delays, and plan accordingly. It s your trip, so design it around what matters most to you.

5 WILL YOU BE GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR? Operators sell heli-skiing based around one of two models: either you pay for a certain amount of skiing (in metres skied, runs skied or heli time used) and if you ski more than that, you pay for the extra; or, you pay one price, and ski as much as you can. The latter model is what s often called unlimited vertical. Each model has its fans and detractors, and our bias is toward the traditional model rather than unlimited vertical. We ll explain what we feel are the key differences to think about. You might say, What could be wrong with unlimited vertical? Surely it s a better deal to be able to ski as much as you can, right? Our answer: maybe. What it comes down to is that you re gambling. You ll pay a premium price upfront, to make sure the operator is compensated for all the skiing you might do, and whether you re able to (or want to) ski as much as you paid for may depend on factors outside of your control. If conditions are average, or not great, or you re not sure how your endurance will hold out, you may end up getting an average amount of skiing not what the premium price represents. Yes, if conditions are epic and you re in shape to ski all day, it can be a great deal. The only snag in that case is that you may have to persuade the operator to keep going. At some tipping point, it won t be in their interest to keep going up. With the traditional model, there will be no hesitation on the part of the operator to get you that extra skiing when conditions are epic, by shortening lunch or moving faster, because they are being appropriately compensated for the service provided. With the traditional model it s true you may have to think about extra charges at the end of your day. But only if it s worth it to you. You decide whether or not you pay for extra once you re out there not before. There s no pressure on you to make sure you get your money s worth, out of money committed upfront, and there s no pressure on the operator to run themselves into the red. Isn t that fair and straightforward for everyone? Bottom line: Make sure you re signing up for what feels like a fair exchange for you. The last thing you want is to spend your day feeling worried, distracted, or impatient. Consider the variables beforehand and let the trip be a true escape from stress!