Bucket List – Viking Heli Skiing

The newly-weds decided to go to heli skiing in Iceland. And they had a real wow of a time in the spring sunshine.

Chemmy says:” A bucket list for those of you who don’t know is a fantasy world where you write down all the wonderful things in the world you hope to see, experience and travel to. It is your fantasy future. And close to the top of that list was heli skiing in Iceland, so one dream at least has come true for us because the Icelandic skies blinded us, as did the sparkling knee deep light powder. And views skiing down epic mountain drops with vistas of the bright blue ocean were magical.”

The occasional storm blew through but the youngsters impatiently waited them out knowing they would appreciate those sweet fluffy face shots of new powder and so, so much more. The crew always aimed to entertain whether that be organising speedy skidoo rides taking us up to fresh tracks, to scrambling down rock faces underground and finding hidden hot pools.

Chemmy’s trip meant she and Dougie could re-unite with Viking Heli Skiing boss Björgvin Björgvinsson, also a former racer.

Chemmy takes up the story – “My heart was pumping with excitement hearing the whirl of the chopper rotors loudly purring. And it got better when we were up top and saw the beauty of Iceland is its rawness, its contrast of high white peaks sloping against the dark, whale abundant waters below.
“And knowing you can name the runs you carve down is novel since they have rarely, if ever been skied before. Truly icing on the cake.”

Chemmy added:” I couldn’t suppress my happy screams and whooping on my last run down. If the ride up takes your breath away, so down the floating down to your ski buddies’ radiating smiles as you realise you are sharing a very special moment with them. This was the holiday of a lifetime, and we had ticked off an incredible bucket list entry.”

Chemmy’s trip took place in the Troll Peninsula in North Iceland.  The Peninsula juts north into the Arctic Ocean North West of the town of Akureyri. Iceland boasts that there are few places in the world with as many possibilities as the Troll peninsula. The area is vast and largely unexplored – with a panorama view of amazing slopes waiting for their first descents.

Skiers can expect fresh powder skiing, skiing in the stable spring corn snow, which is perfect for steep and extreme skiing and more exposed lines than you normally find. The vertical drop is up to 1500m or approximately 5000ft in the unbelievable Arctic mountains. During winter guests can ski until it is dark and watch the majestic northern lights dance in the sky. In the springtime, there is nothing like skiing down slopes in between the towering peaks, ending the ride where the shoreline meets the North Atlantic.

Viking Heli Skiing Four Day Ski Package costs from £3,875 per person. This includes five hours helicopter flight time, four skiers with one or two guides, four nights accommodation at Viking Heli Skiing Lodge, all meals. breakfast, lunch, and dinners prepared, après ski snacks and beer, guide services, safety training and use of safety gear (BCA), K2 freeride skis with bindings and K2 ski poles, one day of sea fishing, all ground transportation in the skiing area and pickup/drop-off at Akureyri airport.

These semi-private programmes involve two or three groups sharing the helicopter. Alternatively, private heli skiing operates with four people in a group with exclusive use of the helicopter and starts from £5,310 per person.
Not included: International and domestic airfares – Personal insurance – Wine and spirits, massage. Extra flight time – £1,580- per hour.

Info Viking Heli Skiing or Visit Iceland