Head for heights: Heliskiing thrills in British Columbia's Revelstoke
Drizzle slid down the window at increasing speed, a wall of thick, white cloud encircling the foothills of the mountain behind it. Rain dripped from the eaves of shuttered shops; wipers swung across the windscreens of slow-moving trucks. At the peak of its operations, up to 25 helicopters take flight from the Canadian ski resort of Revelstoke every day, ferrying fearless skiers to the untouched slopes and deep-powder terrain of the vast mountain ranges that surround it. But no helicopters were taking off today.
“It’s not looking good, guys,” Gigi confirmed regretfully at breakfast, our hearty plates of hash brown stacks and bacon sandwiches now seeming incongruous. With long, wispy, white-blond hair and a rock–solid disposition that made you trust every word he said without question, Gigi was exactly how I imagined a heliskiing guide with more than 34 years’ experience to be. “Visibility is low and there’s a high avalanche risk,” he continued. “You won’t be getting out today.” It was a tough pill to swallow. Revelstoke isn’t an easy hike from the UK – our route the day prior had included an eight‑hour flight from Heathrow to Calgary, a one‑hour internal flight to Kelowna and a two-hour drive to Revelstoke – and we, like many others, had come here only for one thing.
Heliskiing capital
Canadian geologist Art Patterson is widely credited with conceiving the idea of using helicopters to transport skiers to remote areas, but it’s Austrian-born mountaineer Hans Gmoser who is considered the father of commercial heliskiing, initiating operations in British Columbia’s Bugaboo Mountains in 1965 and founding Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heliskiing and heli-hiking company in the world. Heliskiing has taken off across myriad mountain destinations, but British Columbia remains the heliskiing capital of the world – and Revelstoke is its epicentre. Situated in the valley that divides the Monashee and Selkirk Mountains, it serves up mile upon mile of untamed wilderness and epic backcountry skiing from a lively in-town location.
It’s not hard to see what compelled former real-estate boss Chad Pike and his interior designer wife Blake to set up camp here. The pair own experiential travel company Eleven, whose intimate properties in unique locations around the world aim to deliver exclusive access to some of the world’s best adventure terrain. Other outposts in the 13-strong portfolio include a 15th-century sheep farm in northern Iceland, a remote lodge in Chilean Patagonia, and a collection of riverfront cottages in New Zealand’s South Island. Revelstoke was the perfect addition.
High-end appeal
After taking over The Explorers Society Hotel in downtown Revelstoke in 2022, Eleven closed the 1911 property for a refurbishment last year, and it re-emerged in February with a sleek yet down-to-earth feel. Its 12 rooms (including three new split-level suites) are spacious and well appointed, with exposed brick, retro furniture, dark wood accents and bright splashes of colour. The hotel is positively unfussy and yet high end in all the right places: a waft of jasmine and quince greets guests as they walk through the door; a basement wellness area, though compact, offers tailored treatments; and a cleverly designed boot room features individually named lockers and welcome mod cons. On the third floor, there’s a cosy lounge and bar furnished with deep seats, stacked bookshelves and a roaring fireplace, while outside, a rooftop overlooking the mountains houses a hot tub, sauna, steam room and firepit. In the basement, the property’s former boiler room has been designed to emulate a secret speakeasy, with lacquered teal booths and a quartz-topped bar.
Staff strike the right balance of being relaxed and friendly while delivering ultra-personalised service. Guests fill out a preference sheet before they arrive, meaning staff are well versed in their favourite food, drink and even music long before they step through the door. The new and improved lodge is no doubt a draw, but it’s Eleven’s ability to connect clients – mostly uber-wealthy daredevil types from the US, UK and Canada – with some of the best ski terrain and powder on the planet that truly sets it apart.
Its partner heli operation, Kingfisher, has a 300,000-acre tenure in the famed Monashee and Valhalla ranges, meaning guests can traverse old cedar forests, huge alpine bowls and steep, spiny trails with not another skier in sight. A fleet of shiny, red A-Star B3E and B2 aircraft – known as the Ferrari of helicopters – ferry guests into the backcountry, their nimble size allowing them to reach any area with ease. Eleven’s focus is firmly on exclusivity, meaning no more than four guests per helicopter and a guide-to-guest ratio of 1:2.
