Heliboard in Russia

[damian 0]

This season is close.

 

I have a friend going heliboarding in Russia. He wants me to go along. The snow is superb, a lot like Japan but dryer. It is quite pricey (£2500, excluding air fare to Russia) and also seems all over the top and indulgent. I think the money and effort might be better spent going to Japan and doing a week of BC in Yuzawa.

 

At this stage I will not be doing either. Just a few weekend in the Italian Alps and a week of guided Mont Blanc BC, a step-up from last season efforts. They had 30cm of fresh snow on the summit last week.

 

Anyone been to Russia for snow? Sava?

[Fattwins 0]

do you want me to ask my friend? he went last year.

 

BPC why not check the BC in Tateyama or hakuba?

[damian 0]

FT -please do ask him Although I am unlikely to go.

 

If I had to weigh up all things then I would choose a week of BC in Japan (Tateyama, Hakuba, Yuzawa, or other) over nearly any other option. I LOVED the experience I had in Chamonix but..... Japan is a good BC option!

 

- crowds: very small, fresh lines all day.

- snow fall: do I need to even say anything? Immense.

- snow quality: by all accounts, almost as good as it gets.

- cost: not that high at all.

- people: nice to be around.

- friends: I have a few in the country, no rent-a-crowd.

- guides: None. A bit of a bummer, but loads of guys on this forum alone know enough lines to keep you busy all week. Guides are also mega expensive.

- Terrain: distinctly Japanese and a little too much tree riding. But the snow and fresh lines make up for it and I recon the terrain will be not much better in Russia anyway. Japan has almost as steep as I need, just perhaps not very long lines. Yet again, waking up to 1 foot of fresh and you soon forget the lack of heavy terrain.

- BC attitude: it sucks. The one thing that amazed me about Chamonix was the attitude. You could go anywhere and do anything. If you died, your issue. If you needed a heli rescue then they were there ($$$). Nothing was out of bounds. But that produces crowds and a frenzy for fresh lines.

[Ocean11 0]

Last time I flew over Russia in winter I spent hours scoping lines out of the plane window until my eyes went bloodshot. The place is so damn huge, there must be some good spots. It certainly looked that way to me.

[mattlucas 0]

It would be cool to go Heliskiing in Russia

But like you said in an earlier post. It's expensive for what you get out of it. You could get a better experience heliskiing in Canada for the same price and be happier flying in machines that wern't built cerca 1952

 

For the "Russian experience" I'd go into Eastern Europe. There have been a few articles in Powder Mag about deep powder skiing at resorts. Pretty cheap and look really good.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

In Icon 4, a J-ski vid, the go into, wait, gotta check the spelling, Kazakhstan and it looks like some sweet lines, nothing to huge, but massive open faces to cruise down.

[taguchi 0]

That does sound interesting. I would love to try it myself I need to find companion to go with me first I suppose!

[Fattwins 0]

BPC hakuba has open BC where you wont go throuh any trees.

[marnix 0]

Actually where do you go to? Like O11 said "the place is so damn huge". Is the trip going to the caucasus, kamtchadka or one of the former USSR replublics like Kazachstan?

 

A friend of mine did a trip to the caucasus 2 years ago and 2 years before that he did some heliskiing in Canada too. His said that heliskiing in the caucasus was cheaper and much more 'cowboy' like. They did lots of steeps and other stuff that they wouldn't do in North America because of liability insurance. The heli was quicker so he was able to do more vert in Russia, but security was still highly regarded by very experienced Suisse guides

 

It depends a bit on the group you are flying with. If they are all very good the guides might take to more interesting grounds.

 

£2500, excluding air fare to Russia seems very steep. I looked at it last year and found a deal for 2000 USD (this was with limited vert). So maybe your friends deal is with unlimited vert and very small groups? still it is a lot of money.

[Fattwins 0]

you could go to alaska with that amount of cash.

[mattlucas 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Sanno:
A friend of mine did a trip to the caucasus 2 years ago and 2 years before that he did some heliskiing in Canada too. His said that heliskiing in the caucasus was cheaper and much more 'cowboy' like. They did lots of steeps and other stuff that they wouldn't do in North America because of liability insurance.

