HELI-SKIING WITH CMH -

If you like to ski but have never tried Heli-skiing, you must put a trip with CMH in the Kootenays on your bucket list.

On Friday, February 25, Mike and I had the amazing opportunity to go heli-skiing with CHM (Canadian Mountain Holidays).
For our blog fans living far away, CMH operates a Heli-ski lodge out of Nakusp. People come from all over the world to experience the amazing powder that our vast mountain terrain offers all winter.

And now we know why.

It helped that Friday was the sunniest day we've had in weeks, and the absence of wind meant that it was WARM!!!

CMH is ran by professionals. Their primary goal is to give you the best experience possible, while doing it safely. Their track record for safety is unblemished, and I felt very safe all day; and judging by all the smiles on everyone in our group, I think that feeling was shared by all. The guides know the terrain well, and won't take you where your safety is at risk.

They also make the entire experience as comfortable as possible; water and juice is available in the helicopter, along with snacks to keep your energy up. And they serve an amazing lunch, including hot soup and beverages, in the alpine.

Mike McKenzie, our pilot for the day is ranked one of the best in the world, having 35 plus years experience with heli-skiing. We ski in groups; ours was 10 people, most of them from Germany and our guide Dan. We skied almost 6,000 meters (or 18,000 feet) that day. After it was all over, my legs were screaming but you couldn't wipe the grin off my face. That was by far the best day of skiing of my life!


One thing to keep in mind though is that the terrain is not easy; although CMH does run clinic on how to ski powder and trees (or glades), it isn't offered on all trips so if you are an average skier, it might be overwhelming on your first day. (check their list on the website "are you ready for your first time? - it'll give you a good idea if you can do this or not). But for those looking for powder, CMH delivers; no one skied someone elses tracks all day, unless you chose to.

There is one bad thing about it.... it is ADDICTIVE! We are hooked.


We ended the day at the Nakusp Hot Springs with some of the skiers; a warm lunch and beverages awaits skiers, and shuttle buses are available at different times to take them back to the lodge. We met some of our new friends from the day back at the lodge to share a beer and a few stories.

So thank you Ken, Cheryl, Patrick, Dan and everyone at CHM for making this ski day the best we've ever had. From now on, we'll have to put aside holiday money to do this at least once a year.

For more information on CHM and the different lodges they operate, visit their website at: www.canadianmountainholidays.com. For those who don't ski, they also offer summer adventures.