THE FACTS ABOUT JAMES ORR HELISKI

Canada

UK tour operator James Orr specialises in Canadian heli-skiing. As he says, 'The Lear Jet service (whereby guests are flown from Vancouver or Calgary in a Lear Jet to a local airfield near its base Torwood Lodge, a package which also includes private lodging, unlimited vertical feet and a free massage service) makes a remote unspoilt wilderness accessible in less time than it takes to get to Whistler from Vancouver International Airport. An hour on the jet, 10 minutes in a helicopter and guests are safely installed in Peace Reach's magnificent lodge. And not having to fit in with airline schedules means not only minimising travel time but also maximising the amount of skiing possible in a week.' More generally, Orr explains that 'the big sea-change in heli-skiing has been the emergence of the small A-Star Eurocopter'. It is, he says, both more powerful and manoeuvrable than the old Bell 212. Hence the innovation of heli-skiing from a boat. 'That is a novel idea,' says Orr. 'But it's difficult to see where else heli-skiing can go.' CONTACT James Orr Heliski, 01799 516964; www.heliski.co.uk