Safety is our Priority
Northern Escape Heli-Skiing
Safety Information

Northern Escape also has a comprehensive snow, weather, and avalanche safety management system. Our Heli-Ski guides are continually monitoring and collecting snow and weather information, assessing safety hazards, and choosing suitable terrain for each heli-skiing and boarding group. Each day, our guide team meets twice to evaluate and plan each day based on the information gathered and the information obtained during that day’s heli-skiing and boarding. However, even with a snow, weather and avalanche safety management systems, avalanches do occur and Northern Escape staff may fail to predict whether terrain is safe or whether an avalanche may occur.

Each Northern Escape helicopter is equipped with GPS, a satellite phone, and a VHF radio (to maintain contact with the ski lodge and the guides), as well as first aid, oxygen, avalanche rescue, and survival equipment.

Included in all heli-skiing packages, Northern Escape is proud to provide each guest with the use of a state-of-the-art:

• PULSE Barryvox Avalanche Transceiver
• Snowpulse Avalanche Airbag Backpack
• VHF Radio to for emergency communications

The Snowpulse Airbags have proven to significantly reduce the chances of being buried, when inflated and if involved in an avalanche, but may not protect the wearer from trauma incurred during an avalanche. All guests are provided instruction in the use of these ski safety devices prior to skiing/boarding. In addition to the skiing safety equipment carried in our guides’ packs, each group will carry additional avalanche rescue equipment and a VHF radio capable of communicating with the guides and pilots. In the case of a medical emergency, Terrace BC has a fully equipped regional hospital and ambulance service located only 15 minutes by road from our heli-ski lodges.