Classic Vert Package
This is Bella Coola's most popular package as is suitable for seasoned heli skiers, families and heli virgins alike!
These packages are
mixed group so you can join a package as a
solo skier/boarder,
a couple,
small group or even
large group and book the entire lodge to make it a private event. If you prefer to just ski with your friends and you only have a small group,
the magic number is a group of 4 as this fills a load in the helicopter.
Small group heli skiing with
max 4 guests (sometimes 5) per group and
max 12 guests per heli (often only 2 groups in peak season). Small groups combines with a small helicopter ensures optimal turn-around time so you spend more time skiing & boarding and less time standing still.
The duration of packages ranges from the 4
Night Classic Vert with
5 possible ski days of phenomenal heli-skiing (comprised of 3 full days and a part day on arrival and departure day) &
57,000 vertical feet to the 7
Night Classic Vert package with
8 possible ski days of phenomenal heli-skiing & a whopping
100,000 vertical feet. Extra vertical is available on all packages
.
See
Rates & Inclusions for all package options and indicative rates. If have any questions, want to ask about availability, or get a quote, please
submit a booking request.
Lodging & Meals
There is a choice of accommodation; private chalets at the award-winning Tweedsmuir Park Lodge or hotel style rooms at Eagle Lodge.
All gourmet meals and après ski snacks (multi-course dinners, picnic lunch in the field and hot or cold breakfasts) are also included. See more about
accommodation & meals here >>
Typical Itinerary for the Classic Vert Package
Following is an sample itinerary of how a typical Classic Vert package would run; there’s the possibility to ski on both arrival and departure days if the weather is favourable!
Arrival Day
Depart from the South Terminal (5 minute taxi ride from the Main Terminal) at Vancouver international Airport around mid-morning on the 70 minute flight to Bella Coola (or Anahim Lake for Pantheon guests). Bella Colla staff will greet you at the airport with a picnic lunch. The guides will then takeover and take you through the safety briefing.
If the weather is conducive to flying in the mountains, you will get you geared up to go heliskiing that afternoon, working your way to the lodge!
Heli Ski Days (number depends on your package)
Heli-skiing the epic terrain of the Coast Range
Last Day - last chance to heli ski the morning on your way to the airport.
On arrival back at the lodge, your bags will be waiting for you so that you can change clothes for the flight back to Vancouver, where you will arrive around 2pm. BCHS strongly recommend booking connecting flights away from 6pm onwards.
If you live in North America, you could heliski in the morning, then be home that night! No need to waste time and money staying overnight in Vancouver.
If you live in Europe, you can catch a flight that evening! Again no need to waste time and money staying overnight in Vancouver.
COVID-19 UPDATE
Bella Coola Heli Sports recognizes that you might be keen for some epic heli-skiing, however, you are hesitant in these uncertain times. We want to allay your fears and to make booking a trip with us RISK FREE.
Deposits - 25% and FULLY REFUNDABLE until 90 days prior to trip start date.
Balance - 90 days prior to the trip.
This means if you are thinking about a trip next winter, you should book NOW to make sure there's availability, and you will have peace of mind knowing you can get your whole deposit back if you cancel 90 days before the trip commences.
Cancelling within 90 days - In the case where you are prohibited from: leaving your home country; entering Canada; or travelling within Canada due to a COVID-19 governmental ban, we will fully credit your trip with the equivalent trip in the next 3 winters, and you will not need to pay the yearly rate increase! If you want to cancel within 90 days, but not due to COVID-19, then our standard policy takes effect (see below).
Bella Coola Heli Sport Terms & Conditions
REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
To guarantee your reservation a deposit is required. Deposits are due upon booking.
Important note: For bookings made less than 90 days prior to your arrival date in Bella Coola the full package price is due upon booking.
Special note to group organizers: The group organizer is responsible to ensure that all guests receive the BCHS literature and are fully aware of the policies in it. The group organizer is also responsible for making sure payment deadlines are met and all necessary forms are returned to BCHS as requested.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
While we wish we could control the weather, we do not. Occasionally we cannot ski and often those times are for your safety. We hope you recognize that we want to be out there skiing as much as you do!
Instance when we might not be able to ski include; snow stability issues, unfavourable weather, mechanical issues or an unforeseen emergency.
We have strict payment and refund policies. For this reason we ask all our clients to thoroughly read the information supplied on our website before registering for a heliskiing tour.
The reservation and cancellation policies outlined are more or less standard in the heli-skiing industry.
