Heliboarding Himalaya 2012

Shangrila Himalaya Heliskiing/ Heliboarding

Shan 1 03.02. – 13.02.2012
Shan 2 10.02. – 20.02.2012
Shan 3 17.02. – 27.02.2012
Shan 4 24.02. – 05.03.2012
Shan 5 02.03. – 12.03.2012
Shan 6 09.03. – 19.03.2012
Shan 7 16.03. – 26.03.2012

we preserve the right of changin dates

Top Paket Preis: 6290 EUR
Private unlimited: 66.000 EUR up to 9 persons

Here you can see a movie of the trips Link

A nice Fotogalerie you see here

Dear Ski and Snowboard Friends,

Welcome to one of the best and most exciting Heliski/ Helisnowboard destination on the planet.

It was an assignment of ours to create a very exclusive Heliski destination under the motto,” from riders for riders.” The Pahalgam Valley in the great Himalayan Range in northern India, offers something that hardly any other heliski destionation on earth can offer. If you like to ski some of the longest runs in the unique Himalayan powder, be with us doing first descents in a territory as big as 5000 square kilometers. The Shangrila Heliski destination would be perfect for you.

7 good reasons why you should come with us the Mekka of powder, Shangrila Heliski

The best terrain, no matter if it is in the high alpine region or in the almost endless Himalaya cedar forests, with verticals up to 2400 meters.
small groups with a ratio of 3 to 4 clients to 1 UIAGM guide
easy to reach from Central Europe, only 7 hours flight
7 skiing day´s
super nice and comfortable hotels
great value for your money
only 4 hours of time difference from Central Europe

Information about the country

Cashmere is the most northern republic of the Indian subcontinent. With a size of 100.000 square kilometers, about 10 million people live in this region. About 70% of the republic is above 3000 meters, and living there is only possible in the summer time. The highest peaks are Nun and Kun. They both exceed 7000 meters. It is only 70 km across the border to Pakistan. On days when the weather is good we can see the 8000 meter peak Nanga Parbat. The winters in Cashmere start in end of November and lasts until late April, though snow in the high alpine can be still found in the summer. The average amount of snow at about 2500 meters above sea level is 2 to 3 meters. Therefore a lot of the remote side valleys are only habitable in the summer. Cashmere was already famous and appreciated by the British colonials. They loved to spent the hot summers up here, and even built as they call it, Hillstations in the most beautifull settings, for example Sonamarg and Gulmarg. Nowadays Gulmarg is also know as the most developed ski station in the Himalayas. Unfortunately Cashmere also is known because of it´s political conflicts, between 1992 to 2004. In this time travelling to Cashmere was almost impossible, due to fights with the neighbouring country Pakistan. Both claimed the territory of Cashmere as their own. In January 2004 both countries commenced dialogues again. Apart from some local unrests mainly in the capital of Srinagar, the conflict situation is stabile. Year by year more foreigners come to visit this most beautiful place on earth.

How to proceeds the Heliski trip

From most major Central European airports there are daily flights to New Delhi. Most of the departures outbound from Europe are in the evening. Therefore your arrival in Delhi will be the next morning. At the newly built Airport of Indira Gandhi there is quite a lot to do and to see. Having a nice breakfast in one of the many coffee shops, or just relax a bit from the flight. Around lunchtime 3 airlines have a daily service to Srinagar. Kingfisher, Jet Airways and Air India offer the 1 hour flight to reach the Himalaya pearl of Cashmere. Here you will be picked up by a minivan. In a one hour drive you ´ll reach, your destination, the Pahalgam Valley. On Saturday night we will have a welcome dinner, introduce you to your week and make you familiar with everything you need to know for your heliski / heliboard week. The next 6 days are yours, to enjoy the incredible skiing and riding in the highest mountain range on earth. The following Saturday can be either used as a reserve day in case of non flying days during the week, or if we have already skied 6 days, it will be used as an excursion day to get to know Srinagar and its surroundings. The last night of our week we will spend on a traditional houseboat, something that is a must if you visit Cashmere. The boat is very cosy, and nicely heated by stoves. On the boat you will enjoy a very unique dinner. After that you will get a very good night of sleep on the water. The boats also have double rooms with private baths. After a full cooked breakfast, we will take you to the airport where your flight will depart after lunch. On the same evening you will depart back to Europe, where you will land on Monday morning quite early. With our program you can enjoy 7 days of some of the best skiing in the world. So you will be awayonly 5 working days!

