Tyax Mountain Biking South Chilcotin Mountains

Author: Michael

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Float Plane Biking in the Chilcotins

Tyax Mountain Biking South Chilcotin Mountains

What makes mountain biking in the Chilcotins so alluring? Is it the magnificent views, the thrill of riding the most remote single track in the province, or the time spent with those you’re riding with? Maybe it’s a combination of all three. A bike trip in the Chilcotin Mountains is definitely something special, particularly when the beginning of your adventure begins lifting off of Tyaughton Lake in a floatplane.

Our partners at Tyax Adventures have been operating guided floatplane-accessed mountain biking and self-guided MTB trips in the Chilcotins for over 20 years. They know the region like it’s their own backyard. There are myriad reasons for planning a guided floatplane trip this season, here are just a few.

5 day overnight deep in the coast
  1. Access to remote and challenging terrain
    One of the major benefits of floatplane mountain biking is that it provides access to some of British Columbia’s most incredible terrain. With a floatplane, you can access areas that are not reachable by truck or would take days to access by pedaling from our lodge. With a drop at Spruce Lake, for example, you can take in all the majesty of the South Chilcotins during your ~25km ride back to the lodge.
  2. Stunning views
    Floatplane mountain biking offers breathtaking views that you won’t get anywhere else. As you soar above the range, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the region’s mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers. Your pilot might pick out some notable peaks along the way, and if you’re lucky you’ll spot some wildlife during your flight as well.
  3. More time on the trails
    Floatplane biking allows you to spend more time on the trails and less time getting there. Rather than pedaling up endless kilometres of logging roads and horse trails, climbing hundreds of metres of elevation, a floatplane bump will get you high quickly. Climbing is an inescapable reality in the Chilcotins, but with a lift from Tyax Adventures, you won’t have to do quite as much of it.
  4. Customizable experience
    Booking with our partners at Tyax Adventures means a customizable experience that you can tailor to your preferences. You can choose your destination, length of trip, and difficulty level. Whether you’re out for a day ride or a multi-day epic, there are charter options that can accommodate your needs.
  5. Absolute Tranquility
    Once you’ve been dropped off at your destination, the floatplane has lifted off, and the hum of its engine has faded into the distance, the only sounds you will be left with are birdsong and the wind blowing across the lake. In the Chilcotins, you can be quite certain that you and your group will be the only people for miles around. It’s not uncommon to go an entire day without seeing another party. And if you do run into fellow riders on the trails, it makes the encounter all the more fun – another group to share stories with in the backcountry! It’s quite likely that at the end of the day, you’ll see them again on the Tyax Lodge patio, enjoying a cold beer and reliving the day’s adventures.

Float plane accessed riding is the best way to explore the legendary Chilcotins. If you’re looking for a unique and exciting way to experience BC’s incredible mountain biking this summer, consider a stay at Tyax Lodge and a floatplane mountain biking tour with Tyax Adventures.

Lodge Reservations
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Skiing the Gods

BC Canada Heliskiing Snow Terrain

There are places in this world that leave you breathless the first time you see them. Words fail. The hair on the back of your neck stands up, and you sit up just a little taller in your seat. 

There is such an area nestled within the Tyax tenure that fits this description. The zone is called The Gods. Long before you see them, you will hear them calling. You might hear stories from other guests in the lodge about their time with The Gods in seasons past, or perhaps someone may have asked about skiing them during a morning briefing with your guides. 

The zone sits squarely in the middle of the Tyax tenure. From the lodge, it’s a 15-20 minute flight to the top of the runs, depending on the wind direction. On approach, there is a palpable feeling of anticipation. Your first glimpse of the range reveals rugged, glaciated peaks. The sense of scale is astonishing. 

Runs in this zone are aptly named; Hercules, Hermes, Aphrodite, Apollo, Achilles, Athena, Pegasus, and Zeus among them. When the conditions are blower, which they often are, there are few places in the tenure that are better to ski. 

Hermes on approach
Hermes on approach

The Gods are located to the east of large glaciated ice fields, meaning that moisture coming off of the Pacific cools rapidly as it reaches them. When the snow comes, it comes cold and in large quantities, and it falls on runs that are at a high elevation. The tallest among them at 2700m. This means knee-deep champagne powder, lap after lap. Heavy coastal snow this is not. 

Butterflies in your stomach are standard when you clip in at the top of one of these runs. Zeus, for example, stands well above 2500m. It is over 11,00m long and offers 500m of unbroken vertical skiing on a 40-degree planar slope through the middle of the run. Hermes is 400m wide and rests between two rock walls. As you descend the run, you’ll ski past massive cliff faces and vibrant blue seracs. 

