Safety is our Priority | Northern Escape Heli Skiing BC

Safety is our #1 Priority

Heli-skiing takes place in big, beautiful, ever-changing mountain terrain. That is a huge part of what makes the experience so memorable, and it is also why safety is woven into everything we do at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing. Safety in the mountains is not something we treat as a box to check, and it is not something we can promise in absolute terms. It is a daily practice, a shared responsibility, and a culture built around thoughtful decisions in a complex environment.

There is risk in heli-skiing. There always will be. Weather changes, snowpacks evolve, visibility shifts, and avalanche conditions can vary from one slope to the next. Our role is to identify, understand, and mitigate as much of that risk as we reasonably can. With strong systems, experienced people, modern equipment, and careful decision-making, we work hard to create the best possible margin for each day in the mountains. Still, a small sliver of residual risk remains. That reality is something we must acknowledge and accept together: guides, pilots, staff, and guests.

Each operating day begins well before the first helicopter lift. Our guide team and pilots review weather, snowpack, avalanche conditions, observations from the field, and terrain options to build the plan for the day. At the end of the day, the team meets again to review what was observed and what should inform tomorrow's plan. It is a continuous process of gathering information, sharing observations, and adjusting to the mountains in real time.

From Northern Escape Heli-Skiing's Vimeo Channel

Safety and Risk Awareness

Before booking your trip, we strongly recommend reading the “Safety & Risk Awareness” information and reviewing our Online Safety Briefing

Watch Our Safety Video Safety and Risk Awareness Online Safety Briefing

Snow Safety Team

Northern Escape has a dedicated Snow Safety Team led by our Mountain Safety Manager. This team has a dedicated helicopter available to support their work, allowing them to focus specifically on gathering snowpack information, field observations, and terrain data to support evidence-based decision-making. The Mountain Safety Manager is part of our guiding team, but their sole focus is snow safety: helping assess conditions, supporting the opening of terrain, reducing avalanche hazard, coordinating explosives avalanche control work, and finding the best available snow. This is a significant investment in operational decision-making and represents a level of snow safety focus that remains uncommon in the industry.

Heli-Skiing Safety and Equipment

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.

We utilize a Bell 407 helicopter from Quantum Helicopters, along with two Koala (Augusta A-119KE) helicopters from Skyline Helicopters. The aircraft are serviced daily at our lodges by certified Aviation Engineers, and our pilots complete annual recurrent training in mountainous terrain flying. 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

All guests receive instruction in the use of this equipment prior to skiing. Safety briefings cover avalanche transceiver use and companion rescue, helicopter safety, how to ski in a guided group, and tree skiing protocols — including partner skiing and tree well rescue.

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.

Qualified Ski Guides

All our trained heli-ski guides are dedicated professionals. Each is a certified member and/or recognized by:

ACMG – Association of Canadian Mountain Guides
CSGA – The Canadian Ski Guides Association
UIAGM – International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations
HeliCat Canada – British Columbia Helicopter Skiing And Cat Skiing Operators Association, which sets the standard of care for heli-skiing safety in our industry.

Our certified guides are focused on creating the ultimate helicopter skiing and boarding experience for our guests. We want everyone going home safe and sound at the end of the trip. Northern Escape Heli-Skiing guides will balance your desire for steep and deep boarding and heli-skiing terrain with the safety and enjoyment of the entire group. Our small group helicopter skiing programs offer low Guest To Guide ratios:

5:1 in the Yellow Cedar Lodge Package
5:1 in the Mountain Lodge Package
4 or 5:2 in the Private Heli-Skiing Package

Northern Escape also participates through Professional Members of the Canadian Avalanche Association in the Industry Information Exchange (InfoEx), connecting our operation to shared avalanche safety research and observations across the industry.

Experienced Helicopter Pilots

Our pilots have extensive experience flying in mountainous terrain and complete annual recurrent training to maintain that edge. We operate a Bell 407 from Quantum Helicopters and two Augusta A-119KE (Koala) helicopters from Skyline Helicopters, each serviced daily at our lodges by certified Aviation Engineers. Pilot selection at Northern Escape is deliberate — we choose people whose experience and judgment in complex mountain conditions we trust completely.

Guest Responsibilities

Guests are an essential part of the safety plan. We ask every guest to arrive healthy, prepared, and ready to participate — paying close attention during safety briefings, practicing with the equipment, listening carefully to guide instructions, skiing or riding in control, asking questions when something is unclear, and always skiing or riding with a partner. Good mountain travel depends on teamwork, communication, and trust, and our guests play an important role in that process.

Snowcat Backup: Another Layer of Safety

Our cat-skiing backup program provides an important layer in both the guest experience and our safety system. With dedicated, heated snowcats and a maintained Catland ski area available when weather limits flying, we have a viable option to continue skiing without pushing through marginal flying conditions. When conditions are not suitable for flying, we can transition to snowcat skiing in appropriate terrain rather than waiting for a marginal weather window or feeling pressure to make the helicopter work. That flexibility supports better decisions, lowers operational stress, and gives our team another conservative option when the mountains set the terms.

Learn More About Our Cat Skiing Backup

Industry Affiliations

Northern Escape Heli-Skiing is an Accredited Member of the British Columbia Helicopter and Snowcat Skiing Operators Association, HeliCat Canada. This association sets strict standards for helicopter skiing safety. Only by skiing/boarding with a HeliCat Canada member are you assured of certified ski guides that follow a strict set of operating procedures.

As Professional Members of the Canadian Avalanche Association we participate in the Industry Information Exchange (InfoEx). Together, with other leading helicopter skiing/boarding operators, we sponsor avalanche and heli-skiing safety research projects with HeliCat Canada.

To find out more about Northern Escape Heli-Skiing safety equipment and procedures, or to enquire about making a booking, please contact us online, send us an email, or call Toll Free at 1-866-619-3184

Safety Information