The Best Luxury Ski Chalets in the World

The self-confessed ski industry experts at ‘We love 2 ski’ have put together their quintessential list of the very Best Luxury Ski Chalets in the World and we’re proud to say Bighorn features up there amongst la creme de la creme.

Felice Hardy says “We have chosen 50 of what we consider to be the most loveable ski chalets around. They’re not cheap but they’re certainly gorgeous”.  “At the top end of the luxury ski chalet market are some veritable piste palaces, offering all the opulence of a five-star hotel combined with the intimacy of a stylish private home.”

“Chalet Bighorn is in the little-known resort of Revelstoke in BC, Canada. The property has eight huge bedrooms, and the chef and lodge manager have worked in some of the most high-end chalets in the Alps (they now live in Revelstoke all year round). The chalet is the ultimate in skiing luxury and even has its own private helipad – useful for sampling the area’s fabulous heli-skiing.”

To read the article in full, click here

 

Bring on the Pow!

Courtesy of Revelstoke Mountain Resort

 

Revelstoke is renowned for it’s legendary pow and last season was record breaking with over 12 metres of snowfall (a 10 year high!).  This season looks set to compete with that with nearly 7 metres already at the start of January, incredible conditions on and off the slopes and the season’s only just getting started!   This is what makes January skiing momentous – it’s a quiet time of year to ski (shh…don’t tell everyone!) and the pow is amazing!  With conditions like this, what more can we say?  Enough talking, let’s go skiing!

Taking a GoPro Heliskiing? Our Tips for doing it like a Pro.

Skiing the Pow
Catching that shot

These days, on mountains all over the world, you can’t help noticing how many skiers and boarders have a GoPro attached to some part of their body.  We’ve become obsessed with digitally recording ourselves … and there’s nothing wrong with that as far as we’re concerned at Bighorn.  The breath taking vistas and snow conditions here at Revelstoke lend themselves perfectly to shooting incredible footage of your ski adventures.  So move over Warren Miller, here’s a few tips to ensure you actually record the memorable images you want (rather than a long bumpy video of your ski pants)!

  1. Where to mount the camera?

Helmet mounts:  a unique viewpoint from your own perspective – but make sure you mount it near the front (not on top).  Before you put it on your head, angle it down slightly.

Chest mounts:  work equally well for skiers, not so much for boarders as they are often standing sideways on, unless of course you just want to shoot your friends skiing.

Boot, board or ski mount:  provides a unique angle to show the view of the ski or board as it moves or you can invert it to show the skier.  The only issue is the adhesive doesn’t tend to last long in very snowy conditions and damage is more likely with it being so close to the ground.

Ideally to get the best varied footage, use a combination of the above.

  1. Filming your ski buddies? With the GoPro’s wide field of view, it’s best to get as close as possible to the action, ideally no more than a couple of metres away and aim the camera at the middle of the person, keeping their head to toe in shot.
  2. Which resolution? (i.e. the number of pixels). Whilst it’s tempting to go for the highest res, unless you really are planning on being the next Warren Miller, 720 is actually good enough for most computers and will save you memory space whilst making editing much easier.
  3. Anti-Fog Inserts. The conditions can be cold and humid on the BC terrain leading to a fogged lens.  GoPro has the answer with anti-fog inserts that protect your lens from fogging up.
  4. Battery Packs. Even if you fully charge your battery before you spend the day heliskiing, your charge may not last the entire day, so bring a spare battery pack or two.
  5. Get the GoPro App. It makes it really easy to control the settings and preview your amazing powpow shots from your phone.
  6. Do a test run with your trusty GoPro to check you’ve got it set up properly before your head off on one of the best powder descents you’ve ever done (speaking from experience!)
  7. Finally…sit back and relax at the end of the day with a well deserved drink in hand to watch your amazing powder adventures in HD in the Bighorn cinema.

…and cut! That’s a wrap, folks!

Five reasons to go heliskiing in Revelstoke

Spring heli skiing Revelstoke

For most of the winter heli skiers flock to Revelstoke to experience the deep powder snow conditions, but the spring season offers a different yet equally special experience. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider spring skiing:

1) Sun

Who doesn’t like skiing under a bluebird sky? The spectacular Selkirk and Monashee Mountains provide a stunning wilderness backdrop to your heli ski experience and they are best viewed in blazing sunshine. Catch a few rays when you take a break for a gourmet picnic lunch and don’t forget your camera.

