Frequently Asked Questions

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The following list outlines our most frequently asked questions. If you don't see what you are looking for we encourage you to contact our Guest Services team to discuss planning your heli ski vacation.
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Q. When should I arrive for my trip?

Guests arriving for multi-day packages should arrive in Revelstoke at The Hillcrest Hotel for check in by 5:00 pm. Our orientation starts at 6:00 pm on your day of arrival. Everyone is required to attend. You will learn essential information such as where and when to meet your group, safety information, hotel amenities, and more. If you happen to experience travel delays, please contact our staff at 1-800-663-7080.

Q. How fit do I need to be to heli ski?

To fully enjoy heli skiing you should be in good physical shape. We recommend that you engage in some kind of exercise program for eight to ten weeks prior to your ski trip. It stands to reason that the fitter you are, the better you will be able to overcome any skiing challenges and avoid injuries.

Q. Do I have to be an expert skier to book a package?

If you are a strong intermediate skier in a regular ski area you should be able to adapt to deep powder snow skiing. We recommend that you visit a ski area to brush up on your skills if it has been a while since you have strapped on skis or a board. If you can try some gladed runs and powder, that’s even better! Revelstoke Mountain Resort is close by, and a perfect match for the terrain you can expect to encounter in our tenure. We recommend that you try a pair of our high performance skis and boards suitable for the snow conditions.

Q. What will be the ability of the other skiers in my group?

When and where we can, we will try to put you in a group with similar skiing ability. However, certain factors may limit our ability to do this, including the type of program, length of stay, group size, and the combined weight of the group. Our options are limited and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter. To avoid any conflicts, simply convince ten of your closest friends to come with you!

Q. Can I bring my own skis or board?

You are certainly welcome to bring your own equipment, provided your skis have the mandatory brakes. If you have narrow carving skis, we would like to warn you that they likely won’t be suitable for heli skiing and you should make use of our wider options, which are included in your heliski package. Selkirk Tangiers continually carries new brands of skis and boards in various lengths and widths to provide you with the optimal tools for the conditions. You can find our current inventory here.

We do not have ski or snowboard boots available so we strongly recommend you carry your boots on the plane as hand luggage.

Q. What kind of clothing should I bring?

Clothing should be water resistant, windproof and breathable. If snow sticks to your suit, it is best to leave it at home. It is a good idea to bring several pairs of gloves or mitts and good socks. Temperatures vary from around the freezing mark to 30 degrees Celsius below zero, depending on the weather and the elevation. Bring clothing that you can layer so that it is possible to add or remove clothing as necessary. We have a selection of clothing, powder gloves and ski accessories for sale in our Retail Shop if you find that you have left something essential behind.

Q. What is the minimum age for heli skiing?

Heli skiing is a wilderness activity that involves risks, dangers, and hazards. Each participant must be capable of assisting themselves and others during an emergency situation. Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing requires participants to be 15 years of age or older. All participants who are 18 years old or younger must have a parent or guardian to co-sign their waiver as well as ski with them at all times. These age restrictions have been derived through over 40 years of operational experience and an evaluation of industry standards. We hope you understand and we look forward to skiing with you when the time is right.

Q. When is the best time to go heli skiing?

Ski conditions vary throughout the season. In early season – December, January, and early February, winter storms bring us plentiful snow resulting in deep powder conditions where we will tend to ski predominantly in the trees. As the season progresses into late February and March, we see more spring like skiing conditions with longer days and boot top to knee deep powder. This is the time of year when we reach our vast alpine bowls and glaciers more often. In April, we typically experience plenty of great snow at higher elevations with awesome corn snow skiing on the lower sections of the runs. These are generalizations and conditions can vary widely during any time of the season. We can experience all types of skiing within one week – it just depends on what Mother Nature gives us.

Q. Can my dietary requirements be catered for?

Our catered lunches are ordered from a local café the day prior to your trip. Please include any dietary restrictions on your booking form during registration. Please call or e-mail us at least 48 hours in advance to make any changes. Plus, our breakfast and après ski buffets offer a wide selection of food items. If you have trouble finding something that suits your needs at that time, a server will be happy to help.

