Bighorn featured in Jetsetter’s “World’s Most Over-The-Top Ski Chalets”

Bighorn helipadJetsetter rounded up their pick of the most indulgent and “over-the-top” chalets for high-altitude decadence this winter. Alongside uber-chalets in Val D’Isere, Verbier and Jackson Hole, Bighorn Revelstoke boasts its own brand of luxury with private heliski adventures direct from the house helipad. Along with the ubiquitous facilities of the uber-chalet (gym, cinema, outdoor hot tub, games room), Bighorn’s location makes it unique. Set in the heart of the world’s best heliski terrain, guests can fly into the wilderness Selkirk Mountains to ski untouched powder snow all day long. Guests also have the option of Revelstoke Mountain Resort on their doorstep, with North America’s highest vertical descent. All this is unbeatable when you fly back to the “World’s Best Ski Chalet” for a cocktail in the huge hot tub followed by a gourmet meal prepared by your award-winnig private chef.

Ski Trip of a Lifetime

132-cover-lowres-smallTop ski journalist Gaby Le Breton tells Fall-Line Magazine why Bighorn is her all-time favourite ski trip…

“I’m lucky enough to experience ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ ski trips more than once a season. That said, my all-time favourite trip was to Bighorn in Revelstoke, BC. This place truly has it all: heliskiing from the back garden, big mountain skiing in Revelstoke Mountain Resort and all the trappings of the ultimate party chalet from a private cinema and 16-person hot tub to a pool room and teppanyaki kitchen”.

Read the full article here.

Gaby Le Breton writes for the Financial Times, Conde Nast Traveller and Tatler amonst others.

Hot off the press

Best In Travel Magazine

Following on from Bighorn being named ‘World’s Best Ski Chalet’ at the World Ski Awards recently, Best In Travel magazine has released special ski edition profiling all the winners. Winning for the second year running, the magazine describes how Bighorn has “re-written the definition of luxury”. The only super-luxury chalet to offer world-famous heliskiing direct from its helipad, Bighorn offers adventure and decadence in equal measure.

To read more and see all the winners click here

Exciting New Menus for this Winter

Gourmet Cuisine

Our Executive Chef Peter Hughes has been busy sourcing some wonderful ingredients and designing new menus for this winter at Bighorn. With an emphasis on local provenance, Peter has even foraged chanterelle mushrooms from the grounds! He will also be using BC seafood (including smoked sablefish, Qualicum Bay scallops and Pacific halibut), Okanagan cherries, Boulder Mountain huckleberries and organic Penticton chicken.

Our menus are designed to delight the tastebuds but also fuel a day’s epic heliskiing in epic mountains around Revelstoke. Peter works hard to create healthy, balanced meals with a touch of luxury and maximum taste. After all, every night is a celebration when you have been skiing perfect powder all day long!

Check out a sample dinner menu:

Starter

Smoked sablefish Cullen Skink with leeks and parmesan

Main course

Roast ‘Tomahawk’ rib of beef steak served table side with 10 hour smoked beef brisket and shin of beef cottage pie

Dessert

Naramata peach Melba with berries and raspberry sable biscuits

 

Private or group heli skiing?

Heli landing

In Revelstoke, both private and shared group heliskiing is available. Here we explain the difference between the two, along with some pro’s and con’s.

Private heliskiing means chartering your own helicopter for the day or week, for exclusive use by your group. You’ll have your own guide(s) and they will tailor the experience to your group’s needs. So whether you want to ski hard and fast all day long, or take a more leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery, your wish is their command. Guests staying at Bighorn normally go for this option, as they can fly straight from the house helipad and do all their safety training from the comfort of the lodge.

Pros:

1) No waiting for other people

2) Dedicated service – the heli will be at your beck and call all day

3) Bespoke experience – fly when you want, ski where you want and at your pace

4) Ultimate ease – fly direct from the lodge, no transfers to staging posts

Cons:

1) Price

2) Prohibitive for individuals or groups smaller than 4 people

 

Group heliskiing means buying a seat on a helicopter for a day, or multi day program. You’ll share the heli with other people, but guides will try and match guests with similar abilities and speed. The helicopter will normally fly 3 or 4 groups each day, so there is some flying back and forth as the pilot shuttles groups out to the heliski terrain and from run to run. This may mean you are driven out to a staging post to reduce flight time.

Pro’s:

1) Cost-effective

2) Sociable

3) Sustainable pace – groups tend to ski a little slower which is a blessing if you are helsikking for several days and are less than Olympic fit!

4) A great way to try heliskiing and get a feel for the incredible snow and terrain around Revelstoke

Cons:

1) There will be some waiting around for other groups, other members of your group and at the start of the day while all the groups are taken out to the tenure.

2) You will be required to meet at a set time and ski for a certain duration (though you can sit out a run in the heli if you are tired).

