Heli Hiking

The Heli-Hiking Experience

Canadian Mountain Holidays have a passion for the mountains, specifically our spectacular Canadian Rockies. 

Very few people other than CMH heli-hikers have ever set foot on these very remote and not easily accessed mountains, some of which remain unnamed. Thanks to helicopters, you can gain those magic heights with joyous ease.

Staying in six luxurious mountain retreats, by day you venture out with your guide, (again by helicopter) into the incredible remote mountain scenery, enjoying a hike set for your own pace. 

By night, enjoy a massage, an outdoor hot tub soak or a sauna, the chef prepared gourmet meals, chatting by the fireplace, or the complete solitude.

The Lodges
The six wilderness lodges—Adamant, Bobbie Burns, Bugaboo, Cariboo, Monashees, and Valemount—are built, maintained, and staffed in the best European alpine tradition. They combine old-fashioned comfort with modernity. Their airy bedrooms, all with private baths, are designed for privacy and quietude (and all come with fluffy duvets for a CMH trademark: a great night’s sleep).

The Gourmet Food
Great food is a CMH tradition. Each lodge not only has a head chef at the helm, but an imaginative pastry chef to round out the culinary extravaganzas. They cook with health in mind, using lots of fresh Western Canadian ingredients.

The Options Include

• 3, 4 or 6 nights accommodation (depending on trip you choose), three meals per day as well as snacks, from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day;
• helicopter flights to and from your lodge (except for Valemount, which we can drive directly to);
• all helicopter flights into and down from the mountains each day of your stay;
• services of the fully certified guides;
• special programming for Family Adventures trips;
• use of outerwear gear;
• ground transportation from Banff to the CMH heli-pad and return to Banff or Calgary International Airport.

FAQ's

I’m not a hiker! Can I do this?
Whether it’s a hike, walk, or amble, each Heli-Hiking day is tailored to all levels of fitness, experience, and age. We split the group as necessary so everyone can stay within their comfort level. All you really need is a workable pair of feet and the thirst for adventure. In fact, we enjoy taking inexperienced hikers up to our mountains; it’s a revelation, for them and for us.

I’m an experienced hiker. Will I be challenged?
Yes. Our guides are mountain people and they’re ready to give you a good hiking workout.

Is Heli-Hiking suitable for families?
Absolutely. Every generation can create its own perfect day. We’ve hosted four-generation families, from very young children to great-grandparents, with a wide range of activities for each to choose from. And each time the verdict has been “We all had the time of our lives!”

How far do we hike each day?
Since we form our hiking groups based on ability and desires, our mileage varies quite a bit, from a kilometre or so (1/2 mile) to 15 kilometres (9 miles). We’re not taskmasters; our guests hike as much or as little as they want.

What if I don’t have all the hiking clothes?
At the lodge we’ll provide you with insulated hooded jackets, rain ponchos, wind pants, day packs, water bottles, and walking sticks. And hiking boots from our meticulously maintained, extensive, top-of-the-line collections in each lodge. (The majority of our guests take advantage of those collections and hike happily in our boots.)

What about altitude?
Compared to other great ranges, our mountains are relatively low. But because of our high latitude they’re rich with glaciers and high mountain terrain usually found in loftier areas. Our hikes generally range from 1800 metres to 2700 metres (6,000- 9,000 feet), comfortable altitudes for just about everybody.

Why use a helicopter?
Because without helicopters our remote mountains would be essentially inaccessible except to a very few, hardy backpackers. Our short, concise flights take us to and from our secluded lodges, up to magic places utterly without roads, trails, or evidence of humanity. Helicopters also give us the ability to gently hop from one area to another during the day, visiting that meadow in sudden full bloom, and getting closer to that inviting little lake we saw to the east.

What are the lodges like?
First, we designed our lodges to blend harmoniously with their environment. Second, we made them comfortable and luxurious. Third, we staffed them with people who enjoy mountain living and who have a knack for sharing their enthusiasm. All our bedrooms have private baths. We feature massage services, saunas, whirlpools, game rooms, shops, and comfy bar-lounges. And the food is plentiful, imaginative, varied, and great. Our goal is to create a familial, unpretentious, restful, zestful atmosphere.

