9000 vertical meters, which means about 15 helicopter drops in 3 days, along with off-piste skiing from lifts in a lesser-known freeride destination!
If freeride is your priority, and you want to maximize your powder time without long-distance travel, we’ve got something for you!
We present a quick heli-ski trip to the Italian Alps, complemented by lift-accessed freeriding or backcountry touring.
And here’s a surprise – we’ve doubled the number of drops compared to the last trip! Included in the package is 9000 vertical meters of heli-skiing, which equals around 15 drops spread over 3 days of flying. Yeah, aha 😎
Our destination is Madesimo, Italy, a quaint alpine village nestled between 3000m peaks, offering top-tier freeride with relatively low visitor numbers.
Our simple, yet brilliant plan: for three days, we’ll be heli-skiing the nearby peaks, and for the remaining three days, we’ll explore the off-piste terrain of the resort and the iconic Pizzo Groppera mountain (2948m).
For those interested, there’s always the option to purchase additional heli-ski drops!
So, what do you say? Andiamo?
Heli-ski
Small group
IVBV guide during heli-ski
4* hotel, HB
Price Includes:
- 6 nights accommodation in Andossi**** Hotel, double rooms
- Half board: breakfasts and dinners
- 3 days heli-skiing with a guide (9000 vertical meters = approx. 15 drops)
- 2 days of lift-accessed freeride without a guide
- Supervision by a Polish team leader
- Avalanche backpack and ABC gear (reservation required)
- Standard travel insurance including medical expenses, accident coverage, and personal liability. Additional insurance covering off-piste skiing is required. Many of our clients already have year-round high-altitude policies. If you don’t have one, we can provide coverage for the trip at a cost of 230 PLN.
Price Does Not Include:
- Flights/transport
- Optional airport transfers (upon request)
- Lunches
- Extra heli-ski drops (available on-site)
- Ski passes
- Ski or snowboard equipment – you need to bring your own
- Extreme sports insurance, including off-piste skiing
- Tips
- Anything not mentioned in the program
ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION
- We’ll be staying in the small town of Madesimo, Lombardy, at the Andossi**** Hotel https://www.hotelandossi.it/
- You can get there by:
- Car – about a 13-hour drive
- Flight to Milan Malpensa or Bergamo, followed by a 2-2.5 hour drive. We can help arrange airport transfers upon request.
- For more information, check the TRIP PROGRAM tab
OFF PISTE – Terrain Details:
- Heli-Skiing:
- The package includes three days of flying, totaling 9000 vertical meters, with an average of 15 drops
- Standard runs range from 500 to 900 meters of vertical descent
- The surrounding mountains offer up to 50 different drop-off spots (see map below)
- All runs are guided by IVBV/IFMGA-certified guides
- Difficulty level will be matched to the group’s ability, and we strive to form fairly homogenous groups
- Additional drops (extra vertical meters) can be purchased, with the price depending on the number of participants
- If conditions are unfavorable, we will try to reschedule flying days. If rescheduling isn’t possible, the helicopter operator offers partial refunds or a voucher valid for 3 years (your choice) – contact us for more details.
- Off-Piste in the Resort:
- The lifts of the Skiarea Valchiavenna resort are located right next to our hotel https://www.skiareavalchiavenna.it/en/ (see map below)
- We’ll spend the remaining 2 days (and possibly post-heli-skiing) riding off-piste in the resort without a guide
- The terrain is 90% alpine, with minimal tree coverage at lower elevations
- Consider bringing touring equipment if you’d like to explore the Spluga Pass area
Difficulty Level: 6/10
- The difficulty of the descents will be adjusted to the group’s skill level, and we will likely split into two subgroups based on ability. However, heli-skiing is not suitable for beginners. You should be comfortable skiing black runs or off-piste slopes with a 35-degree incline.
Trip Profile
- This trip is all about the descents! ;D
SAFETY
- Off Piste’s golden rule – we only hire local guides who know the terrain inside out
- During heli-skiing, we will be under the care of IVBV/IFMGA guides
- After heli-skiing hours and on non-flying days, there will be no guide, and we will ski on our own
- The trip will be overseen by a Polish team leader
- INSURANCE:
- The trip price includes basic travel insurance. Additional coverage for off-piste skiing is required. This can be purchased from us for 230 PLN per person. We do not include this in the base price as many of our clients have their own year-round high-altitude policies.
- There is also an option to purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance, which provides a refund in case you are unable to join us due to illness or other unforeseen events.
- Participants should have completed an avalanche safety course
- The trip price includes the rental of an avalanche backpack and safety equipment (reservation required).
HOW TO JOIN THE TRIP
- Fill out the reservation form
- We will contact you to sign the contract
- Pay a 30% deposit
- We’ll complete the group, handle the formalities, flights, details, etc.
- Pay the remaining amount 30 days before departure
CANCELLATION POLICY
- If you cancel up to 60 days before departure, you can transfer your deposit to any other trip – we will issue a voucher valid for 2 years.
- We recommend additional insurance in case of illness or an unforeseen event preventing you from traveling. You will then receive a full refund for the trip. Ask us about Trip Cancellation Insurance.
- We reserve the right to change the program due to circumstances beyond our control, such as insufficient participants, snow or weather conditions, or political situations. In case we need to cancel the trip (even for reasons beyond our control), we will promptly refund all payments made.
Day 1 (March 3)
We meet in the evening at the Andossi**** Hotel in Madesimo, Italy.
Day 2
A warm-up day of off-piste skiing using the local lifts, with the highlight being Pizzo Groppera at 2,948m. Dinner will be served at our hotel each evening.
Days 3-5
The main event: heli-skiing! We’ll start each day with a safety briefing with the guides before heading to the helicopter landing site. We plan for around 5 runs per day, but if the weather allows, we may do more. Additional runs can be purchased on site. Any extra time can be spent skiing at the resort.
Day 6
Another off-piste day using the lifts. There’s also the option for a ski tour from Passo dello Spluga or additional heli-ski runs.
Day 7
After breakfast, we head back home.