3) The helicopter will fly from a central meeting point which may require a vehicle transfer from your accommodation.

4) The pace will be dictated by the slowest member of your group.

 

 

 

Physical recovery after heli skiing

Muscle recovery after heliskiing

Heli skiing is exhilarating but also requires a degree of physical fitness. What can you do if you haven’t had time to follow a ski fitness programme and you find yourself with sore legs? Here are the team at Bighorn’s five simple steps to aid recovery and reduce muscle stiffness

1) Eat some carbohydrate

Altitude leads to an increased carbohydrate requirement as you have a higher resting metabolic rate. Skiing also uses carbohydrate for fuel in both blood sugar and glycogen in your muscles. After an epic day’s heliskiing snack on ‘good’ carbohydrate like bananas, dried fruit and potatoes. The chef at Bighorn can prepare delicious banana bran muffins, honey nut granola bars and potato blinis with smoked salmon and lemon creme fraiche.

2) Hydrate

Drink lots of water to help flush out toxins and reduce muscle soreness

3) Massage and relaxation

Increases the flow of blood to tissues, which can prevent soreness. Enjoy a special apres-ski sports massage in luxurious Bighorn spa or relax in the huge outdoor hot tub.

4) Stretching

Elongating muscle fibres enhances recovery and reduces stiffness. Prolonged stretching helps muscles to have a fuller range of motion thus reducing the chance of strains. We can arrange personal stretching sessions with a qualified physiotherapist.

5) Active recovery

Gentle aerobic exercise increases the flow of oxygenated blood flow to muscles which aids the removal of lactic acid.

Revelstoke Top 10 in the World

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Snow Magazine has selected Revelstoke Mountain Resort as one of the top 10 ski resorts on the planet:

“Quite simply Revelstoke has to kick off our list, as talk to anyone who has been and they’ll tell you, not just how good it is but how truly epic it is. Revelstoke has the lot when it comes to on-mountain terrain, there’s steep and open powder faces, fantastic tree skiing, long well-maintained pistes, an adjacent cat-skiing operation and if that’s not enough then the ½ a million acres of heli-sking terrain should keep you happy”.

Read the full article here

This top ranking comes as no surprise to us. Our guests have been enjoying Revelstoke’s deep powder snow, incredible terrain and uncrowded slopes for 3 seasons now.

Bighorn is unique in offering skiing at a world-class resort, private heliskiing, cat skiing and backcountry touring all from one base. The luxury lodge offers the most indulgent accommodation imaginable with every kind of ski adventure right on the doorstep. Heliski direct from the house helipad or be on the Revelation Gondola heading up North America’s highest vertical descent in a matter of minutes.

Bluebird after the storm

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After 62cm of snow in the last 7 days we now have bluebird skies and perfect conditions to ski all the powder snow. Revelstoke is famous for its consistent and heavy snowfall, so the few sunny days after the storm are to be cherished! Check out this video of the heli coming in to land on the Bighorn helipad. It shows not only how quickly guests can be whisked into the world famous heliski terrain, but also the stunning views from Bighorn when the sun shines.

Clear skies mean guests can fly higher and access some of the alpine terrain – glaciers and powder bowls. The beauty of heliskiing in Revelstoke is that there is terrain for any weather. On snowy or cloudy days skiers can rip it up in the forest – Revelstoke has epic tree skiing that attracts ski fanatics from all over the world. There is so much fun to be had popping off terrain features and landing in pillows of soft powder snow.

Needless to say, the guests heliskiing in the video had an unforgettable day, polished off nicely with a brandy hot chocolate on the helipad when they returned!

Bighorn Voted World’s Best Chalet

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We are pleased to announce that Bighorn was voted not only Canada’s Best Ski Chalet, but the World’s Best Ski Chalet at the World Ski Awards. The prestigious ceremony took place in Kitzbuhel, Austria last week and was attended by ski industry VIP’s from around the globe. Bighorn beat stiff competition from luxury properties in 20 countries including France, Switzerland and the USA.

Bighorn’s founder was in Austria to accept the award, click here to see his reaction

Our decadent lodge has unrivalled accommodation and facilities as well as outstanding cuisine and service from a dedicated team of staff. Bighorn also has a private helipad from which guests can fly directly to the renowned heli ski terrain of the Selkirk Mountains. Heli skiing is complemented by superb lift skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

Congratulations to our hardworking team who make staying at Bighorn a unique and now award-winning experience!

Superchalets in Vanity Fair

Bighorn in Vanity Fair

We are delighted to be featured in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine. Their ‘Superchalets’ feature highlights the very best luxury chalets in the world. Bighorn is described as “The apex of chalet luxury in North America at the pinnacle of heliskiing”. Uniquely we offer the ultimate in accommodation and service alongside private heliskiing adventures in the Selkirk Mountains. The result is that this “thrashes the finest bespoke skiing in the world”.

Read the full article here.