Which lodge should I choose? Which area has the best hiking and scenery?
This is a little like asking parents to pick their favourite child. So we asked a valued client, who has Heli-Hiked from all four lodges, how he’d answer this often-asked question. “Well,” he responded, “I don’t think there is a good answer, simply because the truth is that all the lodges are wonderful, all provide equally superb service, and the mountains are equally fantastic. If one lodge was really better than another, then you’d have a problem! Each of the lodges has given me many great memories…of a particular guide, or a memorable hike, or a great group of fellow hikers. It’s a very personal thing."

How do I connect with the outside world?
We try to create an environment where guests can hike, relax, enjoy great food, meet new friends, and step away from the world’s hectic pace. But there’s no getting around the fact that new technologies have altered the communications landscape. Our challenge is to preserve our lodges’ away-from-it-all atmosphere and at the same time provide basic connectivity for guests who require it. So: tucked away in a central but quiet location, each lodge has available for guest use a computer equipped with Word, Excel, and basic Internet access.

What’s the weather like up there? And what if it rains?
Our summer weather is generally sunny and pleasant. Temperatures range from highs of 10-29° C (50-85° F) during the day to lows of –1 to15°C (30-60°F) at night. But mountain weather doesn’t follow strict rules. So we’re prepared, and we will help you prepare, for cooler temperatures, rain, wind, and, every once in a while, snow. As long as it’s safe to fly our helicopters (and we don’t push any envelopes when it comes to flying safety), we do hike in the rain, and have a great time doing it. The clothing and equipment we supply keep you comfortable, warm, and dry. Bottom line: our guides and staff always come up with something fun and interesting to do.

What about your lodges’ shops?
Each of our lodges has a top-notch retail shop that offers a good selection of outdoor clothing such as hiking shorts, zip-off pants, t-shirts, waterproof jackets, fleece vests, and a variety of hats. Like most mountain people, we’re sticklers for the right gear, so all our clothing, etc., is guide-tested and -approved. Our shops also feature a variety of interesting gift items and necessaries.

What’s a typical day like?

Day 1 – Bobbie Burns

• We pick you up early in the morning from your hotel in Banff or Lake Louise and drive west, through two glorious national parks (have your cameras ready for sheep, grizzly or goats), snacking along the way.
• We arrive at our helipad at about 9:30 for the first helicopter flight to Bobbie Burns Lodge.
• After landing, we’re greeted by the lodge manager, outfitted with boots, day packs, rain gear, etc., and settle into our rooms.
• At noon, we gather in the lodge dining room for lunch, meet the staff, and have a briefing on the next few days.
• After a helicopter safety talk, we climb in and soar up for an afternoon of getting acquainted with the mountains.
• In the late afternoon, our chopper picks us up and it’s back to the lodge for hors d’oeuvres and beverages.
• Our casual gourmet dinner, served family style, will be at 7:00 (save room for our pastry chef’s latest inspiration). Then some camaraderie by the fire, maybe a sauna or whirlpool, and a great night’s sleep.

Days 2 & 3 – Bobbie Burns

• You might want to join the morning stretch, or sleep a little longer. Breakfast is served at 8:00.
• The first helicopter leaves at 9:00 (each aircraft seats 11 guests and a guide), making the short but dramatic trip to the timberline. Divided into groups (8 to 11 people) according to ability, energy, and inclination, each group with its own guide, we spend the day roaming and hiking in knock-down gorgeous, world-class landscapes.
• During the course of the day, the helicopter may pick us up and land us in three or four different areas, giving us a chance to experience a variety of settings, from meadows to timberline ridges to glaciers to a particularly winsome picnic spot.
• At day’s end we fly back to the lodge to indulge in (depending on our mood) a massage, a browse in the lodge shop, a game of chess, a go at the lodge climbing wall, a cocktail on the deck as alpen glow bathes the peaks we’ve been communing with.

Day 4 – Bobbie Burns

After breakfast, the first helicopter leaves about 9:30 for the Bobbie Burns helipad, where we board our private motorcoach for the drive back to Lake Louise, Banff, and/or* the Calgary Airport.

Then it’s dinner, storytelling in the living room, and another great night’s sleep.

* We say “and/or” because we invite you to consider a pre- or post-trip extension to our beautiful neck of the woods. After all, our five national parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Banff is one of the world’s great mountain towns, and Lake Louise is a world-famed scenic archetype, just to mention a few of our wonders.