In this area of our tenure, landings are high and descents are long. Heli bumps back up to the top are quick, allowing you to ski hard and accumulate vertical rapidly. Guests can expect to regularly ski 800m to 1100m of unbroken vertical in a single run, stopping only once or twice to regroup. 

It’s difficult not to sound cliche when describing the skiing The Gods, but take it from our team. When asked about what makes the skiing so special, Guide and Operations Manager Tyler Petrusic put it best; “The feeling of awe doesn’t dissipate. It literally leaves guests and guides at a loss for words no matter how many times they’ve been out there before.”

Make your mark on these legendary slopes. If you would like to ski among The Gods with us this season or next, connect with our Sales team by following the link below and submitting an inquiry. 

We look forward to skiing with you soon. 

Heliski Inquiries
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Small Group Yoga Retreat

THIS SUMMER SEASON AT TYAX

Join us for a small group yoga retreat – June 16th – 18th

A fulfilled weekend with yoga practice, cold lake plunges, sauna sessions, lake paddles and cozy evenings by the fireplace – claim your spot now! Limited spaces available.

Come to the mountains, find stillness, find ease, find your paradise

Breathe in… Start each morning with a Hatha practice learning and performing techniques for calming your mind and preparing the body for the day.
Hold… stay grounded by becoming present. Take a watercraft on the tranquil Tyaughton lake, treat yourself to a massage, take a forest bath or explore the nearby trails.
Breathe out… Let go of physical tension and mental chatter with meditative evening yin practices creating space in your body and mind, discovering a deeper dimension.
Hold… Deepen your understanding of what is yoga, what is energy, and how to live a balanced and fulfilled everyday life.

In a no-judgment, no-pressure arena you will know the why and how of everyday yoga practice. The idea that yoga as just a postural practice will be obliterated during this retreat, and you will discover the understanding of yoga as a spiritual science of self-transformation. In yoga, all levels are welcome.

What’s included:

  • Two nights accommodation in a Lake View room (single or double occupancy)
  • All-levels yoga classes inspired by traditional yogic philosophy
  • One relaxing massage treatment
  • Daily breakfast and dinner
  • Unlimited access to saunas and watercrafts
  • A Tyax wellness gift box

Double occupancy: $1055.00 plus taxes

Single occupancy: $1187.00 plus taxes

To book, fill out our form below, email us at reservations@tyax.com, or call us at 250 238 2221.

About the Instructor
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Payment and cancellations:

Full payment of the retreat is due 30 days prior to arrival. Your spot remains non-refundable and non-changeable within 30 days prior to arrival.

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US Thanksgiving Offer

Prime Dates, Great Rates

Experience Unlimited Single Group Heliskiing at Tyax. Reserve today at our special Thanksgiving Rate.

Offers like these don’t come around often. Save up to 15% on your heliski holiday to Tyax Lodge this season on some of the best dates of the year. We have limited availability remaining on our 4, 5 and 7 day packages on select 2023 dates. Between a great exchange rate, a significant discount, and an unlimited vertical program unmatched in the Canadian Heliski industry, you would be hard-pressed to squeeze more value out of a heliskiing vacation this season. So gather the family again for a post-holiday heliski trip!

Available 7-Day Trips:

  • January 20-27
  • February 10-17
  • February 24 – March 3
  • March 10-17
  • March 24-31 (Full private booking available, up to 10 guests)

Available 5-Day Trips (Full private bookings available, up to 10 guests):

  • February 3-8
  • March 15-20
  • March 23-28

Available 4-Day Trips (Full private bookings available, up to 10 guests):

  • January 31 – February 4
  • February 4-8
  • March 20-24

March offers some of the most reliable skiing of the season, with a strong snowpack already built, and consistent weather systems that replenish powder stashes throughout our tenure.

Availability is limited, and seats are filling fast. Gather your friends and inquire today to secure your seats for the best trip of the season.

Heliski Inquiries

Heliskiing at Tyax Includes...

One group per helicopter
Unlimited vertical heliskiing
All return transfers from Vancouver or Whistler (combination of land and air)
Accommodation at Tyax Lodge
All gourmet meals
Non-alcoholic beverages (excluding specialty drinks)
Professional guiding services (ACMG or UIAGM Guides)
The use of avalanche safety equipment
The choice of powder skis and poles or powder snowboard
Access to all resort facilities and recreational equipment
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Operations Update

From all of us at Tyax, we wish our guests near and far Happy Holidays, and a festive, safe New Years’ celebration.