Q. Do I need to sign a waiver?

Each guest is required to sign an industry standard Release of Liability Waiver form at our location prior to skiing. A copy of this waiver is located here: English | German| French. The waiver will be provided during check-in as it must be witnessed and signed by an STHS Guest Services staff member. If you would like to sign a waiver in a language other than English, please let our staff know at check-in and we will do our best to accommodate.

Q. Do I need to purchase medical insurance?

We are proud to provide Emergency Medical Coverage, including ambulance/evacuation insurance, as part of your package purchase. All claims do require that you be seen by a physician. We do recommend purchasing Trip Insurance to cover other facets of travel such as trip cancellation or interruption insurance and more comprehensive medical coverage. Details on our Emergeny Medical Insurance.

On the down days if  you are participating in an alternate activity – guided snowmobiling, dog sledding, shopping, resort skiing, snowshoeing, etc. you would continue to be covered under the Group Guest Emergency Medical program.

However, the insurer does NOT cover certain specific high-risk activities and are explicitly excluded from the policy:

  1. unguided snowmobiling in the backcountry
  2. ski touring or ski mountaineering in the backcountry with or without a guide

Q. Can I consume alcohol before or during my heli skiing experience?

For the safety and enjoyment of all participants, alcohol and drug consumption is strictly prohibited on the day of your heli skiing experience. Additionally, we recommend limiting alcohol consumption the evening before to ensure you are in peak condition for the adventure.

Q. Heli-assisted touring: What is it?

Enjoy a spectacular flight (bump) into the Monashee and Selkirk mountains. Save time and your energy for shredding instead of skinning through the brush on the up-track. This package includes a helicopter lift into a designated area within our tenure, an entire day of ski touring with your certified guide and then a heli pick-up at the end of the day. Your day will begin and end at the STHS base location at the Hillcrest Hotel. You will be the first group to fly in the morning and the last group to fly home in the afternoon!

Q. Heli-assisted touring: Do we need previous touring experience?

Yes. This program is best suited for people experienced in backcountry skiing and travel. The more experience you have the better – our guides base your touring day on the amount of experience you have. The more experienced the group, the better our guides’ chances are to access more challenging terrain and provide more runs during your heli-touring day.

Q. Heli-assisted touring: What do I need to bring?

You will need to bring your own touring equipment (skis or split board, boots, poles, backpack), water, and your favorite snacks. We provide all the safety equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel, radio). Also included in the package is a gourmet mountain lunch. Airbag backpacks are available for rent at our base. Please keep in mind that breakfast and apres-ski snacks are not included in the package but can be purchased at our base at the Hillcrest Hotel. (Please allow at least one hour in the morning if you wish to eat breakfast at the restaurant).

Q. Heli-assisted touring: What kind of terrain are we going to ski/board?

Bordering two pristine national parks, our heli skiing tenure is an unspoiled 500,000+ acre wilderness. With over 400 established runs from towering peaks to sheltered valley floors, we’ll show you a vast diversity of terrain options. Ski from alpine cols, across wide open glaciers dotted with stunning seracs and bergschrunds, through rolling meadows and down into old growth cedar rainforest, past giant centuries-old trees. Our runs vary from 500 vertical meters in length to over 2.2 vertical kilometers.

Q. Heli-assisted touring: Where are we going to ski/board?

No one likes to hear machines while in the backcountry; therefore, we will be accessing parts of our 500,000 + acre tenure that are not in use for our regular heli-skiing packages. As much as we can, we will avoid areas where you could see or hear one of our helicopters flying, while keeping within an acceptable helicopter distance for safety purposes.

Q. Heli-assisted touring: What is the cost?

Our Heli-assisted touring program is priced per group of either 1-4 people or a group of 5-8 people. You can choose to come with a group of friends to have the best rate possible by splitting the cost between you or book your own trip and have a one-to-one experience with your guide.