Sainte Foy is one of the few places in France where you can heli ski from your chalet doorstep, have all day in the untouched wilderness, and ski back to the chalets at the end of the day!
From under £300 per person it’s possible to take your skiing to a whole new height, literally! Venture Ski specialise in making your heli ski trip as effortless as possible. We provide equipment (transceivers, backpacks, shovel and probes), training, instruction and advice.
Our chalets in Sainte Foy are special because heli skiing is not allowed in France (due to rules about helicopter landings on mountains which are often designated "national parks") however, because of our proximity to the Italian border, we can drop off on the Italian peaks and can ski back into France!
Heli skiing does not have to break the bank and you don’t have to be super fit or experienced. Ideally you should be an average or above off-piste skier or boarder so we recommend one of our off-piste clinics or at a minimum a day’s warm-up with one of our affiliate instructor/guides before you go. Here’s some useful information we hope you find helpful:
Terrain & Conditions
We start heli skiing when the authorities ‘open’ the Ruitor Glacier just behind Sainte Foy in Italy. This is usually in January (when all the crevasses have filled and the mountain is safe) and continues till the end of April. Occasionally conditions are poor and you need to be prepared for the fact that you may have to ski on difficult snow such as breakable crust, wind-slab or heavy snow. You can expect Glaciers and giant open bowls; you’ll never see more spectacular scenery. Runs are selected by your guide who will take into account the weather and snow conditions, as well as the skiing ability of the group. You will complete at least 2000m vertical decent. If you are fit and do two or three helicopter ‘lifts’ you can surpass 4,800m vertical in a day – the height of Mont Blanc!
Ability & Groups
If you already have experience skiing off-piste in deep snow conditions, you will have no problems heli skiing. Special powder or ‘fat’ skis will also enable strong, intermediate skiers, even those with limited off-piste skiing experience, to adapt to deep snow skiing. On arrival, your skiing ability will be assessed and you will be placed in a group compatible with your skiing ability and preferences. Any necessary adjustments to the groups will be made by the guides after the first morning’s skiing. The fitter you are the more enjoyable your heli-skiing will be and the less likely you’ll be to injury yourself.
Equipment & Clothing
Powder skis are either provided or available for hire from the heli ski operators. Your outer clothing should be windproof and waterproof. A removable layer underneath is recommended in order to be able to adjust to different weather conditions. Good gloves are recommended and goggles (rather than sunglasses) and a hat are essential.
For booking and information about heli-skiing, please contact our Customer Service desk on Tel: 0870 242 4881 and ask for either Mark or Peter.
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