Our base

Our base is in the picturesque high valley of Pahalgam, at an elevation of 2000 meters. In the summertime the valley sees a lot of Indian tourists. They come here as pilgrims, to visit the caves of Amarnath. For Hindus this is one of the holy places. In the winter not many people come here to visit. Some of the locals are involved with the pilgrim business but most of them live independently in their little farmhouses.They have a few animals and grow some potatoes in the summertime and lead a very spartan life. The population of the valley is very friendly and helpful. Very often after skiing we end up in one of the villages where we are invited immediately by the locals for a cup of tea.

Guides

All our guides are UIAGM qualified with a long term experience in heliskiing. In 2012 the following professionals will be with you during your week.

Flory Kern

Flory is a UIAGM mountain guide for 13 years. He is also the owner and founder of the company, Ski Berge Abenteuer. Over the last 10 years he did a lot of pioneer work in the sphere of heliskiing. He provides his clients with the unique opportunity to ski some very remote places on earth. 11 years ago, he was the first person to run heliski trips to Kamchatka for the European market. He opened a Heliski region near the Lake Baikal. He skied with his clients a number of first descents in the Coucasus Republic of Swanetia. Flory is always in search of new and exciting places to ride. … ” I am sure with Shangrila Heliskiing in the unreal mountains of Himalayas we found one of the best destinations on earth, and over the next year a lot of my clients can enjoy to ride here with me”. Flory will be working as the lead guide on all the trips he offers.

Bernd Adler

Bernie is also a UIAGM mountain guide for 14 years. In the winter he has been guiding a lot with Flory. Together they explored a lot of new destinations. Bernie´s nice way to guide people is very much appreciated amongst our frequent clients. when he is not on skis, he is an instructor for the German Mountain Rescue Team. He will also be on the spot for all of the trips.

Millinger Andi

Flo Hellberg

Flo has passed his UIAGM guide already in his young years and has been working with us for more than 5 years on trips all over the world. His knowledge and professionalism is highly appreciated amongst our clients. He has travelled a lot on ski, knows very remote ski places like Iran, Uzbekistan, Hokkaido. If he isn´t working as a guide he works as a physican in an institute that proves alpine equipment under the level UIAA in Munich.

Norbi Hofer

For 25 years, Norbi is a passionate helicopter pilot. Working for the heli rescue of Air Zermatt and Heli Bernina made him to one of the most experienced mountain pilots. He proved his skills and professionalism flying with us in our first Shangrila Heliski week in Feb. 2011. His favourite helicopter is the Lama, the one that we use for our heliskiing. He also has licenses for different models of Eurocopter and of the Russian weight lifter Kamov PS 27.

Safety

Safety is always our top priority. Although we always try to get the best experience for our guests, we never do this by compromising your safety. Any risks which we have an influence on, we will keep under control. But as with any activity in high alpine regions, also with heliskiing there are risks, that are beyond our controle. You should be aware that you have to share these risks with us, skiing in remote places on our planet.
In our heliski destination in the Pahalgam Valley, Himalaya we are far away from any rescue service, therefore we have developed our own rescue strategy. Our groups consist of a max. of 3 – 4 clients plus 1 guide. In our weeks we usually ski in 3 teams with the ratio, 3 max. 4 clients plus 1 guide. In case of any incident, with this strategy we always have at least 3 professional guides on the spot. Other than that we always carry extensive first aid and resuce material with us, as well as satellite telephones.

Helicopter

Usually we will use the Lama type helicopter. This is a french constructed helicopter, designed for high mountain flights and lifting cargo to high altitudes. It has a capacity of 3 clients plus a guide and the pilot. The engine is extremely stong in comparison with its own weight. Therefore it can rise 1000 vertical meters in less than 3 minutes and works very effectively in altitudes up to 5000 meters. Kerosene is provided from the airport of Srinagar, and at our helipad we have it stocked in huge barrels. The helicopter is owned by a company based in Delhi, that is specialized in freight transport in the high Himalayas as well as for pilgrim flights to the holy places in the high Himalayas. During our heliski season, we always have 2 flight helpers as well as a helicopter engineer, that is internationally qualified and has also worked with Heli Bernina in Switzerland for several years.

Requirements

In order to be able to enjoy a heliski adventure in the Himalayas to the full, you should have a very good skiing technique in every terrain. Good physical condition and endurance for up to 10,000 vertical meters of skiing per day are required. Heliskiing in the Himalayas is reserved for the advanced freeride skiers and snowboarders, not least because of the very long runs in altitudes up to 4800 meters. Flory Kern – Ski Berge Abenteuer – has the right to not allow participants to ski if they hold up the group or show conditional weaknesses. They will be left behind in the helicopter.

