Private & Exclusive

Private & Exclusive Heli-Skiing

Our most customizable, private trips

Unexpected luxury in the heart of the backcountry

Whatever your heli-ski dreams are made of, make them come true with your own private guides and helicopter.

Overview

Ski what you want, when you want

Where do you want to ski or ride today? Spend your morning chasing big turns on glacier plateaus and your afternoons weaving through the spacious trees of our mature forest glades. Take a midday break at the lodge or see how many vertical feet you can squeeze out of your legs.

Exclusive trips

Just you and the world's greatest ski experience

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own mountain, our Exclusive trips are for you. Embark on a journey to big snow country with up to 10 of your closest friends and enjoy the freedom and privacy of having one of our most luxurious lodges, two of our top guides and a helicopter all to yourself. Ski. Relax. Repeat.

Private trips

Share the lodge, but keep the snow to yourself

Slightly different than an Exclusive trip, our Private trips let you enjoy the camaraderie and lifelong friendships of a shared lodge experience while ensuring that all the turns and fresh tracks are yours alone. You and your favourite ski buddies will have your very own guides and private helicopter, so you can get the most out of the mountains before heading back to swap stories with other CMH guests at the lodge.

Group Size

Customized groups of up to

4-10 guests* + 1-2 guides

On a typical Private or Exclusive trip at CMH, you’ll get to ski or ride in completely private groups of between 4-10 guests (this number varies, depending on the trip and destination you choose). These trips are our most exclusive option.

*Varies by destination

Helicopter

Daily flights in a

Bell 212 or Bell 407

CMH Private and Exclusive trips use one of two powerful helis: the Bell 212 or Bell 407. The more compact Bell 407 is ideal for smaller groups. Larger groups, such as those who visit Valemount, ride in the Bell 212.

Heli safety

Skiable Terrain

CMH has exclusive access to:

3,000,000 acres

CMH's total terrain is bigger than all North American ski areas put together. That’s not a typo. Our exclusive three-million-acre territory is 20x larger than all the combined chairlift skiing on the continent. Woah. It would likely take several years to ski all our runs more than once — but we’re happy to help you try. Just throwin’ the challenge out there.

View tenure map

Average vertical

On an average 7-day trip, expect to ski & ride up to or beyond:

30,500m / 100,000 ft

Every trip at CMH includes a certain amount of metres/feet, or hours, of heli-skiing. The included amount is based on the length of your trip, the CMH area in which you’re skiing, and/or the program you’ve chosen. Because Private and Exclusive trips are highly customizable, it’s best to ask our team how a vertical guarantee applies to your trip.

Vertical guarantee

Ability

Customizable

Your heli-ski ability is a combination of your fitness, your pace and your skiing or riding skills in backcountry conditions.

Here’s who will enjoy a Private & Exclusive Trip:

Relaxed

I like shorter pitches at a relaxed pace with lots of breaks to rest. I slow down significantly in challenging or treed terrain and challenging snow conditions and will rely on slow, cautious turns or traverses to get down the slope.

Good

I like moderately long pitches with occasional breaks to rest. I definitely slow down in challenging or treed terrain and challenging snow conditions, sometimes relying on slow, cautious turns or traverses, but I still maintain a continuous pace without prolonged stops.

Strong

I like long pitches with occasional breaks to rest. I might slow down slightly in challenging or treed terrain and challenging snow conditions, but I’m able to maintain a continuous rhythm and pace.

Expert/Pro

I like to ski/ride long pitches all day long with minimal breaks to rest. I thrive in challenging terrain and snow conditions and actively seek out tree skiing. I mostly ski/ride at a fast, aggressive pace.

Need help determining your ability level?

Take the ability quiz

Trip Info

What's included with your trip

Accommodation

Private and Exclusive trips include mountain-luxury accommodation, either at a beautiful remote backcountry lodge or at or at a comfortable in-town location.

Food & beverage

There’s a saying here at CMH, ‘If you haven’t eaten in two hours, something's wrong.’ The food and beverage experience are as legendary as the heli-skiing, and all your meals, snacks and select non-alcoholic beverages are included as part of your trip.

Transportation

We provide you with fully escorted transportation to and from either Calgary International Airport or Kelowna International Airport, depending on your chosen CMH destination. Alternatively, you can drive yourself to the heli-pad. Ask our team about additional custom transportation options, including a private driver, charter airplane flight or heli-bump.

Certified guides

Safety comes first at CMH, which includes world-renowned guiding from professionals who know the mountains best. Our guides are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and/or the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA).

Vertical

Full details

Skis & poles

Our destinations are stocked with tried-and-tested powder skis and poles. We know this equipment performs well in our backcountry terrain, and we highly recommend leaving your skis at home and using ours instead. However, make sure to bring your own ski boots.

