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After two days of steady snow, the skies cleared to make way for a spectacular Sunday over the Selkirk Mountains. The group were gifted with dream conditions for their first heli experience and arrived at the Purcell operation with anticipation of an adrenaline fuelled day ahead. After comprehensive avalanche and helicopter safety talks, the time had come to step into our 5 star chairlift and head for powder covered peaks. Taking just 6 minutes from Golden to the first drop-off zone, the chopper is certainly the fastest and most exciting way to travel in this part of the world. Stunning views of Golden, Columbia Valley and Purcell, Selkirk and Rocky Mountain Ranges just made the trip seem even quicker.

And so began one of life’s unforgettable days. Most snowriders dream of at least one heli experience, and we certainly made the most of ours. Helicopters and powder are both magnetic entities so combining the two together with great weather led to an incredible day.

The first run was a mellow one; with the guides making sure we were all safe and competent in the conditions. After a fall here, and a forward roll there, the group were soon opening out their turns with whoops of joy at the feeling of flying down untracked snow and throwing up smoke clouds of dusty snow in their wake.

Two minutes later, we’d been whisked back to the top of the valley for a second run down a steeper gradient, finishing in a tree run before lunch next to the helicopter.

The afternoon opened with an increase in difficulty as Ryan and Don our guides saw that we could handle the deeper snow and bigger slopes. With only three runs being pre-booked, we quickly signed ourselves up for two more and were soon reaping the rewards of our easy decision! The fourth and fifth descents were in a different area, making the most of the mid afternoon sun. While heli-skiing is easily glorified, it’s important to remember that you’re in backcountry, unpatrolled terrain that constitutes avalanche country. The pitches are therefore equivalent to blue runs for everyone’s safety. This doesn’t take anything away from the experience, and the snow on these afternoon runs was perfect – champagne, dusty, untouched powder that hangs in the air around you as you fly down making any shape turn you want and just feeling glorious! With the group on a huge adrenaline high, the guides let us try some moderate drops from natural snow banks.

All too soon it was time to fly for the last time: six minutes from powder fields to the Purcell Lodge overlooking Golden. On the way down, we fly over Eagle’s Eye and screamed through Bowl Over in Kicking Horse Resort providing a unique view of the slopes we have been riding for the last 12 weeks.

The sense of achievement carried through to the week’s lessons, with all of us having completed one of our lifelong dreams.
You can’t help feeling richer at heart from the experience! Roll on more days like this one…

www.purcellhelicopterskiing.com

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