Atlin:

Atlin, B.C. (680m / 2200 ft) is an old gold mining town, 180 km (110 miles) south of Whitehorse, Yukon (see map). The town is situated on the shore of Atlin Lake and is principally a summer destination for tourists. Visitors enjoy this picturesque landscape and the heritage interests in this mountainous area of Northern British Columbia. Aside from powder skiing the small mining town of Atlin has many other attractions. Stories about the gold rush, snowmobiling, ice fishing, dog sledding and the Indian culture leave a lasting impression of the North.

 Arrival and Departure:

Upon your arrival in Whitehorse, Yukon you will be picked up by our courtesy bus. The flight from Vancouver (or Calgary) to Whitehorse takes approximately two hours and a half hours.
Klondike Heliskiing will gladly assist you with your travel arrangements and help you find reasonable air fares and accommodation in Vancouver, if you require it..

 The Heliski week:

If there is a vacancy at our Hotel, the Atlin Lake Resort, we will pick you up in Whitehorse on Friday night, which will mark the end of your journey. The Friday night stay is included in your package. If you stayed overnight in Whitehorse, your heliski week starts early Saturday morning with a beautiful 2- hour drive through breathtaking scenery from Whitehorse to Atlin.

After check in and the meet and great the necessary safety instruction will take place and then, still in the morning, we will start our first heliski day. You will experience the vast Canadian wilderness with its endless powder slopes and fabulous tree runs. The groups will join together for an outdoor lunch.

In the evening you can look forward to a multi course dinner. Your last ski day will be Friday. Early Saturday morning our shuttle will take you back to Whitehorse.

The travel info in PDF format.

 Weather:

Atlin is in the far North of British Columbia (59 degrees = latitude of Stockholm) and the arctic influence is noticeable. This is the reason why our ski season starts mid of January. The temperatures are already milder and the days are getting longer. We experience long periods of sunny weather which are interrupted by brief but heavy snowfalls. Special activities are available on bad weather days. Our records show 0.8 inclement weather days per week on average. Since 1995 there has been no week with more than two days where it was impossible to ski or snowboard. Every guest since 1995 had the chance to ski at least four days per week!

Spring skiing and snowboarding in Atlin is like no other place on the planet. Cold nights and temperatures at around 0 Celsius during the day preserve the awesome quality of the powder well into May. In April the sun shines from 5:00 AM until 9:00 PM. Do not forget your sunscreen and sunglasses!

 The area:

Our exclusive permit area for heliskiing encompasses 5,000 square kilometers (1950 square miles) which corresponds to half the size of Tirol/Austria (see map). The beauty of the land is breathtaking and fascinates every visitor. Our area in the south is in the Taku River drainage which flows into the Pacific Ocean south of Juneau, Alaska. There we have runs of up to 2,000 meters (6,000 vertical feet). Our areas to the North are in the headwaters of the Yukon River, which drains into the Arctic Ocean 3,000 km (1,800 miles) away. The lakes are all at an elevation of approximately 700 meters (2,200 feet) and the mountain peaks rise up to 2,800 meters (8,400 feet). At these elevations and latitudes the powder is awesome and your physical condition is not affected by altitude.

 Equipment:

It is not necessary to bring your own skis. We offer serveral types of skis which have been specifically designed for powder snow, free of charge. These Powder skis will increase the enjoyment of every heliskier due to their amazing performance. Poles will be provided free of charge as well as ABS avalanche airbag and avalanche transceivers for your safety.  

 Fitness and “60 Plus”:

Heliskiing is by far not as extreme as some might believe. Each year we have many happy clients who are pleasantly surprised how easy it was. „It’s much easier than I thought!“ – especially women have said this a lot. It is much more important to be in good physical condition, than it is to be a great skier. Skiing technique is easily learned – after all, our guides are also ski instructors! In addition, the new fat skis are super easy to use in powder snow. In order to be in good physical condition, one does not have to ski all winter. Any well designed fitness program will do the trick. Cycling, jogging, rowing, power yoga, cross country skiing, martial arts – all those and many other sports will improve your fitness level.
Should you be over 60 years of age we have 7 more reasons why you should come and heliski with us in Atlin. Just click here: „60 Plus“.

 Snowboards:

The area around Atlin is ideal for snowboarders. If you are looking for high speed, steep and varied terrain, we've got it. Some of our guides that are snowboarders will choose fun, exhilarating and interesting routes for you.