Heli-Hiking in British Columbia
Canadian Mountain Holidays Helicopter Hikng in Adamants, Bugaboos
Feb 23, 2009
To a dyed-in-the-wool backpacker, the idea of being dropped on a mountain seems a little like cheating. Then reality intervenes: With few roads and huge distances, the mountains of British Columbia are among the world’s wildest, most beautiful – and least accessible. A chopper is the only practical way to reach their remote center. Otherwise, it would take the length of an average person's vacation simply to get to the trailhead.
Heli-hiking was born in the 1960s when Hans Gmoser, a Swiss immigrant to Canada who started the first heli-skiing operation, decided to bring summer guests to the mountains. He imported the Swiss tradition of mountain huts to the Canadian wilderness, and used helicopters to move hikers to otherwise inaccessible backcountry. Today, Canadian Mountain Holidays runs six heli-hiking lodges in British Columbia, all boasting creature comforts - gourmet meals, pasty-chef concoctions, wine cellars, massages, hot tubs, saunas, and comfortable private rooms - as well as hiking gear and guides.
But a heli-hiking trip is no softie-pseudo-adventure. CMH offers all levels of hiking, from serene wildflower hikes to adventure programs to first ascents of previously unclimbed peaks (for experienced climbers only, and at the discretion of a guide).
Skill Level and Experience Required for CMH Heli-Hiking
It takes no special skill or experience to go on a guided heli-hiking trip, although with fewer aches and pains, fitter guests will certainly enjoy the experience more. Nonetheless, guests range from people who have never been above treeline before to experienced alpine junkies who live to breathe the thin cold air of higher altitudes.
After a brief orientation, newly-arrived guests are taken for a short hike, where guides surreptitiously evaluate their comfort level on alpine terrain. The hike might include boulder hopping and scree-sliding, or some strenuous uphill hiking. Guides are looking for anyone who might need an extra helping hand - or might want an extra challenge. After guests are back at the lodge, guides plan the next day's outing, taking into account what they've learned about the guests, and, of course, the weather.
A Typical Day Heli-Hiking in British Columbia
The trip to the mountains starts with a huddle. On a guide's signal, hikers crouch in a circle, shoulders hunched, hands clutched on backpacks. Gore-Tex jackets flap; loose pebbles scatter like miniature missiles under the assault of the wind. On another signal, the hikers scurry into the chopper, which sways and lifts gently.
The views are spectacular. At the Adamants Lodge, for example, the ride includes a thrilling swoop between the so-called “Waldorf Towers,” a precipitous W-shaped rock formation that looms on either side like skyscraper walls.
It only takes a few minutes to reach the high country. The chopper lands, and standing in stunned silence, the hikers try to absorb the waves of snow-tipped peaks, the craggy gray glacier, the rainbow of alpine flowers.
Sorted by interest, fitness, and experience, hikers are divided into groups, each with a guide. One might take a leisurely stroll, stopping to smell the glacier lilies. The next heads off to scramble along ridges and boot-ski down snowfields. And a small group straps into climbing harnesses, picks up ice axes, and heads uphill to climb.
Depending on the trip, the chopper may pick up hikers at several drop spots during the day, and take them to other ridges, or a particularly nice spot for lunch. Tired hikers also have the option of getting an early ride back to the lodge for rest and recovery.
Regardless of whether hikers are experienced alpine adventurers or first-timers, CMH offers a memorable experience in some of the world’s most beautiful and inaccessible mountain ranges.
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