Program
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.
Helicopter
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.
Accommodation
The Wood & Thermal is a newly built lodge with 3 double rooms and 6 single rooms.
While it boasts no ostentatious luxury, the lodge is very well equipped, offering a high standard of comfort to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
Behind the log walls of the Wood & Thermal, you’ll find a spacious dining room, a lounge where you can enjoy a drink at the end of the day and also a sauna, gym, billiard room and a tv room.
Outside, there’s a heated swimming pool and a barbecue area.
Not to mention the heliport … yes right there! in the garden !
Breakfast and dinner are taken at the lodge.
Meals are varied and based round mostly local products (sea food, salmon, soups, etc.), together with vegetables and dairy products.
On ski days we provide picnic lunches based round Kamchatka specialties. We also provide snacks (energy bars, etc.).
On down days, lunches will be taken at the Lodge.
Bottles of water will be available in the helicopter throughout the day.
Concerning alcoholic drinks: good quality wine, from South Africa or Chile is available, however the classics remain beer, champagne and vodka.
Other activities
Other activities are available if the weather is not good enough for the helicopters to fly, but some activities require a supplement.
- Resort skiing or ski touring.
- Dog-sled outing (approx. 45 €/person, based on a group of at least 4 people).
- Snowmobile outing (approx. 160 € per snowmobile, up to 2 people per snowmobile).
- Explore Petropavlovsk and its fish market (a taxi to Petropavlovsk costs approx. 28 €).
- Visit the Natural History Museum and/or Volcano Museum
- Take a dip in the area’s hot springs
- Massage at the hotel (booking required)
- Sea fishing, boat trip
- Pêche et promenade en mer
Gear
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.
PERSONAL EQUIPMENT :
- Ski boots
- Freeride skis suitable for powder (with touring bindings and skins, if you wish)
- Ski poles
- Ski helmet (recommended)
- All-weather ski goggles
- Sunglasses, sun cream, lip salve
VÊTEMENTS :
- Hat
- Gloves (2 pairs)
- Mittens
- Gore-Tex trousers and jacket
- Light fleece and thicker fleece (or down jacket)
- Technical base layers
- Ski socks
And don’t forget your swimsuit for the hot springs !
Air transport
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).
TRIP FROM GENEVA
DEPARTURE
GENEVA (GVA) – MOSCOW (SVO)
Friday
Leave Geneva 1:10 pm – arrive in Moscow at 6:45 pm
MOSCOW (SVO) – PETROPAVLOVSK (PKC)
Saturday
Leave Moscow 5:00 pm – arrive in Petropavlovsk 10:45 am on Sunday
RETURN
PETROPAVLOVSK (PKC) – MOSCOW (SVO)
Sunday
Leave Petropavlovsk 1:25 pm – arrive in Moscow 1:30 pm
MOSCOW (SVO) – GENEVA (GVA)
Sunday
Leave Moscow 6:10 pm – arrive in Geneva 8:50 pm
VOYAGE DEPUIS PARIS
DEPARTURE
PARIS (CDG) – MOSCOW (SVO)
Saturday
Leave Paris 9:45 am – arrive in Moscow 3:25 pm
MOSCOW (SVO) – PETROPAVLOVSK (PKC)
Saturday
Leave Moscow 5:00 pm – arrive in Petropavlovsk 10:45 am on Sunday
RETURN
PETROPAVLOVSK (PKC) – MOSCOW (SVO)
Sunday
Leave Petropavlovsk 1:25 pm – arrive in Moscow 1:30 pm
MOSCOW (SVO) – PARIS (CDG)
Sunday
Leave Moscow 4:15 pm – arrive in Paris 6:10 pm
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
Administrative procedures & visas
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.