It was 1963 when Hans Gmoser, an Austrian immigrant turned Canadian mountain guide, tapped pilot Jim Davies to fly him by heli into the Cariboo Mountains of western British Columbia. He was filming a movie project called Skis Over McKinley, and it didn’t take long for him to realize the possibilities afforded to skiers by helicopters. Two years later, the heli-ski industry got its start when he offered guided heli-skiing through his company Canadian Mountain Holidays.

Flash forward 50 years and CMH Heli-Skiing is one of the most recognized names in the British Columbia heli scene. The company now operates out of 11 lodges scattered throughout the BC Interior and flies through 3.1 million acres of the world’s most orographically blessed terrain, a tenure larger than the combined footprint of every single North American ski area. Because CMH was the first to stake a claim, it got its pick of the best terrain among famous BC ranges like the Kootenays, Selkirks, Monashees and Bugaboos.

With this expansive area comes skiing of every flavor: towering old-growth tree skiing, sprawling alpine bowls, hulking glaciers, cascading pillows and spines, all donning up to 40 feet of British Columbian white goodness, a quality of snow that you won’t soon forget.

Accommodations range from remote heli-accessed mountain lodges to luxury hot springs resorts to the funky CMH K2 Rotor Lodge, a renovated motel built in partnership with K2 Skis, which accesses the spectacular high-alpine and tree skiing of the Selkirks. Thanks to this unique partnership, every guest at the Rotor Lodge heads home with a brand new pair of K2 pow skis.

Along with this variety of lodges spread amongst numerous zones, CMH offers trips to suit every type of skier. Powder University trips allow intermediates to learn to ski better in deep snow, while Steep Shots and Pillow Drops packages, based out of the Rotor Lodge, will get advanced skiers to mind-blowing, movie-style snow and terrain each day. CMH also offers packages specifically catered to families, and with an expanded heli-accessed touring program, the skier that wants to break a sweat on both the up and down can leave feeling fully satisfied. Upon your return to any of CMH’s lodges after a day of epic skiing, you’ll be welcomed by a warm fire, a hot tub or sauna, après cocktails and a chef-prepared meal.

Now in its 50th anniversary season, CMH has become one of the world’s leading heli- ski operations. Here heli-skiing has become a science intended to maximize your every experience both on hill and off. Whether you’re looking for the killer terrain and flair of the K2 Rotor Lodge; the original heli-ski experience of the CMH Bugaboo Lodge; a ritzy, private trip through the CMH Nomads; or just an unforgettable adventure at any one of the 11 CMH options, you won’t be disappointed.

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