Heli-Skiing

Heli-skiing | The ultimate challenge!

Helicopter skiing and snowboarding is the ultimate dream for many winter sports enthusiasts. However, for a lot of people it feels unattainable; only something for the rich and famous. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our luxury ski holidays take you to the most exotic winter destinations in the world while remaining accessible for anyone. How do we do this? We’ll explain that later on…

Our goal is to provide you with an ecstasy of happiness. After the helicopter drops you off, the silence returns and you suddenly find yourself in the midst of a surreal snowclad world. We know this experience by heart and we want to offer you the opportunity to enjoy it too!

What is heli-skiing or Heli-boarding?

Based from a remote lodge (in other words: a location in the middle of the wilderness) you will make multiple ‘drops’ per day in best possible mountain descents. These descents have been researched and selected in advance. With the aid of the helicopter, you’ll fly from the lodge to snow-tipped mountains with the best possible freeriding conditions. The heli allows going to places which are not accessible in any other way…  😉

Cloud9 Travel originated from the CMH agent for the Benelux countries. In time, we expanded from legendary heli-trips to Canada into luxury skiing holidays to Alaska, Iceland, Greenland, Chile and New Zealand too. In addition to those, we also offer cat-skiing in Macedonia (starting from € 999, -!). This experience is closer to home but just as cool!

Every year, we organize exclusive trips in cooperation with other skiing organizations. The WePowder trip is a journey in which ultra-deep powder and tree-skiing are central. This trip gets sold out year after year! In addition, we make your wildest dream come true with our Alaska heli-ski trip to Haines. And last but certainly not least: the 2019 Poederbaas Catski-trip is the perfect way to experience your first freeriding. This location offers the best freeriding in Europe without the downside of faraway traveling!

Common misconceptions and prejudices about heli-skiing

If you and your friend ever talked about bucket list goals, then it’s pretty sure heli-skiing has been mentioned. There are however, a lot of misconceptions clouding the conversation about heli-skiing. We’ve listed the most common misconceptions and prejudices about heli skiing and luxury ski holidays just for you. Enjoy!

“Do I have to jump out of the helicopter? That is too extreme for me! “

‘Unfortunately’, this only happens in movies… The helicopter always lands for you to step out. In fact, it is forbidden to jump out of the helicopter!

“Helicopter skiing is far too expensive, it will cost you at least ten thousand euro!

It doesn’t have to be that way. Heli-skiing might be more expensive than a normal skiing holiday to the Alps, but this isn’t a ‘normal’ skiing holiday. Heli-skiing is an unforgettable adventure which is more accessible than most people think it is.

The costs of these winter sports trips are based on a logical sum up of all prices including guides, security equipment, lodges, food and of course the use of the helicopter itself. For instance, prices at CMH Revelstoke in Canada start from € 3000,- Do you wish to know the exact prices per destination? View our destinations page or contact us.

“Heli-skiing is for real pros only!”

Not true… Heli-skiing is for everyone! Young, old, advanced or novice. Yes, that’s right. Even beginners can join our heli-ski tours! Did you know that our youngest participant ever was only 8 years old? The oldest was 85!
Another great example of the accessibility of heli-skiing is shown in our collaboration with Bibian Mentel’s Mentelity Foundation. Together with them we organized a wonderful trip for physically limited skiers and snowboarders. Heli-skiing isn’t necessarily looking for the steepest descents. Often, the slopes where you will ski or snowboard are not steeper than a red or black slope. Of course, steeper is possible, but not a necessity.  If you’re into really steep stuff, we offer plenty of opportunities to challenge yourself. In Alaska, for example. But to us, it is not all just about that. Rather, it’s about beautiful unspoiled terrain and perfect snow quality.

“You must be super fit and athletic to go heli-skiing or heli-boarding”

Heli-skiing is for every fit boarder or skier whose technical skills in loose snow or moguls help with enjoying powder snow. The tempo is always adjusted to the level of the group and you will always we placed in an appropriate group. Think about it, you could ski or snowboard through pristine areas in the company of your whole family or best friends. Just reach out to us and we’ll make it happen.

“It is very dangerous because of avalanches”

Thanks to the largest and most professional guiding team in the world, you are in good hands. The organizations Cloud9 Travel works with all have excellent snow and avalanche risk management systems. With the aid of these, the weather, quality, and structure of the snow and the avalanche danger are constantly monitored. Thanks to further continuous measurements in the field, your safety is maximally guaranteed.

“Single flights or day trips are cheaper”

Booking A heli-ski trip in a package always provides the most value for money. Why? Because single flights are proportionally more expensive. In our heli-ski trips you’ll enjoy several days of the best spots with the nicest and friendliest guides and groups in the industry. Before your first flight you a general explanation about the heli, safety procedure and of course some warm-up skiing or snowboarding. You need a day to get the feeling back (just like regular winter sports holidays), to get to know the group and to make the best use of the available terrain. A single day simply isn’t enough!

The helicopters used at our locations are an important part of this ultimate winter sports experience that we wish to realize for you. For some, flying with the helicopter is only a logistical necessity to reach these exotic locations. However, for many of us the helicopter flight is in itself a breathtaking experience! Your experience in the heli will not be rushed as in ‘the movies’, but considered an awesome experience in itself for you and your group to enjoy.

It goes without saying that safety is a very important factor for us and our partners.  Not only on the mountain, but also in the air. That’s why the helicopters are maintained on location by qualified engineers and are flown by the most experienced ‘mountain pilots’ in the world. Moreover, our partners work exclusively with reputable organizations in the helicopter industry. This ensures that you will always enter the heli with peace of mind.

Safety in the mountains is of vital importance. That’s why we work exclusively with the best organizations and the most professional guides on the planet. You will notice this when you go out with these guides. In part due to their extensive experience, they always put safety first when it comes to skiing. But at the same time, this doesn’t hamper the sense of camaraderie and fun for the group. This team spirit is also clearly visible in the hotels, where you, together with the guides, pilots, masseuses, servers and other staff all share their meals around communal tables.

Did you know that the CMH Mountain Guides (Canada) go through an 8-year certification process before they can officially work as a guide!? 

The above should indicate a little bit about the experience of our guides… These heli-ski guides know their mountains by heart and have years of skiing experience! Additionally, they are trained in:

• Avalanche risk evaluations & risk management
• Weather analysis
• FIRST AID

Are you curious about the history of one of our partners? Then please watch this video!

Convinced?

In short: heli-skiing is an experience which you can and should mark off your bucket list! A sport which puts safety first thanks to top-notch guides, highly advanced safety systems and veteran pilots in state-of-the-art helicopters. And the best thing yet.. It’s in arms reach for you to enjoy!

Moreover, it doesn’t have to be expensive to explore the most freeride destinations in the world from your lodge in Alaska, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland or from our Cat-skiing destination in Macedonia. Whether you are a novice- or an experienced freerider, you have the possibility to discover the most exotic and exciting freeride destinations in the world!

Do you want to know more about our destinations? Then go explore the rest of this website or get in touch with us straight away.