Frequently Asked Questions

We guarantee fresh tracks and the guides try to select terrain suitable for each group’s abilities. Because our vertical drop is so large, we encounter most mountain environments, from perfect, high-alpine conditions, down through the weather and temperature bands to the tree runs. Depending on the weather and the snow conditions, and your own personal preference, our guides will find the perfect run for you. You won’t be taken down anything you’re not comfortable with. And of course, if you want steep terrain, our guides will be happy to take you there.

Not at all. We cater for all skier and snowboarder abilities and offer all types of terrain, from off-piste blue run heliskiing to extreme freeriding and cliff jumps. And our guides are great at listening to what you want, so please talk to them about what runs you love and they’ll be able to find your dream spot.

There are of course calculated risks when going off-piste, whether that is in a helicopter or not. However our experienced mountain guides, coupled with the best safety equipment and prior training, mean you can rest assured you are in the safest of hands.

There is always some level of avalanche danger in the mountains in winter. This danger level changes constantly with changing snow and weather conditions. The guides monitor snow and weather conditions on a daily basis. The current risk of avalanche is always considered by the guides when choosing the runs to ski.

Paying for a seat (s) in a shared helicopter rather than all 4 seats in a private helicopter allows you to enjoy a heli experience without needing to find a complete group or paying for the spare seats. This of course comes with a level of flexibility required by all members of the group. There may well be a mix of skiers and snowboarders, novice off pisters to more advanced. We guarantee a minimum of one descent and if everyone in your helicopter on the day is happy to pay for a second then we can of course go ahead. Shared helicopters need also to give us as many days as they possibly can to get the helicopter up around the shared groups differing availability so the more flexible you are the more likely we have a group for you. Don’t worry we have several shared groups each week going up so it’s very likely if you are prepared to be accommodating that we will get you heliskiing. If we don’t manage it you will get a full refund if cancelled before the proposed heliski day. If however the group is prepared ready and skiing to the helipad in La Rosiere when the weather turns bad, then just like the private helis the group will use and pay for the guide or instructor for a day of off piste around La Rosiere / La thuile and any thing they use but never for the heliskiing they have not had.

Absolutely not. The helicopter will land on a safe and flat patch of snow so you can disembark easily. During your safety training we will review proper helicopter entry and exit procedures, and your guide will be responsible for loading and unloading all of the ski gear for each lift. It’s just like getting out of a car, you open the door, step out and that’s it: you’re at the top of the mountain.

Don’t worry many people feel like this either in a shared off piste, Touring or heliski/ board group. The fact is the Guide or Instructor will try to accommodate all levels in the group by findings slightly different route choices to keep all levels interested and keep the weaker members close to him/ her giving technique tips as you go along. However being in a shared group requires patience and flexibility by all parties advanced and novice despite us trying to manage groups to be as similar as possible if you are paying for a seat rather than a private helicopter you must be prepared to share your experience with people of varying ability.

Just like any active mountain holiday experience you will enjoy the activity with us more if you are fitter. It’s all about getting enough sleep and not drinking alcohol the night before your activity with us and having a positive mental attitude. See our Ability Level Calculator for off piste level and fitness requirements. As a novice we would expect you to need less fitness than someone tackling more advanced terrain. We do understand that some of our clients work hard to pay for their fun and spend less time doing sport or in the gym than they would wish for

We take skiers and snowboarders from 14 years old. However, in some circumstances we allow for younger riders and skiers if agreed by the guides. We are more concerned with younger mountain users to be able to stay in the group and to take instruction from the guides, as well as their skiing or snowboarding ability. Get in touch if you’d like to know more.

Yes. We host women of all ages throughout our ski season – some in large groups, some with their partners, some single women looking for fresh powder, and many families. Most women underestimate their skills but once they heliski, they realize they can enjoy the backcountry. For those looking for some instruction and a confidence boost before heading out in the helicopter, we recommend booking yourself onto our 1 day heli ski preparation course.

It’s simple, email us on info@valheliski.com or call us on +44 1329 339 621 (UK) / +33 757 43 74 18 (France), or make contact on what’s app using the button at the bottom right of the webpage. To make a reservation you need to pay the deposit and fill in your client details on our booking platform and you will be emailed.

We are a specialist off piste & heliski operator with years of experience dedicated to providing our clients with the most memorable experience of their life.

We have over 100 heliski groups a week including many shared groups that we can add you to. It’s important to note however that sharing a group may require you to compromise on ability level or number of descents; the total group agrees to pay and could well be a mix of skiers and boarders. Whilst we try to match groups as best as we can please allow for a worst case scenario.

Keeping a group private will ultimately allow total freedom on speed of the descent, ability level and number of descents taken on the day.

For private groups we can organise a 4 passenger heli transfer from your resort helipad to the heliski area direct and back again. For heli airport or inter resort transfers we can organise a heli for private groups of between 4-6 people from your local resort helipad to your chosen destination for a lunch stop and return back or for an onward journey.

There is no limit. If you let us know your required amount of people in advance we can organise it.

Yes. If you want to have the ultimate door to door experience, we’re happy to pick you up at the airport and take you to your chalet, or vice versa. Here’s a recent article in the Telegraph about our heli transfer services.

Yes you can and we will accommodate you wherever possible. The earlier you book this day in the more likely we are able to confirm availability. If it’s a non heli related activity we will lock you in regardless of weather. However,
if it’s a heli related activity we may need to shift to another of your available days around the weather but we will keep
you informed on our joint Whatsapp group the weekend of / before your trip with a weather forecast and activity plan.