CANCELLATION INSURANCE
We strongly recommend purchasing cancellation insurance. Once a booking is made significant expenses and long term commitments are incurred on your behalf. For this reason we are not prepared to offer refunds if you are later forced to cancel.
In addition, we recommend buying medical evacuation insurance. If you are injured while skiing and need to be flown to the hospital or back to the lodge, the cost of the flight will be billed to your account.
For both your protection and ours, we strongly recommend that you to book cancellation and evacuation insurance online with Lifestyle Financial. Their policy covers both Canadians and Non-Canadians (Note - if you are Non-Canadian, the information pertaining to you in their policy is after the information for Canadians).
CANCELLATIONS
Deposits are non-refundable. If you need to cancel your trip after having paid the deposit or balance you have the following options;
You can re-schedule to a later date within the season in which you are booked (plus pay if there's a season pricing difference)
You can find someone new to take over your booking
If your substitute takes up your seat with Bella Coola Heli Sports, we will credit any money that you have paid to us toward the balance owing on your substitute's seat. We will leave it to you and your substitute to determine how you recoup the payments credited to the substitute's benefit. While we cannot revise our cancellation policy, we hope that our acceptance of your substitute will offset the effects of our policy.
Other considerations;
If you cancel your seat after you have paid the deposit, we will not refund the deposit and will open up your space to another person
We will consider that you have cancelled your seat if we do not receive the balance payment 90 days before your trip start date
Please note that Bella Coola Heli Sports reserves the right to cancel your reservation. However, if Bella Coola Heli Sports does cancel your reservation, you will be refunded in full.
Special note on all flight changes: Once the Pacific Coastal flight has been booked any changes will incur a $300 fee. Most flights we book are on a private charter and changes require that we must purchase a whole new ticket on your behalf on one of the scheduled flights.
REFUND POLICIES
*** IMPORTANT info for those booking Vertical programs
The helicopter costs of operating your heli-skiing week are far and away the costliest element of your package. We cannot afford to fly with an empty seat. This necessitates a strict policy: EACH GUEST IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS OF THEIR SEAT.
If you decide to sit out a run in order to rest, or get injured and are unable to continue skiing/boarding, your vertical account will register the amount skied by the group you were assigned to, not the vertical you actually skied. We sympathize with those that miss out on skiing, but this policy insures that we are able to continue flying and are able to fulfill our obligations to the other guests.
By way of further explanation, imagine that your helicopter is a taxi and you are four friends taking a ride. If one or two people ask to be dropped off half way to the destination, the overall cost of the taxi ride does not change.
Similarly, if for whatever reason you request to fly back to the lodge or your guide deems it necessary for you to be flown out; you will be billed for the costs of the extra flying time incurred by the company in returning you to the valley before the heliski day is finished. The costs will vary depending on the amount of flight time required. If it does become necessary for you to be flown out because of an injury, we suggest that you submit the costs of the evacuation to your insurance company.
There is also no refund for down days per se; however, if bad weather or mechanical breakdown prevents us from providing you with the total vertical or the flying time included in the program, we will refund according to the formulas listed below.
Tweedsmuir Private - If your private group of four uses less than 6.4 hours of helicopter time during the week we will refund the group $3,180.00 per hour on every hour of unused time below the 6.4 hour threshold.
Tweedsmuir Semi Private - If your semi-private group uses less than 11.2 hours of helicopter time during the week we will refund the group $3,080.00 per hour on every hour of unused time below the 11.2 hour threshold (for the two heli loads).
Pantheon Private - If your group uses less than 7.2 hours of helicopter time during the week we will refund the group $4,280.00 per hour on every hour of unused time below the 7.2 hour threshold.
3, 4, 5, and 7 Night Vertical Programs
3-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 34,000 vertical feet (10,400 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 34,000 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
4-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 45,600 vertical feet (13,920 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 45,600 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
5-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 56,400 vertical feet (17,200 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 56,400 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
7-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 80,000 vertical feet (24,400 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 80,000 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
Steep Skiing program
5-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 44,800 vertical feet (13,655 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 44,800 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
7-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 60,000 vertical feet (18,290 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 60,000 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
Rod & Ski Club
3-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 20,000 vertical feet (6,096 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 20,000 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
4-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 27,000 vertical feet (8,231 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 27,000 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
5-Night: If you do not attain a minimum threshold of 33,500 vertical feet (10,213 vertical metres) skied over the course of your package; we will refund all un-skied vertical below this 33,500 vertical foot threshold at a rate of $55 per 1,000 feet.