We are getting excited for our winter heliskiing adventures commencing on January 17th! Don’t have your winter adventure booked yet? Get in touch with us for heliski availability and pricing at sales@tyax.com

For summer inquiries, please email reservations@tyax.com, and we will be so happy to start planning your summer adventure.

We look forward to seeing you at Tyax!


Warmest wishes,
The Team at Tyax

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Autumn Operations Update

As autumn falls upon us, we watch the colors of the trees rapidly turn. The Tyaughton Lake remains still as the lake loons prepare to venture south, and have we have savored the time with our guests and team alike this summer season.

We are thankful for the opportunity to resume our operations in the post-pandemic world. A big thanks to all of our guests, team members, and the Bridge River Valley community for their support and patronage through these times.

With our last day of summer operations on October 5th, we look forward to preparing for our 2023 winter heliskiing season, and for our summer season in late May 2023.

Don’t have your winter adventure booked yet? Get in touch with us for heliski availability and pricing.

During our shoulder seasons, we are available on a limited basis:

We look forward to welcoming you to Tyax Lodge & Heliskiing!
Warmest wishes from,
The Team at Tyax

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Is it too late to book your Canadian heliskiing holiday?

When is it too late to book your heliskiing trip?

In a word…Never! You’ve finally decided to begin planning your Canadian heli skiing holiday, but looking outside, you see that fall has arrived and there is a decided chill in the air.

You start asking yourself questions like:

What if there are no seats left?

What if there are no more flights arriving to Vancouver, BC?

What if all the powder skiing is used up?

Fear not, we will find you a space.

Why You Should Book Your Heli-Skiing Trip Early

We always recommend that people plan their heli-skiing trip as early as possible for a number of reasons:

  1. You get your preferred dates. If you are set on celebrating a special occasion on the slopes, you need to be here on an exact date. Planning early guarantees that you and your friends will have your pick of available dates.
  2. You’d like to save a bit of money. Want to come heliskiing in British Columbia, but your wallet is feeling a bit pinched? You can choose dates early or late in the season for reduced package prices. Booking early ensures you get one of these coveted seats.
  3. You have a favourite Guide. If you’ve come to heliski at Tyax a few times, you may have developed a friendship with one or more of our experienced guides. Finding out early when a particular heliskiing Guide will be working ensures that your friendship will continue while here at Tyax.
  4. Your airline seat will be more affordable. Booking your flight months before you fly gets you the best rates and the best options. Give yourself the best chance that you won’t be flying the red-eye or paying a premium

What If You Are Booking Late?

If you want to come heliskiing, regardless of when you can come or when you are booking, we will find a spot for you at Tyax Lodge and Heliskiing. We just ask that you allow a bit more flexibility in your planning, as we don’t have unlimited seats, even though we have Unlimited Vertical.

For many, heliskiing in Canada is a once in a lifetime trip (although we’re pretty sure you’ll want to come back) so for the best options, give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the anticipation by booking in advance. Rest assured that if this is YOUR year and we will try to make it happen.

After all, it is our job to make your dreams come true!

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How to Get Fit for Heliski Season

Yoga Wilderness Resort BC Canada

A little training goes a long way!

So, you’ve booked your heliski trip. The snow is falling, and in a few short weeks, you will be loading up the helicopter. There’s only one catch, you haven’t skied since those late-season spring groomer days. The last thing you want is your legs to be hollering for a break before lunchtime on your first day out. When you get to ski true unlimited vertical as you do at Tyax, a little extra training can go a long way in ensuring you get the most out of your ski day.

When it comes to heliskiing, a bit of pre-season conditioning can go a long way. This means striking a balance between strength and endurance. Although everyone is a little bit different, here are our top tips for getting in shape prior to your heliski trip:

  1. Ski! Leg strength and core stability are important, but nothing is going to build endurance quite like skiing will. If possible, having a few days’ worth of turns under your belt prior to your trip will go a long way in training your body to hold a strong position. It will also help build muscular endurance for all that powder farming you will be doing, days in a row. 
  2. Build strength. Skiing and snowboarding are physically demanding lower-body-dominant sports. That means your quads, glutes, hamstrings and core all need to be prepared. If you’re on a time crunch, compound movements with moderate weight are your best bet. Think squats, deadlifts, walking lunges, front squats, kettlebell swings, and single-leg straight-legged deadlifts. 
  3. Work your core. A strong core will be key to maintaining good technique and form for the duration of your ski trip. Movements to focus on include weighted twists, mountain climbers, planks, plank plate slides, crunches and standing medicine ball rotational throws. 
  4. Develop cardiovascular endurance. In addition to strength and skiing, a good aerobic base is important to enjoy yourself on of some of our longest runs as you glide through deep powder (it can be a lot of work having this much fun!). Light jogs, hiking, cycling, mountain biking, swimming, or rowing are all great examples of activities to build your aerobic capacity. 
  5. Balance. Incorporate balance and coordination movements into the warm-ups or cool-downs of your strength sessions. Single-leg stands, lateral ski jumps, bird dogs and box jumps are all great options here. 

