Whistler March 2013 Part 2 - Heli-Boarding Return to Snowboarding Home Page

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After years of umming and ahhing on whether to splash out the money to do it, we commit to a full day's heli-boarding - the 'Ultimate Package'.

Originally scheduled for the Saturday, that day's avalanche danger, meant we had to wait until the Monday....

Checking out our beast for the day...

 

Actually looks quite small, but there would be 5 in the party plus a pilot and our guide...

 

 

Nervous excitement as we awaited our first take-off and ride...

 

Fantastic, fully frosted views as we headed to our landing spots...

The slopes were fully loaded and untouched...

 

We'd barely seen the sun all week - our first landing spot in beautiful bluebird conditions...

 


It was all so full-on, that we seldom got the cameras out.

Part way down a run - Michael, Martin and our Austrian guide... Robert...

 

Andy at the pick-up point for another flight up - grins were in evidence permanently...

 
Another drop-off...


 

The rotors blasted us with snow with every take-off and landing - you wanted to look, even if only to see where the rotors were...

We had the most senior guide and were the first on any mountain - we'd look around and only see our tracks on a whole mountainside - awesome...

You had to crouch down pretty close to the helicopter to be out of the way of the rotors - especially when it sank in deeper snow...

 

... and away again...

 

The Amphitheatre... trackless - or it was before we got there...

The camera got a bit moist, but there was no time to wipe it... on the top of a ridge...

Andy at the pick-up point...

Grins all round...

Robert our guide at the top of another untracked bowl...

Top to bottom - Martin, Andy and Michael...

 

Looking back to our tracks...

Close up of the Heli after another drop off...

 

Manic grins...

 

and away she goes... blasting time again...

 

Hurrah...

 

The satellite phone in my backpack...

 

No time for a rest Andy...

Robert, Andy, Martin & Michael...

Martin, Michael, Andy & Me and our tracks...

 

In more perspective...

 

Just our tracks - what a day - we'd booked for the biggest 6-run package and then bought another 4 runs on the day - great for the soul if not for the bank account...

Yes I do...

  

Next - Part 3 - Meanwhile in WB

 
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