Superb Snow Conditions for Revelstoke’s Opening Weekend

Bluebird day at Bighorn Revelstoke

Revelstoke is enjoying superb early season conditions with a solid base of snow and a dump of 40cm of fresh snow last weekend. Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened with a bang and there were queues of people who had been camping out overnight to get the first tracks of the season! Cold temperatures have ensued, keeping the powder snow light and dry.

These cold bluebird days are perfect for enjoying the views from Bighorn. They also make for some spectacular heliskiing in the backcountry, with good visibility and fun terrain features. We still have some availability in January, so contact us now to enjoy the fantastic early season snow.

Early Snow in Revelstoke

Early snow Revelstoke

Snow has been falling earlier than usual in Revelstoke and the top of the peaks are already covered white. This should set both Revelstoke Mountains Resort and our heli ski partners up for a great start to the season. The first week of the season is still available at Bighorn, so if you want to get first tracks this season we are open from December 14th.

The Selkirk Mountains are famed for their massive snowfall, averaging 12-18 meters per season. This year winter temperatures are forecast to be cooler than normal, which would make the powder snow especially light and dry. Perfect for tearing through the trees, cruising along a glacier and floating down a high alpine bowl!

Five reasons to go heliskiing in Revelstoke

Spring heli skiing Revelstoke

For most of the winter heli skiers flock to Revelstoke to experience the deep powder snow conditions, but the spring season offers a different yet equally special experience. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider spring skiing:

1) Sun

Who doesn’t like skiing under a bluebird sky? The spectacular Selkirk and Monashee Mountains provide a stunning wilderness backdrop to your heli ski experience and they are best viewed in blazing sunshine. Catch a few rays when you take a break for a gourmet picnic lunch and don’t forget your camera.

2) Visibility

The snow storms that deliver dumps of snow in December and January are less frequent as the season progresses meaning skies tend to be clearer. Improved visibility allows heliskiers to access the high alpine terrain that is sometimes impossible for the heli to land in during midwinter. Discover high alpine powder bowls and glaciers – flattering skiing with incredible scenery in the background. You’ll feel on top of the world.

3) Longer days

Maximise your heli ski experience with longer day light hours. This not only allows you more vertical per day and a more flexible schedule, but also means you can enjoy sunset with a beer in hand from the Bighorn hot tub!

4) Spring snow

The Selkirk Mountains receive an average of 40-60ft of snow each season, meaning they are snow-sure until mid April. Warmer conditions in spring mean the snow is continuously frozen and thawed which makes it form large crystals called corn snow. These snowy granules make for smooth, soft and fast skiing – great fun for flying down a wilderness glacier on. Revelstoke’s extensive forests make for the best tree skiing in the world. In the spring the trees provide shade from the sun, preserving the snow late into the season.

5) Flexibility

The beauty of heli skiing is that your expert guides can take you to the best spots in their 500,000 acre terrain. This is never truer than with a private heliski charter from Bighorn, when you have exclusive use of the helicopter and your guide. So if you want to avoid south facing slopes, stay high or stick to the shady trees, the bespoke experience is designed to meet your needs.

Heli vs Cat Skiing

Heliskiing on a powder dayThis month’s Ski Magazine features an interesting debate on whether heli or cat skiing offers the ultimate powder day experience. Using criteria like cost per vertical foot as well discussing just how much of a powder fix you get, this article is a must-read for anyone considering a heli or cat ski trip next season. Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing, with Bighorn, is listed as one of their top 8 heliski tenures in the world and is undoubtedly the best option for those looking to heliski in luxury.

The beauty of Bighorn is that guests get the best of both worlds with awesome heliskiing direct from the house helipad and exciting cat skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, just 1 minute drive away. Since guests have exclusive use of Bighorn for the week, their package can be tailored to include as much heli or cat skiing as they like.

Read about heli vs cat skiing now

Revelstoke: Canada’s Best Kept Secret

Sunday Telegraph - Revelstoke: Canada's best kept secret

 

 

 

 

The Sunday Telegraph’s Gabriella Le Breton raved about Revelstoke in last weekend’s Travel supplement. Describing the resort as “Canada’s best kept secret”, she shares her incredible experience skiing “powder bowls, steep drops, extensive glades and thigh-burstingly long pistes”:

“It’s just another powder day in Revelstoke Mountain Resort, one of the world’s snowiest places, where sharing more than 3,000 acres of fall-line skiing, high-alpine bowls, gladed terrain and North America’s highest lift-serviced vertical drop with just a hundred fellow skiers is ‘normal'”.

To complement the amazing skiing, Bighorn offers unrivaled standards of accommodation: “one of the most esteemed private lodges in North America… Bighorn is unique: it offers world-class heli-skiing from a lodge with facilities and service hitherto limited to chalets in resorts like Courchevel and Zermatt”.

Read the full article here

 

Perfect Powder Dumps in Revelstoke

Unbelievable powder snow in Revelstoke right now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a snowy start to the New Year in Revelstoke, with huge dumps of deep fluffy powder. Twenty seven centimetres of new snow has fallen in the last 24 hours alone and another twelve cm is forecast overnight tonight. The skies are set to clear from Wednesday, so there has never been a better time to enjoy skiing the Revy pow!

Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s terrain is unbeatable after this type of powder dump. Picture yourself skiing fresh tracks through perfectly gladed tree runs, popping off powder pillows and landing in the deep snow.

Guests at Bighorn can make the most of these amazing conditions by flying into the wilderness Selkirk Mountains by helicopter direct from the house helipad. Ski untouched powder peaks all day, only stopping for a rest in the heli as you take a lift to the next unspoilt powder bowl.

We still have last minute availability for January 12-19th and limited availability in February and March. Enquire now to secure your space in powder paradise.

The greatest ski resort in the world

The best ski resort in the worldIt’s appropriate that the best ski resort in the world should house the top luxury chalet either side of the Atlantic”

“Is this the best ski resort in the world? After skiing wooded mountainsides in the deepest and lightest powder I’ve been fortunate enough to experience over the past half-century… the answer was a surprising, but unequivocal, ‘yes’ “.

Telegraph, December 2012

Bighorn was showered with superlatives in last weekend’s Telegraph Travel. Having concluded that the resort and heli skiing in Revelstoke is unbeatable, the article went on to describe why Bighorn is the world’s top luxury chalet; “Bighorn – all astonishing 15,000 square feet of it – manages to combine the best of Bristish know-how with Canadian grandeur”. The property, including bedroom suites “twice the size of those in a comparably priced French chalet” and the movie theatre and games room “on a scale of both comfort and size I have not seen before” is simply . The pièce de résistance is the cuisine and service from our chef and house manager – the chef “should be running a Michelin-starred restaurant in a European capital”.

In summary the author concludes “you can eat and ski well in Whistler, but Revelstoke, with Bighorn, is on another scale”.

Click here to read the full article

It’s Already Snowing in Revelstoke

Early snow in RevelstokeRevelstoke has enjoyed its first snow of the winter and we can’t wait for another epic season to get underway. Check out this photo from the Ripper Chair webcam, its sure to get your ski legs twitching in anticipation! With an average of 12-18 meters of snow per winter, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is officially one of the snowiest resorts in the world. Plus, the snow in Revelstoke is perfect powder – light, dry and deep.

Bighorn is the perfect compliment to this powder paradise. The world’s most exclusive ski chalet offers both private heli skiing direct from the house helipad and lift skiing at the incredible Revelstoke Mountain Resort. This is as good as it gets!

Looking Forward to Winter

Amazing early snow in Revelstoke


With weather forecasters already debating whether it will be an El Nino or La Nina winter, we are gearing up for another awesome season of snow in Revelstoke. Whatever the weather pattern, Revelstoke’s snow fall history means we can be confident of around 12 metres (39ft) of snow per season, putting it in the super-snow league way above all European resorts (Lech is the snowiest Alpine resort averagng 7m per winter). Not only does Revelstoke get a lot of snow, but its location in the interior of British Columbia means snow is light and dry – perfect for getting the most out of the exciting terrain.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort has announced a tentative opening date of 1st December 2012, with good early snow expected. Last season, when Bighorn opened on December 10th, there was already 287cm snow accumulated at RMR making for a great opening week. Check out some footage showing the awesome conditions on the opening day here. This year we’ll be ready for guests on December the 8th, with Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing available to whisk you into the wilderness for the best start to the season imaginable!

Heliskiing Top 5 FAQ’s

Dream Heliskiing in Revelstoke

 

1) Is heli skiing only for expert skiers?

People go heli skiing to experience pristine powder snow in stunning wilderness locations. It is a back country experience and there are no groomed runs. Whilst a heli skier needs to be proficient in deep snow, the sport is by no means the reserve of the expert skier. The type of terrain skied will typically not be too challenging and at Bighorn we can ensure that your guide caters for your ability and wishes.

 2) Where is the best place to heli ski?

Revelstoke, British Columbia is the birthplace of heli skiing. This is due to the excellent annual snowfall and vast expanse of varied terrain. There are over 1 million acres of heliski terrain accessible from Revelstoke and the presence of a world-class lift-accessed ski hill gives the ultimate in flexibility regarding options for your ski week.

3) What are the costs associated with heli skiing?

When compared to traditional lift accessed skiing, heli skiing is an expensive sport. However, the experience is mind blowing. Skiing untouched powder snow and exhilirating terrain that is inaccessible to any other method of transport more than justifies the cost.

4) What is the best way to try heli skiing?

A good starting point is to book a single day heli ski experience. Revelstoke Mountain Resort run a classic package which is an excellent starting point for the heli ski novice. Ideally, if the day can be booked for the middle of your ski week then it gives you a chance to warm up on the mountain (and also to book another heli ski day later in the week!).

 5) Do I need to be fit to go heli skiing?

While you do not need to be an athlete to heli ski it is a simple fact that the better condition you are in, the more you will enjoy the experience. You can always soak aching muscles in the outdoor hot tub at Bighorn.