Our mid-March visit coincided with a shift in the weather, with a substantial rise in temperature creating instabilities in the snowpack, greatly heightening the risk of avalanche. But it was reassuring to know this was an anomaly. During the peak season of December to March, most guests come to Eleven Revelstoke Lodge for three to four days, and can expect to get out on the mountain every morning. On the rare occasion fog keeps the helis grounded, there’s plenty of small-town charm to soak up in Revelstoke and more reliable slopes at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. In the unlikely event that guests, like us, can’t get out at all, Eleven will credit their stay so they can return later in the season or the following year.
Safety first
And, ultimately, that’s the reality of adrenaline pursuits. Mother Nature reigns supreme and safety comes above guest satisfaction. Sitting in on one of the team’s morning briefings gave us an insight into the vast data Eleven assesses to select each day’s runs (there are more than 200 to choose from), with guides observing readings from webcams in the field, analysing weather and snowpack intelligence and sharing data with other local operations. “We’re a very conservative guiding operation,” Gigi said as we sat down for avalanche training in the lounge – something every guest must undertake, alongside helicopter training, before getting out on the mountain. We were shown how to use a transceiver, avalanche probe and rescue shovel – all of which guests carry in backpacks fitted with toggle-activated airbag systems. At the aircraft hangar we learned how to ‘bundle’ our skis so they’re easier to haul into the aircraft’s equipment basket, how to enter and exit the helicopter and how to ‘heli-huddle’ on the mountain as it comes into land.
On day three, the fog had eased and we were able to get airborne, gawping at the mountains as they sprawled out before us. It was bittersweet – as giddy as we were to be above the clouds, it was a reminder of how close we had come to skiing in one of the world’s most iconic places. Many companies offer heliskiing in Revelstoke, but few do it like Eleven. Despite our lack of skiing, the team worked hard to deliver many moments of genuine surprise and delight – saving the best for our last day, when we found Gigi at the top of a wooded trail. “Follow the path and it’ll lead you to paradise,” he said with a knowing grin. We meandered between the trees to find chairs with throws and cushions arranged around a crackling fire, and a table set up to emulate a bar with local beers, mulled wine and gourmet charcuterie. And, just like that, we didn’t mind that the trip hadn’t gone exactly to plan.
Beyond Heliskiing
How to spend a day in Revelstoke if heliskiing is off the cards
Big Eddy Pub
A Revelstoke institution since 1975, those in the know come here for one thing: the Big Eddy Caesar. A local take on Canada’s favourite divisive tipple – the Bloody Caesar, which raises a Bloody Mary with the addition of clam juice – it’s a must-try in this quintessentially Canadian mountain inn.
Cantina del Centro
It wasn’t the extensive quesadilla and taco menu that drew us into Cantina del Centro, nor its 11 types of margarita – each hand-shaken and served on the rocks – but the multi-lane, five-pin old-school bowling alley that provides endless entertainment during a rainy afternoon.
Monashee Spirits
This small, family-run distillery and cocktail bar is always humming with activity. All spirits on its eclectic cocktail list are made by hand using local ingredients, and friendly bar staff are evidently passionate about their craft, injecting an enormous amount of flair into each drink they make.
Quartermaster Eatery
Eleven Revelstoke Lodge has a constantly convivial vibe thanks to its next-door restaurant and bar, which is open to locals as well as guests. A seasonal menu includes dishes such as Icelandic Arctic char, braised lamb ragù and sablefish ‘wings’, while a central bar haloed by an impressive collection of spirits keeps visitors well hydrated.
Book it: Heliskiing at Eleven Revelstoke Lodge starts from about £8,464 per night for one to three guests, and about £17,499 per night for four to eight guests, both excluding tax. The price includes guided heliskiing with Kingfisher, all the necessary gear, pre-arrival planning, chef-prepared breakfast, lunch and après, and house alcoholic and non-alcohol beverages.
elevenexperience.com
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