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HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper or better?
HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper (or better)? @elgy(nati-spam).org.uk wrote on 29/10/07: I have heard that the Elbrus region offers good heliskiing at the lowest possible price Well, it's not exactly the Alps. But if it's the Caucasus we're talking about, then heliskiing is probably better in Georgia, in place called "Gudauri". Although I've heard that ski resort often has problems with electric power (which is supplied from Russian territory across mountain ridge). And either this supply it's not reliable, or resort administrators forget to pay bills in time (it's true as well!). Naturally, hotels have own power generators, but ski lifts may be dead for days and weeks. Then it's proper time for heliskiing! I believe Warren Miller filmed some heliskiing there. and also that their helicopters are also a bit unreliable. Russian helicopters are quite reliable. However, models they use are just not made for this, - for heliski you'd need lighter and more manoueuvreable machines. It's more like their bloody service is NOT realiable. I was in Elbrus area a while ago, and either they didn't have fuel then, or their chooper needed some maintenance, or wheather wasn't good enough, or something else. Finally when everything was seemingly OK, there HAPPENED to be so-o many people wishing to heliski, that helicopter was booked solid for few days in a row. Bummer! After collapse of Soviet Union everything out there just appear to be going from bad to worse, with evey year. -- N. |
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HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper or better?
Thanks for the good report on skiing in the Caucasus. A friend of mine
was trying to persuade me to go a few years back but after hearing some stories about the old military helicopters that were used at the time, decided against it. It may be worth another look at some pointing the future. You are correct Elbrus is not in the Alps, but it is the highest mountain in Europe, about 800m higher than Mount Blanc. John NoumenoN wrote: HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper (or better)? @elgy(nati-spam).org.uk wrote on 29/10/07: I have heard that the Elbrus region offers good heliskiing at the lowest possible price Well, it's not exactly the Alps. But if it's the Caucasus we're talking about, then heliskiing is probably better in Georgia, in place called "Gudauri". Although I've heard that ski resort often has problems with electric power (which is supplied from Russian territory across mountain ridge). And either this supply it's not reliable, or resort administrators forget to pay bills in time (it's true as well!). Naturally, hotels have own power generators, but ski lifts may be dead for days and weeks. Then it's proper time for heliskiing! I believe Warren Miller filmed some heliskiing there. and also that their helicopters are also a bit unreliable. Russian helicopters are quite reliable. However, models they use are just not made for this, - for heliski you'd need lighter and more manoueuvreable machines. It's more like their bloody service is NOT realiable. I was in Elbrus area a while ago, and either they didn't have fuel then, or their chooper needed some maintenance, or wheather wasn't good enough, or something else. Finally when everything was seemingly OK, there HAPPENED to be so-o many people wishing to heliski, that helicopter was booked solid for few days in a row. Bummer! After collapse of Soviet Union everything out there just appear to be going from bad to worse, with evey year. -- N. |
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HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper or better?
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:28:46 GMT, "NoumenoN" allegedly
wrote: However, models they use are just not made for this, - for heliski you'd need lighter and more manoueuvreable machines. I have often heard that, but it didn't really equate to reality in the Caucasus Mountains. The pilots are extremely good, and sometimes when there wasn't enough space to land the heli on a ridge, they would just hover by the side, and we'd all jump out. Also, given the wind we experienced one day, I'm not sure I'd want to be in a small flying bubble with a weedy 250cc 2-stroke engine. I've used them before, and they're not exactly stable. The ex-military machines were incredible. -- The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky. http://www.vpas.org.uk/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow. Donek Sasquatch 162, Prior Pow 181, Burton Canyon 162 |
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HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper or better?
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:28:46 +0100 (CET), "NoumenoN"
wrote: After collapse of Soviet Union everything out there just appear to be going from bad to worse, with evey year. According to FT special report on Georgia today, Georgia is moving ahead at a great pace. |
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HeliSki in Europe: where is cheaper or better?
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:28:46 +0100 (CET), "NoumenoN"
wrote: Russian helicopters are quite reliable. However, models they use are just not made for this, - for heliski you'd need lighter and more manoueuvreable machines. That is really not my experience. I've done heli from very small 4 passenger helis and from the big Russian ones. The Russian helis could easily take 20 people, with gear, but they could put them down on a postage stamp. I've not seen anything that a small heli could do that the Russian ones couldn't. -- Champ |
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