Heli biking is just for pros, right? I have dreamt of heli-biking for as long as I can remember, but always assumed it was something reserved for the best professional riders on the planet… but I was wrong.
It all started after we booked my first trip to Whistler. After speaking to some friends, I was excited to discover that not only are helicopter tours available in Whistler – but some operators offer heli biking from Whistler, British Columbia.
@__onlyfrans__ with \"our\" helicopter!
After a little more research online, we found that AlpX, in partnership with Blackcomb Helicopters, offered the exact heli drop we wanted. We opted for a private AlpX helicopter which is a fixed price for up to 5 riders. While AlpX, offer individual bookings on shared Whistler helibiking tours, it still worked out cheaper for our group of 4 to book our own helicopter.
Before we dive into the story, let’s address the elephant in the room. How much does heli-biking in Whistler cost? Our trip with AlpX cost $506 CAD (£286 GBP / $352 USD) each. While this is undoubtedly an expensive day out, it would have likely cost us nearly 3 times more to go and see Taylor Swift. If I’m going to pay for somebody to fly around in a private aircraft, that person is going to be me!
The day started when we met AlpX on Blackcomb Way, just over from the Fitzimmons Express Chairlift at the bottom of Whistler Bike Park. They collected us and our bikes in a minibus and trailer for the short drive out to Pemberton, where we’d meet the helicopter and pilot Steve. We arrived at the helicopter and conducted a short safety briefing including a short demonstration of a handheld radio we could use in case we ran into any problems on the descent.
After taking some selfies with the helicopter, AlpX loaded our bikes while we boarded the helicopter. The helicopter was ready. It was time for heli biking! As the engine roared into life, after some gentle vibrations, the Blackcomb branded helicopter gracefully left the ground under the expert handling of Steve. We flew away from Pemberton, with the helicopter making easy work of the climb gaining nearly 2,000m (6,562 ft) of elevation in a matter of minutes.
Our destination was near the peak of Ipsoot Mountain – a 2,576m (8,451ft) mountain situated in the Coast Mountains 13km (8 miles) west of Pemberton and 22km (14 miles) north of Whistler village. Steve gently set the helicopter down on a makeshift helipad constructed by AlpX by levelling the ground using rocks gathered from the mountain.
As we watched the helicopter disappear into the distance, we took in the striking views. All we could see in any direction were beautiful, untouched mountains. Helibiking with AlpX is worth it for the views alone.
Here we were, alone, at the top of Ipsoot Mountain. It was just us, our bikes and the handful of supplies we’d brought with us. The helicopter was gone, and it was time to hit the trail. As it turned out, we were in for a treat.
AlpX have built two trails on Ipsoot Mountain. As an experienced group, we’d been dropped at the trailhead for the AlpX Black Trail. The black trail starts near the summit and takes riders down some epic Pemberton backcountry singletrack to the top of the AlpX Blue Trail – which all riders use to descend to the base of the mountain.
The trail starts with some Alpine riding carefully weaved through any remaining patches of snow. The rocky trail provided a challenging ride and was a nice contrast to the riding in Whistler Bike Park. After only a few hundred meters of riding, it quickly became clear this was going to be one of the best mountain bike trails I’ve ever ridden. The remote location of the trail, practically only accessible by helicopter means the trail sees barely any use and was in near perfect condition top to bottom.
As the black trail descended towards the blue trail, the terrain started to change. We were seeing fewer rocks, more trees, less snow and some natural lakes nestled into the mountain side. We left the exposed rocky trails from the Black Trail and were fired into the woodland singletrack offered by the blue trail.
The blue trail was incredible. Marked by little more than a few signs and marker flags, each corner is better than the last. The deep loam was some of the best hero dirt I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. I can’t describe how good it was carving between the trees, drifting from turn to turn – it was simply unreal.
Rocks turned to loam, loam turned to dust
A few hours into the ride, the woodland started to ease as we neared the bottom of the mountain. Not to be outdone by the summit on the black trail or the wood on the blue trail, the open section had one last surprise in store. As we shot out of the trees into the open, we were greeted with some of the best turns I’ve ever ridden. As loam gave way to dust, we sat on each other’s back wheels struggling to see through the huge dust clouds created in every turn. It really was the perfect end to not only the perfect trail, but the perfect day.
by gouldy_ftw