Why Revy? Because it is “The epicenter of BC backcountry”.
“What happens when moist Pacific air meets cold, dry air from the Rockies? “Revy” cops the mother lode, that’s what — 40 to 60 feet a year of powder so light and fluffy it could be used to stuff a comforter.
If that isn’t enough, there’s Bighorn Lodge. This ultra-luxe alpine-style chalet for 16 overlooking the Columbia River at the foot of Revelstoke Mountain Resort has its own helipad out front.
They’ll need pockets as deep as the snow, but floating down open bowls gulping in white champagne, or whooping and hollering through old growth forests with just three pals and a guide is priceless.
AOBH O’BRIEN-MOODY reports: “With ski season in full force, we present you with some of the best snowy weather retreats, guaranteed to take luxury to the next level”.
“There’s no questioning why Bighorn in Revelstoke, British Columbia is consistently lauded as the world’s best ski chalet. Designed to house a maximum of 16 guests, it represents the pinnacle of luxury, with eight ensuite bedrooms, a spa and indoor pool, two massage rooms, a games room, an outdoor hot tub and a state-of-the-art cinema. Perhaps the primary drawcard to Bighorn, however, is the heliskiing: fitted with its own private helipad, it brings the exhilarating sport to your doorstep. Experience miles of pristine powder free of other skiiers and lift lines before your pilot delivers you back in time for cocktail hour”.
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!
“Revelstoke is for serious powder-seekers. You can burn your thighs down the longest lift-serviced vertical in North America, but heli-skiing is probably the first thing that should come to mind when you think of this resort. Skiers from around the world consider Revelstoke the Holy Grail of this extreme sport and make the journey to breathe in this purest of mountain air and slide down these purest of untouched lines”.
Bighorn was featured in Harrod’s Travel Magazine’s latest issue. As a featured destination, the article describes what makes Bighorn and Revelstoke unique; “half a million acres of the world’s finest and most accessible heliski terrain…guests at Bighorn skip the passes and fly straight into the backcountry”. Guests stay in “unabashed luxury” at Bighorn, “the only lodge in Revelstoke with a helipad”. “Ease into your warmed boots, step out the door into your sleek A Star helicopter and before long, with your dedicated guide, you’ll be revelling in the deep feather-light virgin snow, interrupted only by lunch in a pristine forest clearing or remote glacial valley”.
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)!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get the GoPro App. It makes it really easy to control the settings and preview your amazing powpow shots from your phone.
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!)
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.
We often get asked which is the best month for snow and skiing in Revelstoke. Our answer is that it depends – not only on Mother Nature, but also on what kind of skiing you like. So whether you want steep and deep in the trees or cruisey pow in the high alpine glaciers, check out our guide below:
December: Its dumping. We get heaps of snow, but visibility up top can be a challenge. So if you want to fly through the trees getting face shots, a pre-Christmas break is for you.
January: On average the snowiest month of the year. A safe bet for deep powder, a good snow base and awesome conditions.
February: Typically our busiest month – a good balance of snow and sun as conditions move towards spring skiing.
March: Longer days, stability and clear skies with heliskiers getting access to the high alpine powder bowls and glaciers.
April: Excellent conditions at high altitude, sunshine and spectacular views.
* Please bear in mind these are generalisations and conditions can vary.
Jetsetter rounded up their pick of the most indulgent and “over-the-top” chalets for high-altitude decadence this winter. Alongside uber-chalets in Val D’Isere, Verbier and Jackson Hole, Bighorn Revelstoke boasts its own brand of luxury with private heliski adventures direct from the house helipad. Along with the ubiquitous facilities of the uber-chalet (gym, cinema, outdoor hot tub, games room), Bighorn’s location makes it unique. Set in the heart of the world’s best heliski terrain, guests can fly into the wilderness Selkirk Mountains to ski untouched powder snow all day long. Guests also have the option of Revelstoke Mountain Resort on their doorstep, with North America’s highest vertical descent. All this is unbeatable when you fly back to the “World’s Best Ski Chalet” for a cocktail in the huge hot tub followed by a gourmet meal prepared by your award-winnig private chef.
Bighorn was named World’s Best Ski Chalet at the “Ski Oscars” last weekend in Austria. The World Ski Awards celebrate excellence in ski tourism, with the most outstanding in their field honoured with an award. Bighorn was named not only Canada’s Best Ski Chalet, but took the World award ahead of competition from luxury chalets in Lech, Zermatt and Deer Valley. Owner Michael Kirkland describes what sets Bighorn apart: “Bighorn is unique in offering an exciting mix of luxury and adventure. Heliskiing from the house helipad and world class lift skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort are complimented by a stunning mountain home with incredible facilities and five star service. It is an incredible honour to receive this award for the third time and it is testament to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful team that we can remain at the top of our game”.
The World Ski Awards are voted for by ski industry professionals and members of the public and over 1.4 million votes were cast this year. Other winners included Leo Trippi for World’s Best Ski Travel Agent and Kitzbuhel for World’s Best Ski Resort
Top ski journalist Gaby Le Breton tells Fall-Line Magazine why Bighorn is her all-time favourite ski trip…
“I’m lucky enough to experience ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ ski trips more than once a season. That said, my all-time favourite trip was to Bighorn in Revelstoke, BC. This place truly has it all: heliskiing from the back garden, big mountain skiing in Revelstoke Mountain Resort and all the trappings of the ultimate party chalet from a private cinema and 16-person hot tub to a pool room and teppanyaki kitchen”.
Jetsetter