A training program is only as effective as your ability to adhere to it, so don’t bite off more than you can chew! 2-3 strength sessions per week, combined with 2 cardio sessions per week should have you well on your way to ski fit by the time your trip rolls around. And if you can make it up to your local hill for a few days’ skiing before your heliski trip, all the better.

Happy training, and see you soon!

Inquire Today
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A Day in the Life at Tyax

Just what does a day at Tyax look like?

Few things beat the feeling of anticipation one gets the night before their first day of heliskiing. You’ve arrived at Tyax Lodge, gone through your safety briefing, unpacked your bags, and laid out your favourite pair of ski socks in anticipation of tomorrow’s adventures. The next morning, your alarm goes off, waking you for what’s sure to be a day to remember. Let the fun begin…

06:30

Optional stretching session. Roll out of bed and don some stretchy clothes to warm up with a guided stretching session. Focus will be placed on stretching out those ski muscles, getting you ready for the day.

07:00

Breakfast. Find your way to the lodge restaurant for a satiating buffet breakfast and a warm, comforting cup of coffee (or two). From there, find your way into your ski gear for lift-off!

08:30

Lift-off. Unlike most heliski operations where guests are shuttled from their accommodation to the nearest heliport, we launch from directly in front of the lodge. There’s nothing quite like enjoying your last sip of coffee knowing that in just a few minutes, you’ll be lifting off in a helicopter from the frozen Tyaughton Lake just in front of the lodge.

08:45

Ski! While you were up stretching and enjoying breakfast, your guide and forecasting team were hard at work assessing snowpack and weather conditions to deliver the best skiing available in our tenure. And for the next 8 hours of the day, that is exactly what you will be doing. Lap after lap, you will be churning powder with the best of them. And uniquely to Tyax thanks to our single group heliskiing program, your helicopter will already be waiting at the bottom of the run for you, reducing wait time and maximizing skiing. 

12:30

Lunch in the field. It’s not every day you get to enjoy a hearty lunch in a sunny glacial valley, with nothing but mountain peaks making up the skyline. Today you will. Enjoy a packed lunch brought in by our team to keep your energy up for the afternoon’s skiing.

13:15

Afternoon skiing. Hop back in the helicopter for an afternoon of more awe-inspiring, hoot-inducing laps as we continue skiing the best snow possible. If the group is skiing strongly and we surpass the allocated daily vertical; no worries! That’s what true unlimited vertical is all about. We keep skiing, with not a single extra metre billed. 

16:30

Lodge return. Before the sun goes down, we’ll finish our last lap and get you back to the lodge in time for apres. Unload from the helicopter on the lake, and head back towards the lodge. Slip off to the boot room, shed your gear and find your cozy lodge clothes. On your way to your room, maybe find yourself a warming shot of espresso, or a shot of something stronger…

There are still a few hours until dinner, so take the time as you please. Relax with a book fireside, enjoy a massage from our on-site masseuse, or make your way to the spa for a treatment or sauna session. 

19:00

Dinner time. Join the rest of the guests and guides for a full meal, fit for someone who’s just spent the past 8 hours skiing the best lines of their life. After dinner, the evening is yours. Perhaps you’ll hang out in the dining room a while longer, trading stories with other guests, or you’ll migrate towards the bar and play a few games of pool or a round of darts. Eventually, however, everyone will make their way back up to their rooms, warm, full, and satisfied, knowing that they get to do it all again tomorrow.

Inquire Today
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5 Tips for Planning Your Heli Skiing BC Trip

Heli-Skiers and Helicopter

We’re asked all the time about what a potential heliskier needs to do in order to come to experience heli-skiing for the first time. I could fill your head with all sorts of “must dos” and “don’t miss out ons” but here instead is the short and fun list of Tyax’s Recommended 5 Tips for Planning Your BC Heli Skiing Trip.

