TLH Heliskiing LTD
P.O. Box 1118 Vernon, BC V1T 6N4 Canada
Tel: (250) 558-5379 Fax: (250) 558-5389
North America Toll-Free: 1-800-667-4854
w: tlhheli.com e: sales [at] tlhheli.com

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where is TLH Heliskiing located?
A: Our lodge is located 125 miles (200km) Northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a 6.5 hour trip via ground transfer or 1.2 hours by helicopter.

Q: Why choose TLH Heliskiing?
A:
• Only 2 groups per helicopter which means almost no waiting time and MORE ski time!
• Remote mountain lodge with the helicopters only 100 steps away.
We only ski with 2 groups per helicopter. This means that our guests don't have daily bus rides and long waiting times for the helicopter. Instead, they are able to ski and snowboard a greater variety of runs in a vast area every day at their own pace. Our climate zone provides us with lots of dry snow and sunny weather and only about ½ down day per week. Add more than 300 runs accessible in 10 different mountain ranges and you have THE place for a superb heli-skiing or heli-boarding vacation.

Q: Organizing a Group?
A:
TLH does offer incentives for those prepared to 'herd the cats'. For every 10 seats reserved on the same package the 11th helsiskiing package is free. Get the ball rolling, shake the trees to see how much interest there is and the TLH sales staff will then work with you to realize a full group.

Q: How are the groups chosen?
A: Groups are chosen by weight and ability. We always try to keep groups that are on holiday together, skiing together.

Q: Are there incentives for signing up new skiers?
A: Yes.
Introduce your friends to ski/board with TLH and receive a credit towards your next heliskiing holiday. For every new skier/boarder that books a package with TLH, you will receive a credit of CAD $350. It’s a quick way to pad your extra-vertical budget or be the host at the bar after a day of helicopter skiing with TLH. These amounts can be used as payment towards any package or service provided by TLH for the following 3 seasons.

Q: Are ground transfers included with the package price?
A: Yes, return ground transfers are included with every heliski package. It is a 6.5 hour journey from Vancouver or about 4 hours from Whistler. Inbound or outbound heli-transfers are available but are weather dependant.

We start our journey at sea level in the city of Vancouver winding our way through the mountains on the famous Sea to Sky Highway. The bus travels through some of British Columbia’s well known recreation-focused communities, including; Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton. After the climb out of Pemberton you travel the Duffy Lake Road before the descent into Lillooet which is the gateway town to the Chilcotin Mountains and also the last town before arriving at Tyax Mountain Lake Resort.

Q: Do you mix skiers with snowboarders?
A: Yes, mixed groups do happen. If there are problems with group chemistry, the guide will make the necessary changes, but we generally find that whether on one plank or two, everyone gets along and enjoys their turns.

Q: Can I bring my snowboard?
A: Yes. We do not have any rental boards at the lodge. Please ensure that you have any extra pieces or parts for your board that will come in handy in the event of breakage.

Q: Can I be reached at the lodge?
A: Every room at the lodge has its own telephone. In addition, there is a fax machine available in the lodge office.

Front Desk Hours are: 07:00 to 20:00
Tel: +1 250-238-2221
Fax: +1 250-238-2528

Please note:
The contact numbers for the lodge office are NOT the same as the numbers for the TLH Heliskiing office.

Q: Can non-skiers come too?
A: Yes. Non-skiers can be accommodated.

Q: When are the best conditions?
A: This is the million dollar question. The weather is slightly different every year and dreamlike skiing / boarding conditions can be requested but not guaranteed! Since we began operations in 1991 we have had the full range of conditions, but one of the main reasons guests return year after year are the reliable and stable weather patterns that we receive in the South Chilcotin Mountains. December, January and the beginning of February are typically slightly colder and the days shorter than later in the season. If you have yet to heliski during the early season, consider it a must. As temps remain cooler at this time of year, conditions at lower elevations provide us with excellent tree skiing in poorer weather conditions.

Mid-February through mid-March has historically been the most popular time for heli-skiing and generally should be booked around 12 months in advance to secure your space. Days become longer, the weather tends to stabilize still with regular snow storms passing through from the west.

Late March and April offers skiing and particularly boarding conditions which have always been under-rated. Leave your golf clubs locked away, grab your skis and your board and experience long days, big vertical and still be skiing powder. The conditions from day to day in April tend to change a lot faster.

Q: How much vertical do you ski / board?
A: Vertical guarantee information. Please keep in mind that with our great location in the Chilcotin Mountains we do get to ski ALOT. Historically, our clients have the chance to ski up to 30% more than what we guarantee.

The amount of skiing is determined by several factors:

• the skiing ability of our guests and the amount they desire to ski
• weather and snow conditions
• available daylight hours

Q: How good do I have to be?
A: Heliskiing is not for novice skiers or snowboarders - there we said it! As much as we would like everyone to have the chance to visit our heliski operations, we want to make sure that all our guests equally enjoy their experience. Conditions and terrain can vary widely, from wide-open alpine bowls and glaciers with moderate pitches to steep and narrow tree skiing. Snow conditions can range from boot-top powder to wind-pressed crust, heavy crud and anything in between. Our internationally certified guides do their best to find the optimal conditions, but for reasons of snow safety and in difficult flying conditions, our terrain options do become limited. Any type of conditions can be expected at any time throughout the heliski season. There isn't a 'guaranteed good week'.

Guests must therefore be both capable and experienced in handling a mixture of conditions, whether they are on one plank or two.

1. You should have considerable skiing experience in a conventional resort setting.
2. Your run choices are predominantly blue/ black and you ski them with confidence in almost any conditions (flat light with dust on crust to give an extreme example!).
3. Your skiing ability has improved year after year and you are capable of multi-day ski trips.
4. You may not have the style of a paid skier, but you have the confidence to keep up with friends and you know when you are making some 'good turns'.
5. You can make parallel turns with confidence and if the situation arises, you can; side-slip, step-up sideways, traverse and make kick turns.
6. In the process of becoming a better skier, you have made the transition from novice level equipment to high performance gear and can also spot the difference.
7. You may not have tons of powder skiing experience but you can maintain control in backcountry conditions.

Q: I've never used an avalanche transceiver - is it difficult?
A: ALL guests visiting TLH will be trained to use the Mammut BarryVox Transceiver. It is a modern avalanche rescue transceiver with digital display (LCD) and analog search mode (acoustic signal). Simple one touch button operation is intuitive and easy to use - even for the uninitiated.

Q: Can I bring my airbag?
A: Guests are welcome to use the ABS airbag system. Other systems are not permitted. You will be required to remove them from your person before entering the helicopter and store them in the helicopter as per the guides instructions.

Q: What about visitors with special dietary needs?
A: Please let us know about any special dietary needs prior to your heliski trip with us. If we do not know ahead of time, we cannot adequately prepare.

Q: Is there a somewhat high-speed Internet connection?
A: Yes we have a medium-speed connection. Despite our best efforts to convince clients that they will enjoy their holiday more without connecting to the World Wide Web, some clients do need this service. Check your web-mail on our free terminal or bring your wireless-ready laptop and we’ll get you connected (rates apply).

Q: Are there professional photography services available?
A: Yes we have Pro Photography services at the lodge. Your own powder profile? You bet. Our photographers take turns with most of the groups and usually come back with great photos. A short movie will be shown to highlight the photos. Full DVD of images with soundtrack or individual dry-mount pictures are available for purchase in the gift shop.