Heli Access Touring
Are you looking for an affordable way to experience the famous Chugach Mountains?
In 2011, PNH obtained a non-motorized ski touring permit from the U.S. Forest Service in the Cordova Ranger District. This permit is the first of its kind in the Chugach.
We invite you to come visit PNH this spring and help us continue our program in terrain that has never seen tracks, up or down, before. This is a rare opportunity as it’s your chance to have limitless first descents and be part of the naming of an entire new “zone” in our newly permitted ski touring area.
All groups are flown from our base in Cordova to one of our Arctic Oven tents complete with stove, food and the necessities to be comfortable in the mountains. Groups will have the opportunity to ski from the front door without the pressure of heli ski groups around you. All trips will be tailored to your needs and desires. The terrain out your doorstep is limitless with many different options.
If you need additional lodging pre or post your trip with us, there is also a great hotel in town, http://www.reluctantfisherman.com or The Alaskan Hotel (more affordable option: http://www.thealaskanhotel.com) that can accommodate your lodging needs.
Since you’ll be visiting and skiing with us as backcountry skiers and mountaineers, we assume that you will be showing up to Cordova with the necessary equipment to have a safe, enjoyable stay. All trips are with one of our certified PNH guides however; it is highly recommended that you read up on avalanche safety techniques and glacier travel protocols before your trip. This will also be refreshed with you prior to departure into the mountains. Please contact us with any questions.
Gratuities
Although customary, gratuities are entirely at your discretion. Should you wish to express a personal thank you to our guides / helper, typical tips are 6-15% or $150 – $400 per guest for your guide(s).
Refund / Cancellation Policy:
In the event of weather and groups cannot access the heli drop off touring terrain, they will have the opportunity to ski tour the endless terrain around Cordova. $500 will be credited to a future trip in the event you cannot fly into the mountains due to weather. PNH will take care of all food, lodging, transportation and guides for your stay.
We highly recommend Travel Insurance
Our cancellation and refund policies are absolute. We highly recommend travel insurance for all of our guests. Travel insurance covers you for unexpected cancellations, injuries, lost or stolen luggage, inclement weather and more. It a very in expensive price to ensure your trips success. We recommend insurance companies such as: Travel Guard, World Nomad or any other well-known travel insurance company. Often times your credit card covers travel insurance.
Heli Access Touring Gallery
In Your Words
“I have to take a brief moment here to tell you two again how awesome of a time I/we had on the PNH yurt trip. The whole thing wildly exceeded my expectations, and – beyond the magic of beautiful weather and ridiculous pow – was a spiritual experience for me. Camp couldn’t have been much comfier, the guides and Wes could not have been more accommodating in every sense – touring, safety, scoping and sticking lines, prepping food, and just being all around great guys – and it goes without saying that the skiing was just plain phenomenal. From the experience of a first ascent/first descent, to the velvet powder right over the hill from camp, the whole experience was, well, something that has made returning to the “real world” really difficult! Again, thank you for your vision in putting this experience together, and for letting us be a part of the first season. All the best with the Warren Miller filming, and the rest of the season. Hope to see you again soon!” - Atha“The Points North Heli touring program is pure, unadulterated skiing. You spend a week deep in the Chugach Mountains doing what you came to do: ski. The best part is, you don’t have to go home at the end of the day. You get to stay out there in the endless alpenglow, eat delicious food, and relax with your friends at the 5-star winter camp. The terrain you ski varies from powder fields, to spines, to wide ramps, to tight couloirs. You get to have it all, and perhaps more importantly, you get to have it all to yourself and your friends. Highly recommended for competent backcountry skiers who love to tour, have always dreamed about a week-long backcountry trip in Alaska, but lack the time and resources to put together an expedition like this on their own. Here, Points North Heli handles all the logistics and lets you show up with your crew to simply go ski the best terrain on Earth.” - Sam Petri, TGR
Since you’ll be visiting and skiing with us as backcountry skiers and mountaineers, we assume that you will be showing up to Cordova with the necessary equipment to have a safe, enjoyable stay.
All trips are with one of our certified PNH guides however; it is highly recommended that you read up on avalanche safety techniques and glacier travel protocols before your trip. This will also be refreshed with you prior to departure into the mountains. Please contact us with any questions.
Equipment List
(*) Starred items are recommended, but not totally necessary.
The Basics
- Ski / Snowboard
- Skins
- Ski boots
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
- Poles
- Goggles
- Helmet
- Ski Backpack
- * Airbag pack
- * Avalung
- Harness
- All other basics that go along with backcountry skiing
Technical Equipment
- Ice axe
- Crampons
- Hand Prusik-1
- Texas style Foot Prusik-1
- Shoulder sling
- 3 locking carabiners
- Talk-about radio. Nothing fancy, Motorola makes a great talk-about
General Goods
- Extra batteries for all your electronic equipment
- Backcountry bindings (Tele, AT, Split board)
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Sun/Touring hat
- Warm hat
- Warm Gloves, Medium Gloves, Light Gloves
- Small repair kit for your own personal equipment
- Personal first aid and hygiene equipment
- Disposable hand and foot warmers
- Snacks for touring (We will supply snacks and sandwiches, but if you have your own snack program we recommend you bring those items, such as GU, Shot Blocks, Energy Bars, etc.)
- Snow boots or camp booties
- Hardshell jacket and pants
- Long underwear for warm and cold weather
- Base Layer Top
- * Medium Insulating Layer Base (ex: fleece touring shirt)
- Warm jacket (puffy) and *insulated pants for camp
- Ski socks
- Warm camp socks
- Minimum 0 degree sleeping bag (the warmer the better)
- Water Bottles
- Coffee Cup
- Thermos
- Sleeping Pad
- Skin wax
- * Sleeping bag liner
- * Ski Crampons
- * Whippet
- * Softshell jacket and pants
Call for Pricing
7 days / 6 nights
All Inclusive (meals, lodging, transportation).6 nights lodging. Our goal is to have you at the camp for the duration of your stay. If weather does not allow 6 nights, PNH will accommodate you at our lodge until we can get you out to the camp. We are responsible for your lodging from Sunday arrival to Saturday departure.2 guides and 1 assistant guide.1 helicopter drop off and 1 helicopter pick up.