Preparing for a BC Heliskiing Holiday

Tip #1: Get in Shape

By this we don’t mean you have to run 20 kilometers 7 days a week, but neither can you be a self-described couch potato.  Set yourself up for running 2-3 times per week, at something more than a sedate walk. Stretch your legs out and stretch your time out while on the road.  Your running regimen should be more than a quick clip to the fridge for another beer (although that is another type of training we recommend). Grab your dog, your wife/husband, your kids, your friends, and set about improving your cardio and commit to reestablishing your fitness level to “moderate” rather than “I need a break after bringing in the groceries” level.  Chances are that getting yourself together after the mountain yard sale will tire you out more than the skiing. Besides, this gives you a way of enjoying your heli skiing holiday to BC more than just the week you are out here at Tyax, by building the anticipation months in advance. Now rest assured, we also planned ahead even though YOU may not have. With only 1 group per helicopter, if your legs are screaming at you, you do have the ability to sit one out in the helicopter, while your friends are out taking advantage of our “Unlimited Vertical”  policy.  Don’t be THAT guy. 

BC Heliski Gear to Bring

Tip #2 Carry your ski boots on the plane with you

This may seem like a no-brainer, but trust us, each year we are scrambling when someone’s luggage goes missing and heads to Bangladesh rather than British Columbia.  Let me set the stage for you to envision…..you’ve forked out a not-insignificant amount of money to fulfill your lifelong dream of a week at a destination heli ski lodge.  You’ve convinced the family that this is an excellent use of money, and despite the boss shooting you the stink eye every time he sees you, you’ve committed. You’ve arrived in Vancouver, but your ski boots have not.  Instead of feeling great in your own boots, you’ll get to experience that unique sick feeling when each morning you’ll get to put your feet into a pair of ill-fitting rentals. Don’t be THAT guy.

Tip #3: Travel and/or Medical Insurance

Insurance sucks when you have to pay the premiums.  Insurance sucks when you have to wade through pages and pages of legalese.  Insurance sucks when you have to go to battle with a company to compensate you.  Insurance does NOT suck when you have it in your back pocket. No one anticipates blowing their ACL, and your adhering to Tip #1 has ensured that you’ve given yourself a fighting chance. Whether you end up hanging out in the lounge for the rest of your holiday, or decide to head home to get yourself sorted out, having options takes the heat off.  Some winters we end up chartering helicopters for emergency transport to a hospital, or making last minute arrangements for someone that just wants to get home to their own doctor. We’ll take care of all those arrangements, including taking you to our closest hospital to get a doctor’s note, but Trip Cancellation Insurance ensures that you can concentrate on what happens in the unlikely event that you have an injury.  This also ensures that the friends you came with don’t have to listen to you complain about how much getting home is going to cost you. Don’t be THAT guy. 

Equipment for a BC Heliskiing Trip

Tip #4: Identify your most important ski gear item

Do you have a favourite pair of goggles that act as your good luck charm?  Enables you to see in white-out conditions, and never fog up, no matter how hard you are breathing?  Have an underlayer that keeps you warm and dry regardless of how hard you are working or sweating? If these are “must have” items in your gear bag, you might think about doubling up.  We’ve got an awesome gift shop, and we’ve tried to stock it with things that guests forget or want to add to their clothing arsenal, but for sure we will not have a familiar and well-broken in item that propels you to skier rockstar status. The stuff you have used for the last few seasons and have been an integral part of your gear selection should be packed for the trip.  No one cares if it’s brand spanking new. Just bring your “tried and true” gear. Your friends and fellow heli mates do not want to hear you complain that your hands are cold or wet. Don’t be THAT guy.

Tyax Lodge Heliskiing Employment

Tip #5: Be respectful of your Guide

This tip is not really about planning, but more about once you are here. Our Guides are amazing, and they are hired for a combination of their ability to keep you safe, and their ability to show you an epic time in our mountains.  They are diehard skiers, and hardcore mountain enthusiasts. They love what they do, and want to pass along that love to everyone that comes to visit.  They are experts in every way and without them, Tyax wouldn’t have the history that it does. The Guide is charged with your safety, and the reputation of this company.  Please listen to their words, and truly hear what they are saying. Recognizing them for their skill set will ensure that you have an epic time while at Tyax. Disrespect will guarantee that you and your group will end up with some unpleasant memories, instead of positive ones.  Don’t be THAT guy.  

Of course Tip #6 goes without saying……relax, you’re gonna LOVE IT!!!

If you’re amped up and ready for your next heli skiing bc adventure, inquire as to availability or call us toll free at 1 (877) 918-8929 today.

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