Heli-Assisted 3 day Ski Touring Expedition
Heli-drop into Mabey Ski’s remote “glamping” style ski touring basecamp in the Whistler backcountry.
Ready to take your backcountry ski touring to the next level? Time to push your boundaries with Mabey Ski’s very own base camp ski expedition.
Heli-drop into a secret, remote backcountry zone selected by our expert mountain guides. From here your hosts will set up base camp, complete with communal base camp bell tent and surrounding private tents. Then ski tour the surrounding powder covered peaks for 3 days and 2 nights.
Our guides have a set of secret locations within the Squamish-Lillooet region, and selected by your powder guru ski guides. We can select the best option depending on snow, weather and how far you can travel.
For the adventurous backcountry skier looking for something a something challenging, memorable and exhilarating. You should have a decent level of fitness and be able to ski black runs in variable conditions. Whilst we do our best to keep you warm, you should be prepared for some cold moments!
We can run this trip any time from December - May, however we suggest March-May as the temperatures tend to be a little warmer, the snowpack a little more stable and the helicopters can fly more regularly and reliably.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Your alarm rings at 7am, you wake up in your cozy cocoon-like winter sleeping bag and slip on an extra puffy jacket before stepping out of your hardy 4 season tent to stretch under the glorious morning sunrise. You take a moment to breath in the fresh air and take in the blissful silence. Soon the rustle of sleeping bags and crinkling Gore-Tex pants fill the air as you head over to your communal Emperor tent to get the morning coffee on the boil.
Your guide serves up a hearty backcountry breakfast as you sit around the map and discuss the day of adventure ahead. You look out of the tent and see the objectives of the day and smile. Time to pack your snacks and water and perform a group check to make sure your  transceivers are working seamlessly.
Time to head out on the first lap of the day. Your guide makes short work of breaking trail as you follow in their tracks, snaking your way up the mountain. You discuss various risks and route-finding techniques as you ascend towards objective 1 – the warmup lap, and before you know it you are ripping your skins off and getting ready for the first descent of the day. You ski one at a time, whooping as you make your mark on the pristine coastal powder – time to take some pictures and a well-deserved breather before heading up for run 2, something a little steeper this time.
Adrenaline pumping from the 2nd and 3rd laps of the day, you stop for lunch and take in the views, recounting the mornings epic powder runs. Time to chat about the afternoon action plan and get back to it. 3 more unforgettable laps later, you return to camp and crack a cold beer and light the wood fired stove in the tent.
The guide carefully prepares your “gourmet backcountry” dinner as you hang up your skins and gloves in your drying room/dining room and reminisce over the days turns. You chat around the wood burning stove and feel connected to your environment. No cell signal, no social media – just you, your crew, raw nature and a bucket load of good times. Time to finish that glass of wine and head back to your toasty sleeping bag, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Pricing
Starting at CAD$2800 (+12% tax) plus tax per person for 2 nights, 3 days. Minimum of 3 people
Included for this price:
- Heli-drop off and pick up
- Top of the range down -40c rated sleeping bags and padded sleeping mats
- Communal expedition style base camp tent
- Private Big Agnes 4-season tents to sleep in
- Freshly prepared “backcountry gourmet” meals (3 per day)
- Professional Backcountry Ski Guiding for 3 days
- Base camp hosts
You will need to bring:
- Ski Touring Equipment (available to rent for an additional fee)
- Avalanche Rescue Equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel – available to rent for an additional fee)
- Winter/ski clothing and gear
This unique experience is organised in partnership with our good friends at Coast Mountain Guides and Spearhead Outfitters. Photos by Mabey Ski and Michael Overbeck
Ski At Mabey Ski's very own basecamp
We live, breathe, work and play in the mountains of Whistler, BC – home of this epic alpine adventure. We thought up and created our ultimate adventure, then tested it rigorously (tough job, we know!) to bring you the best Whistler backcountry trip yet. We might be biased, but this has to be one of the best Whistler backcountry ski experiences out there.