The deal with North American operations is that they won't take you on anything steep until you've been out with them a few times.
You can't just show up and expect to ski the same lines as Seth Morrison or Shane McConkey.
This isn't a bad thing either.

I wouldn't want a cowboy experience if I was paying that much. And I've seen pictures of the machines that some operations use. These arn't new toys.

[Fattwins 0]

my firend Tats went cat sking. the guide almost stopped the whole day because one of the people on the tour was beening stupid.

 

for 2500 its more than likely a high end op though. do you have a link that I can mail my friend

[damian 0]

The trip will be to Sochi, on the Black Sea. I boarded last season with some guys that did the same trip last year. The word was that the chopper work hard all day, just like a chair lift ferrying people up and down. He said it was 'real' heli boarding in that when you got to the bottom the heli would appear within 10 minutes and take you back up. I spoke with a guide that was on the trip and he confirmed that they did 27 drops in 5 days. Not bad. WAY better than the heli drop rip-off is Chamonix (pickup and drop in the Swiss side). I was told that the heli was a relic, the pilot didn't smile once and they saw big bears near the heli pickup spot.

[Ocean11 0]

 

Oh jolly good! Here comes our ride!

[nzlegend 1]

I remeber in one of Warren Millers flick, they did some Heli skiing in the Caucausis Mtns and it looked phenomenal, there are 6000m high Mtns there, so the vertical is guaranteed to be decent.

[marnix 0]

It is not that the operations in Russia do crazy things but they are more focused to more radical skiing, where CMH are more for the 40plus powder8 crowd, at least that is what I heard.

So instead of having to come back a few times before they let you do the steeper stuff, thye step it up a bit further in the next run.

[damian 0]

Sanno - I just realised I called you Sava in my first post. I always get you guys confused.

 

How did you come to know so much aboyut so many snow venues?

[Fattwins 0]

bpc my friend who went to russia didnt pay 2500 for his trip. he is sending the info later

[Fattwins 0]

Travel co is www.travel.in-russia.com

 

Photos www.jackdaddy.com/russia05

 

Really good value for money!!!

 

Sean

[mattlucas 0]

That is ****in sick

Would be nice to have somebody taking pictures of each and everyrun like in that report. Must be nice to be rich or sponsored

 

The rotor wash from that helicopter must be amazing. I've been around little helicopters in the snow and that was painful. That thing could hurl cinder blocks up in the air

 

 

That operation looks much better than anything I've seen of heli-skiing in Russia in Magizines and Videos.

[js 0]

It would be interesting to compare the BC ski areas in Russia and K-stan with past USSR atomic test sites.

 

I'd suggest they may very well converge - they're not considered BC for nothing!

 

Hope you've got your lead thermal underwear and combined transceiver/geiger counter ready?

[Fattwins 0]

im thinking about going there in a few years that is for sure.

[woywoy 0]

Looks sick.

[js 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by British Potato Council:
It is quite pricey (£2500, excluding air fare to Russia) and also seems all over the top and indulgent. I think the money and effort might be better spent going to Japan and doing a week of BC in Yuzawa.

That's about $5,800 Aussie ... without airfares.
(How many days heli-riding, accomm. and meals included?)

Our almost-annual ski sorties to Canada/US cost about $4,000 all up - everything for two weeks riding. So the eventual outlay for the Russian trip would be in the vicinity of $AUD6,800 with airfares

Better to leave the trip till you're holidaying close to Russia, then combine it into your hols, otherwise it's gonna be one VERY expensive stand alone experience.

By the way - the above US/Canadian price is the reason why so many Aussies are heading to Niseko, etc - together with the long haul flights and increasing US security crap through Hawaii.

[damian 0]

Yes, it is expensive, but they are providing access and convenience, that is what people are paying for: they live in London, earn an ok city income, want to do something seemingly complicated like heli in Russia, pay someone else to arrange it for you. They are also aware of how good the powder is compared to the Alps and so are charging for it. Trips to Canada etc are much more commoditised and so less expensive.

 

The Russian deal is for 5 days heli and accommodation. Even though I live nearby (London) I wont be doing it, not at that price... and not at the risk of annoying any elitist socialists.

 

I would rather spend much less money and go to Japan over Russia.

 

I have a northern Italian weekend base for a year so that will define most of my snow activity this season.