Equipment

Freeride skiing equipment (min. 90 mm under the binding) and safety equipment, consisting of shovel, probe and LVS device are compulsory. All skiers will also be equipped with an avalanche safety system backpack. The safety equipment can be hired from us free of cost. It is recommended to wear a helmet. You will receive a detailed packing list from us about 30 days before the journey. Every participant is responsible for his own material. It is not possible to buy or hire any spare equipment on spot.

Weather and conditions

In order to find the best snow, we are constantly looking for regions with high snow or rainfall quotas with a yearly average of 2000 mm per square meter. This occurs in the months from November to April.

Like in all high mountain regions on earth, snowy days as well as sunny days are part of the weather cycles. On an average out of 10 days, there are 2 – 3 days with snowfall. In the months of February and March, we usually find very nice powder snow. Our runs are in altitudes ranging from 1800 to 4800 meters, so we have a large altitude spectrum to pick our daily runs and to chose the best snow. Windcrusted snow is rarely seen. The reason for that is that we dont´t ski in the maximum heights of the high Himalayas. Most of our runs are not too exposed to high winds, since they are below the treeline or just a little above. By the way, the treeline is at an altitude of 3400 meters. Between 3000 and 3400 meters we mostly find light birch trees and below we enter open and gladed Himalaya cedar forests, that are just perfect to ski. Allthough we have a lot of benefits through this, heliskiing highly depends on weather, snow and avalanche conditions. The situation on the mountain is characterized by forces of nature, of which we mostly have no influence. Therefore, this sport is not always perfect and you should prepare for this accordingly. Heliskiing in the Himalayas is skiing in high mountain regions which are not controllable. Nobody can say what you will expect during your week in the Pahalgam Valley. It might be the most fulfilling skiing experience in your life, but it might also become a disappointment if the weather and snow conditions do not meet with your expectations. On overcast days with light snowfall, we always have the possibilty to ski below 3400 meters in the forests. The flying conditions will always be the decision of the pilot.

Moving around on spot

For all ground transportations during the week we have drivers and vehicles at anytime. Some days our last run will end up lower in the valley. Instead of using the costly helicoper time, we can be picked up by our driver and save the flying time for some more runs in the powder. Also on a downday we can use the drivers to take us either to visit the Suntemple or for a shopping trip to Srinagar.

Our daily programme

Our daily skiing region depends mainly on weather and snow conditions. Already before breakfast, your guideteam, together with the pilot, will decide where to ski today. If the weather is fine, our departure will be at 9 am. The helicopter is based only a few meters away from the hotel. Most of our runs are in the Pahalgam Valley and its many side valleys. The number of runs and possibilites look almost endless. At noon we have done quite a few vertical meters already, time for an outdoor lunch, that will be on board the helicopter. The lunch is prepared fresh every day by our hotel. Water, tea and coffee is also available. After the refreshment it is time for us to ski more runs. On a good day we easily reach 10.000 vertical meters. At about 3.30 pm the helicopter will drop us for the last run of the day. We will take our time to enjoy a nice run in the evening light and reach one of the villages in the bottom of the valley. Usually locals come immediately and invite us for a tea to their houses. This also is part of an unforgettable experience in the Himalayas. To get ready again for your next day our hotel has a sauna and a steambath, that can be used anytime after skiing.

Downdays

On days where heliskiing is not possible, due to bad weather or wind, the hotel has quite a lot to offer. The libary has lots of nice books on the region, you can enjoy a nice cappucino at the coffe bar or use the sauna area. If you still want to be active, and you have freeride skis with touring bindings and skins, there are lots of nice ski tours directly from the hotel. For example you can reach the meadows of Baisaren in about 1.30 hours. Usually there is always someone that will serve you a hot tea and some biscuits. Also the village has a few things to see, like a few shops and a very small bazaar. A 45 minute drive from Pahalgam will bring you to the very nice Suntemple. Half an hour further on you will be in Srinagar, where are hundreds of shops with all kind of souvenirs and nice things to take home.

