Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-10-12)

averaging4,300feetdown.

Who:VeteranguideGregHarms,

ownerofThirdEdgeHeli,

skiedtheworldbeforedubbing

LaParvahisShangri-La.His

tripsincludelodgingatCasa

Farellones,anintimatehideaway

withpanoramicmountainviews.

Sevendaysfrom$29,000per

person;thirdedgeheli.com

SANJUANMOUNTAINS,

COLORADO

When:Thesnowpackis

mostreliableinMarchandApril.

Why:ThecontiguousU.S.has

fewoptionsforheli-skiing.Not

onlydoesthisexceptionclaim

someofthehighestandsteepest

skiableelevationsinNorth

America,butit’salsogreatfor

snowcatskiing,whichis more

accessibleandlessdependenton

pristineweather.TheSanJuan’s

variedrunssitlargelyabovethe

treelineandaverage1,000to

3,000verticalfeet.

Who:SilvertonPowdercats

canaccess6,000-plusacresof

terrain.Forexperts,Silverton

Mountainresorthasa wide

rangeofsingleormultiday

options.Singlehelidropsfrom

$179;silvertonmountain.com

◼

HOKKAIDO,JAPAN

When:January—or“Japanuary”

aspowderhoundssay—isusually

thesnowiestmonthoftheyear.

Why:Unfathomablydeep,

superlightflufftopsslopesthat

areoftenlesssteepthanyour

typicalresortblack.Thethrills

arevisual,withbirchforests

offsettingopenglades.

Who:HokkaidoBackcountry

Clubofferssixtop-to-bottom

runsofthedormantShiribetsu-

Dakevolcano,totaling

21,786verticalfeet.Single

daysfrom$1,530perperson;

hokkaidobackcountryclub.com

◼

SOUTHERNALPS,

NEWZEALAND

When:Primeconditionsare

inAugust.

Why:Thisarea’streeless

terrainalsostandsoutforits

covetedspringcorn—soft,

forgivingsnowthat’snottoowet

orslushy.

Who:HarrisMountainsHeli-Ski

is thelargestoperatorin

Queenstown,whichimprovesthe

likelihoodofbeinggroupedwith

skiersandsnowboardersofthe

sameability.Singledaysfrom

$800perperson;heliski.co.nz

◼

EUROPEANALPS

When:FebruaryandMarch

providebettersnowdepthon

theglaciers.

Why:A singleintermediate-

friendlyglacierruncanlast

thewholeday—araretreat

intheskiingworld.Useit as

anexcusetolinkfromvalleyto

valley,stoppingmidwayfora

leisurelyoutdoorlunchintrue

Europeanstyle.Youcanfind

yourselfundertheMatterhorn

inSwitzerlandononedayand

belowMontBlancinFrance

thenext.

Who: SwisSkiSafari owner

Danielle Stynes skis and

snowboards every line to

uncover the best hotels

and restaurants across

a regionthatspansItaly,

France,andSwitzerland.

From$1,500perpersonper

day;swisskisafari.com

◼
GREENLAND
When:Maybringsthepossibility
ofskiingunderthemidnightsun.
Why:Summit-to-searunsspan
4,000verticalfeetormore,
plusthechanceofa polar
bearsighting.Thevarietyof
wide-open,low-angledglacier
runsmakesit accessible(and
lessintimidating)forfirst-time
heli-skiersaswell.
Who:Heartymealsanda
tasteoflocalcultureatHotel
Kulusukontheeasternsideof
Greenlandroundouttripsfrom
thelocaltrailblazer,ArcticHeli
Skiing.Seven-daypackages
from$13,930perperson;
PREVIOUS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID CARLIER. THIS SPREAD: arcticheliskiing.com^57

COURTESY BELLA COOLA HELI SPORTS

SKI SPECIAL Bloomberg Pursuits October 12, 2020

Heli-skiers in Canada