Blue River - British Columbia, Canada

Blue River two and a half hours from the railway town of Kamloops is home to Mike Wiegle Helicopter skiing, probably the biggest single heliskiing operation and heliski village on the world. Wiegles territory covers a vast 7,770 square kilometers, divided between two mountain ranges.

Wiegle has an entire fleet of heliopter in a large heated hanger - Five Bell 212 twin-engined helicopters and five of the smaller A-Stars.

Getting There:
Calgary: 640km (400 miles).
Edmonton: 590km (365 miles).
Kamloops: 215km (135 miles).
Blue River Aiport: 1km (0.5 miles).
Coutesy bus from Kamloops.

Height:
Base lodge: 680m (2230ft).
Skiing: 1,040 - 3,550m (3,410 - 11,650ft).

No of Lifts: Heliski only

Types of Pistes:
All off-piste - intermediate standard upwards.

Main Advantages:
Stunning scenery; high-quality; reliable, powder snow: tree skiing.

Drawbacks:
Isolated location; not suitable for beginners.