HELISKI KAMCHATKA TRIP - WILD EAST DISCOVERY

SUNDAY
Morning: Arrive at Petropavlovsk airport. One of our guides will meet you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel in our private bus. Check-in to hotel, welcoming drink and lunch.

Afternoon: Safety and helicopter briefing

FROM MONDAY TO SATURDAY
Heliskiing

SUNDAY
Transfer to Petropavlovsk airport. Homeward flight.

The helicopters are civil versions of the powerful, twin-turbine MI-8, which is commonly used for winching, transport, rescue and special operations and, more recently, for heli-skiing. Their three-person crews consist of a pilot, a co-pilot and an engineer, in addition to which they can carry around 20 passengers. Most of the helicopters used by private companies were built recently and meet all current safety standards. They are carefully serviced and maintained according to international procedures. Operators frequently provide helicopter services abroad.

Flight time : We prefer to base ourselves on the flight time actually flown – unlike traditional heliskiing agencies which charge flight time based on the vertical drop skied.

Not only is our method of calculation more transparent and more in line with the reality of the costs, but it also allows us complete freedom, adapting to the conditions and giving you the opportunity to explore the best sites.

So, a good day offers us 7,000 to 10,000 m of altitude drop for the cost of about 2 ½ hrs of flight time!

The trip options’ announced flight time is the average flight time during each trip. When the weather prevents us from using all these hours, we’ll refund the hours not flown.

This 3 star hotel, built in 2005, has 30 standard double rooms, 2 superior rooms and 2 suites. The hotel has Wi-Fi (pay-to-use via a card bought from reception, but the satellite internet connection is very slow), an ATM (roubles only) in the entrance hall, a sauna and a heated (geothermal) swimming pool.

Breakfast is taken at the hotel. On ski days we provide picnic lunches based round Kamchatka specialties. We also provide snacks (energy bars, etc.). Bottles of water will be available in the helicopter throughout the day. In the evening, you can either eat in the hotel or try some of the restaurants in Elizovo.

Meals are varied and based round mostly local products (sea food, salmon, soups, etc.), together with vegetables and dairy products. Reasonable quality wine (from South Africa or Chile) is available, but the most classic drinks are beer, champagne and vodka.

The Antarius Hotel is out base camp for this trip, but as the programme is nomadic, it’s possible that you may spend one or two nights in another establishment (such as a mountain lodge).

Other activities are available if the weather isn’t good enough for the helicopters to fly, but some activities require a supplement.

Suitable skis (fat or freeride skis) that have been properly prepared (edges sharpened, freshly waxed, bindings correctly adjusted, etc.) will ensure you get the best from your trip. In addition to this advice from Marco, we’ve drawn up a list of things you should pack.

The following details are for informational purposes only. Aeroflot’s daily flight schedule in English can be found at the link (https://www.aeroflot.ru/ru-en?_preferredLanguage=en&_preferredLocale=ru).

You choose the company you want to fly with and organize your own flight(s). We remind you that your flight details must be communicated to us (for insurance purposes).

NOTE : If you choose to make the entire trip on Saturday, please make sure that your stopover is long enough to make your connection (you may have to change terminal for the flight to Petropavlovsk, etc.).
It is often easier to start the journey on Friday and spend the night in Moscow before heading to Petropavlovsk on Saturday.
Currently, Aeroflot don’t charge extra for ski bags. However, you must register your skis at least 36 hrs before you leave and confirm you’ll be taking skis 24 hrs before your flight.

FLYING TIME :
Geneva – Moscow: approx. 3.4 hrs
Moscow – Petropavlosk: approx. 9 hrs
Paris – Moscow: approx. 3.4 hrs

Foreigners wishing to visit Russsia must first obtain a visa.

In order to obtain a tourist visa for Russia, you must hold a valid passport that will be valid for at least six months after the end of your stay. The passport must have two adjacent empty pages to which the Russian visa will be affixed.

You must also have certification of your repatriation insurance. You can take out this policy directly with Heliski Russia. However, it should be noted that most credit cards already include repatriation insurance if you use the card to pay for your flight ticket and your trip.

You’ll also need a voucher (tourist invitation) which we’ll issue to you, as well as a passport photo of less than 3 months old provided by you.

For any further information concerning the administrative procedures, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.

As soon as your reservation is confirmed, we’ll send you a Travelers Booklet with all the information you’ll need to organise your trip.