What goes up must come down, especially on the ski slopes, so why not make your next downhill run the most spectacular ever and heliski? Anyone who’s gone from helicopter onto virgin snow at high altitude will tell you nothing compares to the thrill of descending a pristine environment.

Yours is the first track out. You never ski the same route twice. You have fresh snow every single run. It’s an unbelievable high, but a risky one.

Danger lurks in the form of avalanches, crevasses and tree wells. Three good reasons why heliskiers must defer at all times to their guides, who are seasoned pros with an uncanny knack for avoiding trouble.

“The main rule is never to ski above the guide,” declares Sébastien Laurent, senior guide for Mountain Guide Adventure in Chamonix, France (www.mountain-guide-adventure.com). “In the Alps we go heliskiing on glaciers; the guide is often close to dangers like a crevasse hole, so it’s important to always ski below the guide.”

The typical heliski party consists of four skiers, a guide and pilot, making for a tight, easy-to-manage group. Heliskiing is not an extreme sport—most participants crave deep, powder snow rather than cliffs and steep vertical drops. And it’s reasonably accessible. An intermediate level skier is quite capable of heliskiing, provided they’ve done off-piste or backcountry skiing.

“If you are not used to skiing in fresh powder snow, then spend one day minimum learning off-piste skills,” advises Laurent. “Get used to skiing in all kinds of snow in order to enjoy heliskiing. Those who go off-piste occasionally will be fine. If you go off-piste often and like covering varied terrain, you’re more than ready. Someone who frequently goes off-piste in all snow conditions, and wants to ski 30 to 45 degree slopes will love it.”

Risk factors vary greatly from one region to the next, depending upon snow stability and terrain features. Tree wells, for example, are an ever-present threat in British Columbia’s heavily forested Rocky Mountains. These invisible traps form when snow falls from branches, piling along the tree’s canopy line, creating a well at the trunk. Fall inside and you become trapped, your skis caught in the branches above. The snow caves inward, and suffocation is the end result.

“In Europe we don't have any tree-wells danger like in Canada,” comments Laurent. “The avalanche risk can be very strong, but usually we can find a safe run. In the beginning of the season sometimes the main risk comes from glaciers. If we don't have enough snow, the snow bridges above the crevasse hole are not solid, so we may ski with a smaller group or forego the ski altogether.”

Rather than number of runs, heliskiing is measured by total vertical feet, meaning two descents of 3,000 meters in one day is 6,000 meters of skiing. Daily descents between four and six thousand meters are enough to satisfy most skiers.

Any misgivings about altitude sickness, the bane of mountain climbers, can be laid to rest.

“Surprisingly, the altitude situation is not such a big issue,” says American Craig Calonica, director of Himalayan Heli Ski Guides (www.heliskinepal.com.

“We have had many clients come from sea level or below (Amsterdam, Denmark, Paris, Singapore, etc.), and they had no problems whatsoever. Last year we had two clients who were 67 and 72 years old and they breezed it. The further you go away from the equator, the higher the air pressure becomes. So in reality, 5,000 meters in the Himalayas is similar to 4,500 meters in the Alps, which is a reasonable altitude, especially since we do not spend much time there, maybe five minutes or so, and within 10 minutes we are at ski area altitudes. Last but not least, we start out lower and work our way up. We don’t ski above 5,000 meters for the first two or three days, since there’s plenty of skiing at lower altitudes.”

Calonica’s company has operated in Nepal since 2001 and offers skiers with a taste for the exotic the opportunity to make each run a first-ever descent and first-descent parties can name the run, which is then entered on a new ski map for the region. Opportunities exist to transverse the breathtaking Annapurna, Everest and Dhauligir regions. Annapurna features a 70-kilometer-long, north-facing mountain chain that holds snow very well.

“Nepal’s Himalaya is so huge you could live 10 lifetimes and never ski the same place twice,” notes Calonica.

Planning for any heliskiing venture begins with guide selection. Make sure your guide is accredited by a recognized authority such as the International Mountain Guide Associations Union. Laurent, for example, has an extensive background in mountaineering, plus a degree in alpine geography. And he’s typical of the best guides, who seem born to the mountains.

“Visiting untouched domains with a helicopter drop is an unforgettable experience,” he says. “Four thousand meters of descent in virgin powder equals a perfect day.”