Following on from Bighorn being named ‘World’s Best Ski Chalet’ at the World Ski Awards recently, Best In Travel magazine has released special ski edition profiling all the winners. Winning for the second year running, the magazine describes how Bighorn has “re-written the definition of luxury”. The only super-luxury chalet to offer world-famous heliskiing direct from its helipad, Bighorn offers adventure and decadence in equal measure.
To read more and see all the winners click here
Our Executive Chef Peter Hughes has been busy sourcing some wonderful ingredients and designing new menus for this winter at Bighorn. With an emphasis on local provenance, Peter has even foraged chanterelle mushrooms from the grounds! He will also be using BC seafood (including smoked sablefish, Qualicum Bay scallops and Pacific halibut), Okanagan cherries, Boulder Mountain huckleberries and organic Penticton chicken.
Our menus are designed to delight the tastebuds but also fuel a day’s epic heliskiing in epic mountains around Revelstoke. Peter works hard to create healthy, balanced meals with a touch of luxury and maximum taste. After all, every night is a celebration when you have been skiing perfect powder all day long!
Check out a sample dinner menu:
Starter
Smoked sablefish Cullen Skink with leeks and parmesan
Main course
Roast ‘Tomahawk’ rib of beef steak served table side with 10 hour smoked beef brisket and shin of beef cottage pie
Dessert
Naramata peach Melba with berries and raspberry sable biscuits
In Revelstoke, both private and shared group heliskiing is available. Here we explain the difference between the two, along with some pro’s and con’s.
Private heliskiing means chartering your own helicopter for the day or week, for exclusive use by your group. You’ll have your own guide(s) and they will tailor the experience to your group’s needs. So whether you want to ski hard and fast all day long, or take a more leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery, your wish is their command. Guests staying at Bighorn normally go for this option, as they can fly straight from the house helipad and do all their safety training from the comfort of the lodge.
Pros:
1) No waiting for other people
2) Dedicated service – the heli will be at your beck and call all day
3) Bespoke experience – fly when you want, ski where you want and at your pace
4) Ultimate ease – fly direct from the lodge, no transfers to staging posts
Cons:
1) Price
2) Prohibitive for individuals or groups smaller than 4 people
Group heliskiing means buying a seat on a helicopter for a day, or multi day program. You’ll share the heli with other people, but guides will try and match guests with similar abilities and speed. The helicopter will normally fly 3 or 4 groups each day, so there is some flying back and forth as the pilot shuttles groups out to the heliski terrain and from run to run. This may mean you are driven out to a staging post to reduce flight time.
Pro’s:
1) Cost-effective
2) Sociable
3) Sustainable pace – groups tend to ski a little slower which is a blessing if you are helsikking for several days and are less than Olympic fit!
4) A great way to try heliskiing and get a feel for the incredible snow and terrain around Revelstoke
Cons:
1) There will be some waiting around for other groups, other members of your group and at the start of the day while all the groups are taken out to the tenure.
2) You will be required to meet at a set time and ski for a certain duration (though you can sit out a run in the heli if you are tired).
3) The helicopter will fly from a central meeting point which may require a vehicle transfer from your accommodation.
4) The pace will be dictated by the slowest member of your group.
Snow Magazine has selected Revelstoke Mountain Resort as one of the top 10 ski resorts on the planet:
“Quite simply Revelstoke has to kick off our list, as talk to anyone who has been and they’ll tell you, not just how good it is but how truly epic it is. Revelstoke has the lot when it comes to on-mountain terrain, there’s steep and open powder faces, fantastic tree skiing, long well-maintained pistes, an adjacent cat-skiing operation and if that’s not enough then the ½ a million acres of heli-sking terrain should keep you happy”.
This top ranking comes as no surprise to us. Our guests have been enjoying Revelstoke’s deep powder snow, incredible terrain and uncrowded slopes for 3 seasons now.
Bighorn is unique in offering skiing at a world-class resort, private heliskiing, cat skiing and backcountry touring all from one base. The luxury lodge offers the most indulgent accommodation imaginable with every kind of ski adventure right on the doorstep. Heliski direct from the house helipad or be on the Revelation Gondola heading up North America’s highest vertical descent in a matter of minutes.
![photo[14]](https://www.bighornrevelstoke.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/photo14.jpg)
After 62cm of snow in the last 7 days we now have bluebird skies and perfect conditions to ski all the powder snow. Revelstoke is famous for its consistent and heavy snowfall, so the few sunny days after the storm are to be cherished! Check out this video of the heli coming in to land on the Bighorn helipad. It shows not only how quickly guests can be whisked into the world famous heliski terrain, but also the stunning views from Bighorn when the sun shines.
Clear skies mean guests can fly higher and access some of the alpine terrain – glaciers and powder bowls. The beauty of heliskiing in Revelstoke is that there is terrain for any weather. On snowy or cloudy days skiers can rip it up in the forest – Revelstoke has epic tree skiing that attracts ski fanatics from all over the world. There is so much fun to be had popping off terrain features and landing in pillows of soft powder snow.
Needless to say, the guests heliskiing in the video had an unforgettable day, polished off nicely with a brandy hot chocolate on the helipad when they returned!
We are pleased to announce that Bighorn was voted not only Canada’s Best Ski Chalet, but the World’s Best Ski Chalet at the World Ski Awards. The prestigious ceremony took place in Kitzbuhel, Austria last week and was attended by ski industry VIP’s from around the globe. Bighorn beat stiff competition from luxury properties in 20 countries including France, Switzerland and the USA.
Bighorn’s founder was in Austria to accept the award, click here to see his reaction
Our decadent lodge has unrivalled accommodation and facilities as well as outstanding cuisine and service from a dedicated team of staff. Bighorn also has a private helipad from which guests can fly directly to the renowned heli ski terrain of the Selkirk Mountains. Heli skiing is complemented by superb lift skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
Congratulations to our hardworking team who make staying at Bighorn a unique and now award-winning experience!
It’s been snowing in the Selkirk and Monashee Mountains for a few weeks now, but in the last few days it has been dumping all the way to the base. Check out our video to see the white out at Bighorn. With just 3 weeks until the start of the season, the snow base is looking good and we expect great early winter conditions. Bring on the pow!
We are delighted to be featured in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine. Their ‘Superchalets’ feature highlights the very best luxury chalets in the world. Bighorn is described as “The apex of chalet luxury in North America at the pinnacle of heliskiing”. Uniquely we offer the ultimate in accommodation and service alongside private heliskiing adventures in the Selkirk Mountains. The result is that this “thrashes the finest bespoke skiing in the world”.
Read the full article here.
Snow has been falling earlier than usual in Revelstoke and the top of the peaks are already covered white. This should set both Revelstoke Mountains Resort and our heli ski partners up for a great start to the season. The first week of the season is still available at Bighorn, so if you want to get first tracks this season we are open from December 14th.
The Selkirk Mountains are famed for their massive snowfall, averaging 12-18 meters per season. This year winter temperatures are forecast to be cooler than normal, which would make the powder snow especially light and dry. Perfect for tearing through the trees, cruising along a glacier and floating down a high alpine bowl!
We are delighted that Bighorn has been nominated as Canada’s Best Chalet at the World Ski Awards. The stunning accommodation, outstanding service, delicious food and of course world class heli and resort skiing sealed our nomination. With competition from properties in Whistler, Bighorn is really putting Revelstoke on the map. With North America’s highest vertical descent at Revelstoke Mountain Resort and epic heliskiing direct from the house helipad, Bighorn has the perfect blend of luxury and adventure.
You can vote at www.worldskiawards.com/nominees/canada