Take a look at our skis

Snowboards

We have a select number of high-quality boards available to use. These brands are ideal for the deep, light snow found at our lodges. Please note that you must reserve a snowboard before your trip. Alternatively, riders may bring their own board to use. All riders must bring their own snowboard boots.

Take a look at our boards

Safety training

All guests receive snow safety training upon arrival at CMH. No matter how many times you’ve heli-skied with us or the number of vertical feet you’ve notched, our guides will take you through the use of avalanche transceivers and general helicopter safety before heading out into the field.

CMH Safety Pack

Alongside your training, we provide you with all the necessary snow safety equipment. In your pack, you’ll find an avalanche transceiver, radio, shovel and probe.

Learn more about the CMH Safety Pack

What’s not included

Airfare
Alcoholic beverages
Premium non-alcoholic beverages
Massages
Retail goods available for purchase
Pre and post-trip accommodation

Ski & snowboard boots

All guests must bring their own boots. Tip: we highly recommend flying with your boots as your carry-on item!.

Avalanche airbag/floatation device

If you wish to ski or ride with an airbag/floatation device, they are available to rent. Please indicate your interest when booking.

Itinerary

A typical ski day on a Private or Exclusive trip:

Morning warm-up

Awaken your muscles with a warm-up class

Breakfast

Fuel your body with a hearty breakfast prepared by our in-house chefs

Skiing & riding

Ski program starts

Lunch

Weather permitting, you will eat lunch while out skiing and riding

Post-lunch

Continue skiing

Après ski

Return to the lodge to enjoy aprés-ski snacks and refreshments (we call this Tea Goodie), a soak in the hot tub or a massage.

Dinner

Swap stories of your incredible day in the mountains over a relaxing backcountry-gourmet dinner.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Private and Exclusive trips?

Private trips are a group of skiers staying in a lodge with other CMH guests but skiing with their own helicopter and two guides.

An Exclusive trip is just for you, your group and two guides, with the lodge and helicopter entirely to yourselves.

What's the easiest lodge to get to?

CMH Valemount is a quick and convenient 1-hour private flight from Calgary International Airport (this is included in your trip cost).

Can I bring any type of skier or rider on my trip?

Our Private and Exclusive trips are ideal for a wide range of skier and rider styles because they are completely customizable. While you get to choose who's on your trip, you’ll still want to be sure everyone in your group is ready to heli-ski. If your group contains a wide range of skiing and riding abilities, you will travel at the pace and ability of your least-experienced group member.

More about heli-skiing abilities

Can I fly my own plane to the lodge?

Flying your own plane might be an option, as several of our lodges have private airstrips nearby. Ask our team for a recommendation, as some airstrips and their winter weather patterns can be unreliable!

We also have an extensive number of transportation options to get you to the lodge faster, including a private driver, charter airplane flight or heli-bump.

Learn more

Questions?

If you have questions, our team is happy to assist.

Call us at 1-800-661-0252

Message us

Prepare for your trip

If you're thinking of a trip or have already booked and are looking for additional information, check out our planing centre.

Trip Planning

Lodging

You'll feel right at home

If you book an Exclusive trip, you’ll enjoy the heli and the lodge all to yourself.

If you’re joining us for a Private trip, your private heli-ski group will share the lodge with other CMH guests.

The lightbulb moment

More than 55 years ago, our founder, Hans Gmoser, purpose-built the original CMH lodge, Bugaboo Lodge, to maximize skiing time and make sure guests never had to miss a second of amazing snow. He also designed the lodge to be a social hub — a place where guests could connect. As legend has it, early CMH rooms intentionally didn’t include light sources, which encouraged skiers to gather in the centre of the lodge in the evenings and share stories of the day’s turns.

Since then, we’ve expanded to 11 destinations across three million acres of incredible backcountry terrain. Built with individual personalities ranging from rustic to regal, our dozen exceptionally well-outfitted destinations now include everything in a skier’s and snowboarder’s wildest dreams: stunning mountain views, gourmet chefs, massage and spa facilities, roaring fireplaces, outdoor hot tubs, games rooms, climbing walls, and some truly impressive wine cellars.

Still built for connection

Though our modern-day accommodations are certainly more luxe than our humble beginnings (and now include lightbulbs!), one thing remains steadfastly the same: our lodges are your home. Our lodges are where you can be your true self. Here you can shed thoughts of deadlines and “outside world” things, and where you can build real connections with some pretty great people.

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1-800-661-0252

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Safety & risk awareness

Learn more about the inherent risk of heli-skiing, what CMH does to reduce that risk, and what your responsibility is as a guest.

Keep reading

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