The Banff Helicopter Tour – Banff, Canada, takes you up over the mountains, as adrenaline rushes through your veins. When you reach the Rockies, tall mountains coated with bright snow and large lakes reflecting the sky surround you. You start feeling truly small surrounded by such imposing gifts of nature. An indescribable feeling will course through you as you contemplate the green meadows and snow-capped peaks. From the sky, you can see the clouds reflected on the lakes, making your stomach turn in excitement.
Things to Do
The Rocky Mountains
On the Banff helicopter tour, you will fly over the Rocky Mountains, extending along western Canada and the United States. The Rocky Mountains are a fascinating mix of meadow, ice, rock, lake, forest, and wilderness. As a result, they are the perfect heli-hiking paradise. Golden, a small town in the Rocky Mountain Trench, 143 km west of Banff, is definitely one of the best places to head to.
If you are afraid of heights, don’t worry! These helicopters are very safe without taking out the thrill from this adventure. Thanks to this airship, you will be flying over sharp, icy mountain ridges and granite peaks in the way to your lodge. In no time, specifically thirty minutes, you will have ascended 1200 meters to the point where the Banff helicopter tour begins.
Limitless trails
One of the advantages of heli-hiking is that you have different trails you can choose from depending on your abilities. All of them have unique names such as Long Overdue Ridge, Roller Coaster, and Kneegrinder. Besides, they range from day-long treks up Moonraker Peak and Copperstain Mountain (both over 2000 meters long) to shorter, easier trails. This gives you the chance to experience the stunning landscape and still be back in time at your lodge to enjoy some afternoon snacks and a delicious gourmet dinner.
Purcell Lodge
Many operators in Golden go into the mountains several times a day to transport clients to different parts of the range. However, some operators limit flights to a couple of times a week to encourage prolonged stays. For example, a low-environment-impact and award-winning lodge based at Purcell.
The shorter stay at Purcell is four days long. Take the opportunity to slow down and relax, enjoying the raw beauty of the natural landscape surrounding you. You can even find grizzly and black bears walking around the meadows, looking for berries and ground squirrels.
The breathtaking Sir Donald
You definitely can’t leave Golden without contemplating the imposing Mount Sir Donald, a 3277-meter black granite pointed peak that stands out within the glacial Selkirk Mountains. Even though “Sir Donald” is not the only 3000-meter peak in the area, it’s the only one that captures the drama of both sunrise and sunset the best.
It’s painfully cold at dawn, but you don’t even have to get out of your room to admire the impressive sunrise. Just look out your balcony to see the red morning light going down the sharp peak.
Easier and available treks
Thanks to the Banff helicopter tour, many areas that used to be for skilled mountaineers only, are now open. Now anyone can pack their bags for a day, get a ride in a helicopter, and avoid the long hike up. And above all, you can stay at one of the many lodges in the area without even enduring tired bodies, dull camp food, and wet tents.
How to get there
The closest international airport to Golden is in Calgary, Alberta, about a three-hour drive away from the town. Finally, weight limits are strictly imposed for heli-hiking flights so take this into account when you’re packing, you need to travel light.
When to go
Heli-hiking is especially popular during summer and spring, when meadows are charmingly covered in wildflowers. Late autumn and winter are also fantastic options to come here. However, winter is when most people hang up their hiking boots and dust off their skis.
Since the location enjoys dry air conditions and high average snowfall, hiking trails suddenly become perfect trails for skiers. No matter what time of the year you settle on, heli-hiking is still available to give you one of the most extraordinary experiences of your life.
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