Heli Skiing in Pristine British Columbia

The Gods are not happy. At least, I think the Godsmarket on what many term "industrial heliskiing,"
are not happy a judgement I make not without justwhere groups of up to 40 skiers share a single 12
cause. Skiing down a glacier at the end of an arduouspassenger helicopter, skiing mainly on preset, well
daylong ski tour, our group of five is confronted byestablished runs, there are a host of new start-up
winds that howl so hard they blow us back uphill.operations, like Pantheon, designed to appeal to a
Gusts rage with such ferocity dirt from glacialgrowing demographic of adventurous skiers and
moraines scours us like a super sized sandblaster. Notsnowboarders looking for new, more intimate
to mention, warm temperatures have meltedexperiences. Most of these new operations
anything remotely resembling powder, turning greatincorporate the use of smaller helicopters for more
skiing conditions to marginal at best. So withoutflexibility, in locations that are often far off the
making too big a deal of it, I surmise the Gods arebeaten path. Far away from civilization, in mountains
choked. Why is another matter.that have rarely, if ever been skied before, clients of
Pantheon Helisports are assured adventures that will
Pantheon Heli Skiing tenure is in the literal heart ofchange their life-the shear inspiration of the landscape
British Columbia's coveted Coast Range- 1800 squareitself ensures that. Under the shadow of the highest
kilometers (695 square miles) of glaciers andpeak entirely in B.C.-4,019-metre Mt. Waddington, runs
snowfields and remote valleys that will soon be homein the area average a staggering 1,500 metres (5,000
to one of Canada's newest heli-ski operations,feet). The snowpack is deep and light, glaciers cling
Pantheon Helisports. Named after the Pantheonto massive mountainsides at every turn and the
Range-a spectacular collection of peaks that sits atviews are as inspirational and dramatic as any in this
the heart of this tenure-Pantheon's vision will takegalaxy.
place in a landscape as wild as it gets in Canada, filled
with skiing opportunities that would rival any locationIt seems our circumnavigation below Mount Pagoda
on the planet.on day one, with all the wind and struggle it
presented, seemed a test. Out of nowhere a storm
The tenure grants Pantheon Helisports exclusiveblows in from the Pacific, depositing twenty
rights to run commercial heli skiing and helicoptercentimeters while temperatures cool to a perfect
assisted ski touring in three sub ranges of the Coast-15C. We awake to a landscape returned to winter.
Mountains: the Waddington, the Pantheon and theSnow glistens on the bows of sub-alpine fir trees and
Niut. To begin the first steps towards starting anthe surrounding terrain lures us from our snowbound
operation Pantheon Heli has invited myself, atents. The cooling shores up the stability of the
professional skier, a photographer, a cook and asnowpack, while the fresh snow turns marginal skiing
guide for a week of exploration and adventure, toconditions to perfect. With high-pressure weather in
create a genesis story of sorts, before he opens forthe forecast, our guide, John Buffrey, pulls out his
business in the 2006/2007 season. So far, things aretrusty satellite phone and makes the call. The
off to a banging start. Staring up at the 1,550-metrehelicopters are on their way.
north face of Mount Pagoda-one of the largest north
face's in the entire Coast Range, with all it'sThe next three days are spent in a virtual
crevasses and sheer rock faces, with plumes ofdreamland. While Mike and Scott Flavelle fly the
snow ripping off its ridgeline from a fiercetenure to map potential runs, giving each a rating
southwesterly wind, amidst all the foreboding andwhich considers snow stability and weather,
threat that comes with being in the mountains whenphotographer Matt Scholl, Whistler-based professional
it's storming, I can't help think that Pantheon ofskier Leif Zapfe-Gilje, Blackcomb Helicopters owner
mountain Gods that obviously liveshere-presided overand pilot Steve Flynn, Buffrey and I roam where our
by the likes of Mt. Zeus-are up to something.hearts desire. Perfect flying conditions and
unfathomable skiing opportunities have us swinging
Just yesterday we loaded our provisions and gearback and forth like kids in a candy store. For each of
into Mike King's Long Ranger helicopter for theus it is the pinnacle mountain experience of our lives.
20-minute flight from Bluff Lake, a three-family
settlement three hours by car west of William's Lake,Each night we fly back to the hospitality of Bluff
out to what we've termed "the remote camp." BluffLake where Dave and his wife Lori share their
Lake will serve as Pantheon's base of operations,backcountry paradise with us. It is as true a lifestyle
where guests will stay in cabins and eat and socializeas the wilderness their sprawling homestead abuts.
in a beautiful log home built by Mike's brother, Dave.The food and the conversation flows as easily as our
Together the two own Whitesaddle Air, for overskis did on slopes too spectacular and big to describe.
two decades the only link to climbers, skiers and filmWe are the first skiers on many of these mountains
crews who regularly frequent the area (K2, Sevenand the novelty of us being here is something
Years in Tibet and Kundun were all filmed here). As aeveryone is excited about. The conditions we've
second generation helicopter pilot to fly in the area,been blessed with, and how they've gone from
Mike King has a deep knowledge of the area and isterrible to perfect overnight. We joke about how we
considered by many to be one of the mostnow think the mountain Gods must like us; they just
competent helicopter pilots in the province.needed to get something off their chests. As the trip
draws to a close and each member of the genesis
From the remote camp we will tour an area knownteam heads back to their regular lives, there is this
as Five Finger Creek by skins and skis, familiarizingundeniable sentiment that something special happened
ourselves with the region's snowpack and weatherhere. As Pantheon's vision begins to turn into reality
patterns before calling in another helicopter fromit's quite evident that there will be many groups like
Whistler and famed Whistler based mountain guideours in the years to come-those who will leave this
Scott Flavelle, who will help Pantheon catalogue hisplace knowing that they must return, having seen
endless bank of heli-ski runs. Pantheon's vision marksthe Coast Mountains at their biggest and finest.
a new trend in the world-leading British columbianHaving cajoled with the mountain Gods in a landscape
heli-ski industry. While well-known operations like Mikeas heavenly as any on earth.
Wiegele's and CMH have virtually cornered the