When Is The Best Time To Go Heliskiing In Canada?
Are you wondering when the best time of year is to heliski?
January pow or April big-mountain lines? Our Operations Manager explains what terrain we ski and the snow quality in January, February and April.
In a previous newsletter, our Heliskiing Operations Manager, Alex Wigley, explained the nuances of skiing in March based on a guest inquiry (read Alex's March breakdown here).
To complete the picture, we asked Alex to give us the rundown on what skiing at Tyax is like in January, February, and April. Here is what he had to say:
January & February: Cold Storms & Deep Powder
"January and February are for powder aficionados who are laser-focused on snow quality. At this time of the season, storms are cold and regularly drop massive amounts of snow. While we often save the steepest alpine faces for later in the season due to early-winter avalanche hazards, this timeframe delivers some of the best snow quality of the entire year. Guests get to explore deep tree runs, long pitches on beautiful glaciers, and adventurous mountain terrain."
The Tyax Advantage During Winter Storms:
When a storm hits, our 1-group-per-helicopter format is a massive advantage. Once a weather window opens up, we can instantly launch a single group into the mountains. Operations running 3 groups per helicopter require 5 separate shuttle flights just to get everyone onto the snow, wasting precious skiing time. At Tyax, it takes a single flight to get you riding deep, untracked powder.
Late March & April: Big Alpine & First Descents
"Late March and April are our guides' favourite time of the season for one specific reason: we get to take guests into the biggest and most dramatic terrain Tyax has access to. This time of year brings warmer, sunnier weather, paired with occasional storms that drop mid-season powder. You can expect to ski a mix of deep powder, spring 'hero' snow, and high-alpine corn.
The stable spring snowpack allows us to travel deeper into our 830,000-acre tenure and spend time in truly awe-inspiring alpine zones. You can expect 1,000-metre+ vertical runs, lines alongside shattered glaciers, and turns down remote peaks that have rarely been skied. In fact, late March and April is when we can take guests to ski first descents, lines that have literally never been skied! Come join us....and maybe even name a first descent!"
Ready for Winter?
As we highlighted in this newsletter, our high elevation and continental inland location set us up for an incredible season ahead. Even with a Super El Niño forecasted, we are expecting many powder days!
If you are ready to ski untracked powder this winter, get in touch with our team today!