2) Visibility

The snow storms that deliver dumps of snow in December and January are less frequent as the season progresses meaning skies tend to be clearer. Improved visibility allows heliskiers to access the high alpine terrain that is sometimes impossible for the heli to land in during midwinter. Discover high alpine powder bowls and glaciers – flattering skiing with incredible scenery in the background. You’ll feel on top of the world.

3) Longer days

Maximise your heli ski experience with longer day light hours. This not only allows you more vertical per day and a more flexible schedule, but also means you can enjoy sunset with a beer in hand from the Bighorn hot tub!

4) Spring snow

The Selkirk Mountains receive an average of 40-60ft of snow each season, meaning they are snow-sure until mid April. Warmer conditions in spring mean the snow is continuously frozen and thawed which makes it form large crystals called corn snow. These snowy granules make for smooth, soft and fast skiing – great fun for flying down a wilderness glacier on. Revelstoke’s extensive forests make for the best tree skiing in the world. In the spring the trees provide shade from the sun, preserving the snow late into the season.

5) Flexibility

The beauty of heli skiing is that your expert guides can take you to the best spots in their 500,000 acre terrain. This is never truer than with a private heliski charter from Bighorn, when you have exclusive use of the helicopter and your guide. So if you want to avoid south facing slopes, stay high or stick to the shady trees, the bespoke experience is designed to meet your needs.

Epic Heliski Luxury: A Typical Day at Bighorn Revelstoke

Bighorn heli ski lodge in Revelstoke“Bighorn is a slope side Downton Abbey, a potent cocktail of extreme skiing and extreme luxury, garnished with a private helicopter pad”.

Renowned travel journalist Everett Potter shares his experience of Bighorn Revelstoke. Even the luxury at one of the world’s finest private lodges is eclipsed by the thrill of heliskiing in the Selkirk Mountains:

“Fueled up, you pad downstairs to the boot room, as everyone removes their boots from the boot heater where they are perfectly toasty for the morning. Geared up, avalanche transceivers tested,  you walk outside and watch a Selkirk Tangiers helicopter fly along the Columbia River valley and then swoop in to land on the private heli pad while Ride of the Valkyries plays in your head. Buckled in, the helicopter rises and you find yourself deposited and clicking into your bindings within 15 minutes on the best powder skiing in the world. A small nimble helicopter like an A 6 can deliver you to virgin snows free of other skiers, lift lines, rules and regulations. You ski 1,500 or 2,000 vertical feet and the chopper is waiting for you at the bottom of the run. Repeat eight or nine times in a day. It’s instant gratification taken to ridiculous levels”.

Read Everett’s full account here

Top Fashion Trends for the 2012 Ski Season

Luxury ski fashion ideas for 2012

So, what should you be rocking on the slopes this season? After a few seasons of neon brights blinding us at every turn, this year it is back to simple primary colours: red, blue and yellow. Simple, unfussy blocks of colour. We love the Norrona Lofoten Pro Shell jacket and pants in ‘caviar’ black and ‘saffron’ yellow, perfectly blending function and design. www.noronna.com 

Under your ski jacket, it’s all about the layers. A high wicking base layer followed by a lightweight down jacket allows you to stay warm without restricting movement. Great brands to look out for include Icebreaker for base layers www.icebreaker.com and Peak Performance down jackets. www.peakperformance.com

After an exhilarating day’s heliskiing, back at Bighorn you want to be cozy, comfy and yet still fit with your stylish surrounds. Of course the house is exclusively yours, so in theory you can wear whatever you want, but we’d highly recommend slipping on a soft cashmere sweater to relax by the roaring log fire. Perhaps the most luxurious on the market are Brunello Cucinelli’s fine sweaters, made from the soft under-down of the Hircus goat. www.brunellocucinelli.com

Update your look with a few key trends for this season. For the ladies, leather trim, colourful cords and tweed. For the gentlemen, plaid check, camel and velvet. If you don’t have the time to shop for the new season, staff at Bighorn can arrange a consultation with a personal stylist before you leave home. Londoners will be assured of personal service at our partner Boutique at Home, whose owner Natasha will find a variety of smart casual looks to suit your needs. www.boutiqueathome.co.uk

To see some cutting-edge skiers working the primary colour-block look at Revelstoke, check out this video: