DISPELLING HELISKI MYTHS:

Originaly published at: http://www.snowzine.com/2013/10/dispelling-heli-skiing-myths/

Have you ever dreamt of jumping into a helicopter, being whisked to the top of a snow capped peak, followed by a heavenly descent back down the mountain through untouched off piste powder?  Heli-skiing is the holy-grail for many skiers and snowboarders and something that many of us aspire to experience one day.  Often however, people are wary of the misconceptions surrounding this extreme sports activity and may be nervous of taking the plunge.  In this article with the expert guidance of Val Heli Ski we will shed some light on the common myths of heli-skiing and show you that it is probably more accessible than you think.

Myth 1: Only expert skiers are skilled enough to powder ski.

Truth: Upgrades in equipment and guidance have opened up huge swathes of top class ski terrain to intermediate level skiers, making heli-skiing accessible to more skiers and boarders than you may have first thought.

Myth 2: Heli-skiing is not for families.

Truth: Many of the terrains made accessible by helicopters are suitable for skiers aged twelve and up. It’s not unusual to see three generations of a family tackle the same run.  It can be a truly memorable activity to experience together as a family and something you will all remember for years to come.

Myth 3: You jump out of the helicopter buy propecia online in usa James Bond style.

Truth: You land on a safe, flat patch of snow and you disembark with the help of the guide.  Whilst this may not be the action movie scene you had thought you would be recreating, it ensures that you will have a safe, confident start to the thrills you are about to experience on your descent.

Myth 4: Snowboarders and skiers don’t mix when heli-skiing.

Truth: Borders are fine as long as they receive guidance on issues relating to terrain such as anticipating flat sections, not getting too low on traverse, setting bindings towards the rear for deep powder, carrying extra binding parts and using ski tracks to their advantage.

Myth 5: Heli-skiing will bankrupt me.

Truth: Heli-skiing in France can be done from €399 per person, so considering a night out in Val d’Isere can easily amount to this, why not sacrifice a night out in favour of a day heli-skiing?  Helicopters normally seat up to 4 guests so go in groups of 4 and you will reduce your costs.

Myth 6: Heli-skiing is dangerous

Truth: There are of course calculated risks when going off piste, however the experience of the qualified mountain guides coupled with the most sophisticated safety equipment such as ABS backpacks ensures you are in the safest of hands.