Hotel Pahalgam

Our hotel is the family owned and operated Hotel Pahalgam. The family of Garmeet has built this hotel 80 yeas ago, and already the 4 th. generation is running it. It has about 20 double suites. Each suite has 2 large rooms, with big panorama windows towards the mountains. Breakfast and dinner will be served in the cosy dining room, all nicely heated by wood ovens. The kitchen is of very high quality, delicious meals from the international kitchen are served. Breakfasts offer all the varieties you would like. We also have an apre ski bar, with a nice open fire, where delicious snacks, tea and coffe is served after skiing. Alcoholic drinks can not be bought at the hotel, although we always have a good stock of beer, wine and whisky available, that can be consumed in the bar. The hotel also has a sauna, a hamam and a fittness room. There is a small shop with a libary and internet access. In 2012 ( Inshalah) there will be also w -lan installed in all rooms. The hotel staff are very well trained, very helpful and friendly all the time and they also make your stay comfortable and very enjoyable. See the hotels webpage pahalgamhotel.com

Vertical meters and helitime

Our motto is ” a destination from riders for riders ” with this motto we also run our philosophy of vertical meters and helitime. We want to offer you a package way above average. In our package we include 17 hours of helitime per week, with a number of 9 clients in 3 rotations. In vertical meters this will be 43.000 vertical skiing/ riding meters. If we exceed the vertical meters or hours, we can continue to ski or ride at a price of 1500 EUR (helicopter Lama), (1800 EUR helicopter B3 ) per flying hour. The hourly price will be divided by the number of clients that ski or ride. Non used helihours, as in the agreement will be refunded with 110 EUR per person. If you can´t use up your hours becasue of lack of energy or tiredness, we will not reimburse you for those hours.

Number of clients per week

As we want to provide a very private and exclusive heliski destination, the maximum number of clients per week will normally be 9 clients. If we use the helicopter B3 it can be at a maximum of 12 clients per week. The total number of clients will be split up in 3 groups, each acompained by a guide, while we ski. We will work in a rotating system. This way we are very flexible and waiting time for the helicopter can be minimized.

Prices in India

India still reamins as a low income country, that means that labour is still at very low cost. According to this most things in India apear quite cheap for us, for example food, handcrafts, and things we need in our daily life. Allthough helicopters have pretty much the same price all over the world, maintenence is very costly, and spare parts need to be shipped in from Europe at very high costs.

Tipping in India

To give a tip is not a must, but a very appreciated gesture, if you were happy with the service. At the end of the week it would be very nice to give a tip, whatever you think is adequate, to the hotel staff, helicopter mechanic, flight helper and taxidriver.

How to get there / Visa to India

To travel to India from most major Central European airports is quite easy and fast. Around 6 hours a direct flight will take to reach the capital, New Delhi. From the brand new airport India Gandhi it is one more hour of flight into the Himalaya, to Srinagar. From this airport it takes a bit over an hour to reach the valley of Pahalgam. For flights we can advice our partner travel agent Neuner Reisen in Kempten Germany. www.neuner-reisen.de

Most citizens need to have a visa to travel to India. To apply for a tourist visa is quite easy and best done through a visa agency, like in Germany www.indienvisum24.de We are happy to help you to find an agency that does visas in your country.

In our ”top package” the following is included

7 overnights in the Pahalgam Hotel based on doubles, with full board, and afterski snack
1 overnight with halfboard on a luxury houseboat on your last day in Srinagar
7 days of guiding by 3 UIAGM mountain and ski guides ( 1 per group )
17 hours of heli flight time, or 43.000 vertical meters
Safety equipment, shovel, probe, LVS beacon and an avalanche protection backpack for loan
All necessary flight permits and border permits
All transfers on spot, as well as the transfer Srinagar – Pahalgam – Srinagar
Group insurance of Hanse Merkur company that includes, cancellation insurance up to 5000 EUR, accident insurance, sickness insurance, emergency insurance and luggage insurance. Would you like to ensure the whole travelprice, 80,-€ will be aded extra.
Insolvency insurance acc. §651 k BGB

Not included are

Travel to and from to Srinagar via New Delhi
Visa for India about 60 EUR
Activities outside our programme
drinks as well as alcoholic drinks in the hotel
Would you like to ensure the whole travelprice, 80,-€ will be aded extra.

Our achievements with the ” private unlimited ” package

If you want to ski with some of your best skifriends, and you want to experience the ultimate ski week, we can offer you our private unlimited package. In this week it can also be up to 9 clients, the only thing that is different is that there is no limit in flying time and vertical meters in your week.

Connecting programme in India

If you want to use the opportunity of being in India and seeing something else other than mountians in the country, we will be glad to help you organize it. It is very nice to see is the Taj Mahal or if you take a bit more time a visit to Rajasthan is really worth it, especially in the months of February and March when the temperatures are very pleasant.

How to sign up for a trip

Please fill in the inscription form on our website, press send and in a few days you will receive your booking confirmation, with all your travel documents. Please also take notice of our terms and conditions ( can be seen on our website )