4 minute read
Aim for the sky
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO ELEVATE YOUR SNOWSPORTS ADVENTURE, SIMPLY TAKE OFF OVER THE PEAKS IN A HELICOPTER! CONVENIENT FOR THE VAL HELISKI SERVICE IS CHALET BLACKCOMB, THE LATEST ADDITION TO CONSENSIO’S RELAXED CATERED CHALET COLLECTION, WITH A SUPERB LOCATION IN THE SNOW-SURE, HIGH-ALTITUDE SKI RESORT VAL D’ISÈRE. THIS FULLY RENOVATED LUXURY SKI CHALET IS AVAILABLE FOR THE 22/23 WINTER SEASON
Val Heliski was a shared dream between Tom Jeffery and his wife Claire, who met while doing a ski instructor course in Banff, amid Canada’s Rockies. After pursuing careers as a chartered surveyor and lawyer, respectively, they returned to the mountains in 2009 to fulfil their dream – setting up a heliski company in France.
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Val Heliski provides backcountry skiing and snowboarding adventures, heliskiing and heliboarding, reverse heliskiing, helicopter airport transfers and heli-scenic tours for guests staying in the Tarentaise area of the French Alps.
Anyone keen on skiing or snowboarding should add a heliskiing trip to their bucket list. It guarantees quality snow conditions and takes you thousands of vertical metres in a short space of time. It is one of the most adventurous activities you can do in the mountains, and the thrill of accessing and skiing untouched powder in the wilderness is unparalleled.
After a relaxing night in Val d’Isère’s Chalet Blackcomb, Val Heliski can take you on a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the heart of the nearby Italian Alps.
Heliskiing uses special landing zones, chosen because they are out of the wind, to be as safe as possible. Once landed, you will notice that each of those zones has a huge number of route options down.
Going off-piste comes with a greater risk than skiing on pisted routes, so to reduce the risk of avalanches, the mountains are checked daily, routes are regulated by guides, and very steep slopes are avoided.
After a fantastic day exploring with Val Heliski, head back to Blackcomb’s private boot room to leave your ski boots on the heated warmers overnight so they are lovely and toasty for you the next morning.
Relaxed Catered Chalet Blackcomb is only a short drive in your private chalet-to-piste shuttle to the main Front De Neige or La Daille ski areas. It comfortably sleeps 10 guests in five twin or double en-suite bedrooms, and comes complete with an exclusive private Consensio chalet team, including two dedicated hosts/cooks, a shared driver and a housekeeper.
And not only does the chalet feature an outdoor Jacuzzi, but its ground floor is also home to a large indoor swimming pool which uses environmentally-friendly ozone technology to be chlorine-free.
Also featuring an expansive open-plan dining and lounge area with an open fireplace, Blackcomb opens onto a large private balcony with incredible views overlooking the valley so you can take in the panorama from the ground before taking to the skies for a completely different perspective.
For those who want to take in the phenomenal sights of the Alps from above, Val Heliski also offers heli tours. Sit back, relax, and take in awe-inspiring views as you soar as far as Mont Blanc over France and into Italy.
You’ll see beautiful snow-capped chalets, rolling powder fields, huge cliff faces, glaciers, and wide expanses of forest and National Parks during the flight.
You may even spot wolves, marmots and chamois – a real mountain safari!
Tom Jeffery, founder of Val Heliski
You can also use a helicopter for faster airport transfers. Chalet Blackcomb is a 2hr, 40min drive from Geneva Airport in off-peak periods, however with Val Heliski the journey takes just 30 minutes and makes for a great travel experience. Staff will meet you off your private or commercial plane and guide you to the helicopter in the airport terminal. This all happens while staying airside to avoid the hustle and bustle of the arrivals processes and queues. The helicopters can accommodate five guests with small luggage and will fly you directly to your resort.
Tom Jeffery tells us: “We do many scenic flights from resorts, but we feel like people could use the transfer option to kill two birds with one stone as the heli transfer has roughly the same views!”
On the eco-front, to combat carbon usage, Val Heliski offers clients the option to pay to plant a tree on its mountainside land to sequester their carbon emissions for the day, or to go above and beyond and offset the emissions from their entire holiday.
As an interesting, more down-to-earth aside, especially for dog lovers, after dog-sitting clients’ four-legged friends during trips, the team at Val Heliski were inspired to help rescue abandoned dogs from the harsh conditions of the war zone in Ukraine. They are now working to grow a dog-sitting and adoption service, Val Alpage des Animaux, in Sainte Foy.
