Beginners Guide to Heliskiing

The ski and snowboard world is divided into two. Those who have heli-skied and those who have not. Those who have taunt those who have not with tails of big extreme mountain terrain, endless powder and hard core turns. Those who have not predictably tremble in fear.

I am here to tell you the truth. If you can ski all the inbound commercial resort runs in Australia and New Zealand then you can heli-ski. The myth that heli-skiing is only for the criminally insane is kept alive by ski and snowboard feature films where the truly insane-for-a-living professionals jump from helicopters, teeter on the edge of 60-degree vertical slopes and race avalanches down the mountain. The truth, however, is far more tame.

With the Aussie dollar hitting over 99 US cents and already one for one with the Canadian dollar, now is the time to fulfill that heli-ski dream in North America this coming season. If you think you don't have what it takes, think again.

Read on for a beginners guide to heli-skiing [ Sydney Morning Herald ]