conditions

To date we have skied in the Annapurna, Everest and Dhauligiri region, mostly in the Annapurna region, with the main reason being the fact that it has a 70 kilometer long north facing mountain chain which means it holds the snow well and for a longer period of time thus making it very dependable, its also further west which is the direction most of Nepal's winter storms come from, which also means the area typically gets more storms and bigger storms then the eastern side of Nepal for example.

The Annapurna region is simply incredible and offers endless amounts of lines to ski from 5,500 meters down to 3,200 meters with the average runs taking place from 5,000 meters to 3,400 meters.

The Everest region is another region we can heliski out of, but its more hit and miss due to the fact that valley in this region runs north to south which means we do not have the long north facing slope like the Annapurna region thus it doesn't hold the snow as well. The other factor is that the valley is open to Tibet and India and if the winds kick up after a storm from India or Tibet, it can blow much of the snow away in the exposed areas, but just the same, there are several exposures which are protected by these winds and therefore we are sure we can always count on them holding enough snow for some good runs.
Also, just so you know the Everest region does and will get 1 to 2 meter storms every now and then and we're just waiting for the day to be there when that happens, and when it does we will simply go nuts as to date we have only made 4 descents in the area, which means the place is prime to be opened up and in a big way.

The whole situation is pretty incredible, and as mentioned its is the history of opening up the worlds highest and most well known mountain range and you don't want to miss it. I still at times have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming, as its one of those things that seem like its too good to be true, but its not a dream and its happening and its happening now.

Many of you when you see the elevations we are skiing at will immediately think, whoa.. that's really high. While you're right, it is somewhat high, especially when you consider how fast you get there, it is not as bad as you think. What we have found about the acclimatization here is that it is not the same situation that you experience when trekking or climbing at these elevations. Flying in and skiing at these elevations is completely different.

For example, it is not much different then leaving for a ski trip from a lower elevation, say sea level and going to 3,800 meters the first day out. While you might feel a bit light headed, you will find that everything else seems to work just fine. The reason is that you are at these higher elevations for a very brief period of time, and within minutes you are at a lower elevation and you are constantly going lower every time you point them down and within 10 to 20 minutes you can be anywhere from at 3,800 to 3,200 meters - an elevation you normally will feel good at. We then take a 15 to 20 minute break at our fully stocked base camp staffed by our Sherpas where they will serve you coffee, tea, sodas, mineral water, biscuits, cookies, candy bars, soups, etc. After this break, we go back up and do it all over again.

Also, we will not be going to the highest elevations the first day out, we will begin at a comfortable elevation that everyone will feel good at and work our way up throughout the week.

Another reason the elevation is not such a problem is that the lodges we sleep at are at lower elevations. They range from 2,000 meters to 3,200 meters, which allows you an easy night's sleep and a good way to further acclimatize. What we are doing here is following the basic climbing rule of thumb, climb high, sleep low.. in this case it's ski high, sleep low..

Bottom line, it is not as much a problem as one might think. It is much different for example to climb at these elevations then to ski, with skiing being almost effortless when compared to climbing. Example, just try and walk up the same run you just skied and you'll see what we mean here, it is a big difference and after you go skiing with us at these elevations, you will see what it is we are talking about.

As each day goes by, you will feel better and better.. and stronger and stronger, and you'll be wanting to go higher and higher each and every run. Although we will not start much above 4,600 meters on the first day, we just did a trip where on our first day we skied at 5,300 meters! Not one person had any problems dropping in like this and everyone was surprised at how good they felt.

Last but not least, do try to go out in your local mountains and go as high as you can just before coming out, it will be helpful for those first few days. Also, we'll have oxygen available at all times for those who would like a little boost every now and then.