| The Gods are not happy. At least, I think the Gods | | | | market on what many term "industrial heliskiing," |
| are not happy a judgement I make not without just | | | | where groups of up to 40 skiers share a single 12 |
| cause. Skiing down a glacier at the end of an arduous | | | | passenger helicopter, skiing mainly on preset, well |
| daylong ski tour, our group of five is confronted by | | | | established 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 glacial | | | | growing demographic of adventurous skiers and |
| moraines scours us like a super sized sandblaster. Not | | | | snowboarders looking for new, more intimate |
| to mention, warm temperatures have melted | | | | experiences. Most of these new operations |
| anything remotely resembling powder, turning great | | | | incorporate the use of smaller helicopters for more |
| skiing conditions to marginal at best. So without | | | | flexibility, in locations that are often far off the |
| making too big a deal of it, I surmise the Gods are | | | | beaten 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 of | | | | change their life-the shear inspiration of the landscape |
| British Columbia's coveted Coast Range- 1800 square | | | | itself ensures that. Under the shadow of the highest |
| kilometers (695 square miles) of glaciers and | | | | peak entirely in B.C.-4,019-metre Mt. Waddington, runs |
| snowfields and remote valleys that will soon be home | | | | in 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 Pantheon | | | | to massive mountainsides at every turn and the |
| Range-a spectacular collection of peaks that sits at | | | | views are as inspirational and dramatic as any in this |
| the heart of this tenure-Pantheon's vision will take | | | | galaxy. |
| place in a landscape as wild as it gets in Canada, filled | | | | |
| with skiing opportunities that would rival any location | | | | It 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 exclusive | | | | blows in from the Pacific, depositing twenty |
| rights to run commercial heli skiing and helicopter | | | | centimeters 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 the | | | | Snow glistens on the bows of sub-alpine fir trees and |
| Niut. To begin the first steps towards starting an | | | | the surrounding terrain lures us from our snowbound |
| operation Pantheon Heli has invited myself, a | | | | tents. The cooling shores up the stability of the |
| professional skier, a photographer, a cook and a | | | | snowpack, while the fresh snow turns marginal skiing |
| guide for a week of exploration and adventure, to | | | | conditions to perfect. With high-pressure weather in |
| create a genesis story of sorts, before he opens for | | | | the forecast, our guide, John Buffrey, pulls out his |
| business in the 2006/2007 season. So far, things are | | | | trusty satellite phone and makes the call. The |
| off to a banging start. Staring up at the 1,550-metre | | | | helicopters are on their way. |
| north face of Mount Pagoda-one of the largest north | | | | |
| face's in the entire Coast Range, with all it's | | | | The next three days are spent in a virtual |
| crevasses and sheer rock faces, with plumes of | | | | dreamland. While Mike and Scott Flavelle fly the |
| snow ripping off its ridgeline from a fierce | | | | tenure to map potential runs, giving each a rating |
| southwesterly wind, amidst all the foreboding and | | | | which considers snow stability and weather, |
| threat that comes with being in the mountains when | | | | photographer Matt Scholl, Whistler-based professional |
| it's storming, I can't help think that Pantheon of | | | | skier Leif Zapfe-Gilje, Blackcomb Helicopters owner |
| mountain Gods that obviously liveshere-presided over | | | | and 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 gear | | | | back and forth like kids in a candy store. For each of |
| into Mike King's Long Ranger helicopter for the | | | | us 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." Bluff | | | | Lake 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 socialize | | | | as 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 over | | | | skis did on slopes too spectacular and big to describe. |
| two decades the only link to climbers, skiers and film | | | | We are the first skiers on many of these mountains |
| crews who regularly frequent the area (K2, Seven | | | | and the novelty of us being here is something |
| Years in Tibet and Kundun were all filmed here). As a | | | | everyone 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 is | | | | terrible to perfect overnight. We joke about how we |
| considered by many to be one of the most | | | | now 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 known | | | | team heads back to their regular lives, there is this |
| as Five Finger Creek by skins and skis, familiarizing | | | | undeniable sentiment that something special happened |
| ourselves with the region's snowpack and weather | | | | here. As Pantheon's vision begins to turn into reality |
| patterns before calling in another helicopter from | | | | it's quite evident that there will be many groups like |
| Whistler and famed Whistler based mountain guide | | | | ours in the years to come-those who will leave this |
| Scott Flavelle, who will help Pantheon catalogue his | | | | place knowing that they must return, having seen |
| endless bank of heli-ski runs. Pantheon's vision marks | | | | the Coast Mountains at their biggest and finest. |
| a new trend in the world-leading British columbian | | | | Having cajoled with the mountain Gods in a landscape |
| heli-ski industry. While well-known operations like Mike | | | | as heavenly as any on earth. |
| Wiegele's and CMH have virtually cornered the | | | | |