Wiegele-Heliskiing
Mike Wiegele flies high with Schöffel
Heliskiing ski guides are kitted out a vision in white with ski clothing from Germany
He came searching and found Blue River and a vision in white. Think of heliskiing and you think of Mike Wiegele, the pioneer of this breathtaking skiing activity. At the age of 21 the farm boy from the Austrian province of Carinthia went to Canada and has since then become a legend in his own lifetime: Mr Heliski himself. In the mid-1960s in Blue River, a village about 600 km north-east of Vancouver, he found his fortune and the most extensive self-contained heliski region in the world.
Skiers' dreams come true in this 7,700 sq km region among the Caribou and Monashee Mountains. And from this winter, ski clothing by Schöffel will also be part of the scene, as Wiegele's heli-guides, all fully trained Canadian or Austrian skiers, have been kitted out with ski jackets, trousers and bodywarmers. "Top skiing in the top clothing," as Peter Schöffel neatly sums it up. The enthusiastic skier went in person to visit the Mecca of heliski devotees, and was delighted with what he saw. Wiegele is simply an experience. When the Austrian was looking for a suitable heliski region in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the mid_1960s, this kind of skiing was still very much in its infancy. A few daring pilots had landed their aircraft on glaciers, but the helicopter was yet to make a breakthrough. A small number of Austrian and Swiss mountain enthusiasts laid the foundations for heliskiing. Mike Wiegele was the man of the hour. With his wife Bonnie and daughter Michelle he built up a company which is now famous worldwide.
Skiers from all over theglobe 2000 every winter, about 40% of whom are from Europe live out the dream of their first forays onto the virgin powder snow. Ten metres of powder snow during a winter, with the occasional overnight fall of 1 m, are the norm. Today Mike Wiegele¹s lodge is the perfect oasis for skiing gourmets. Around 200 employees, including 30 full-time guides, ensure that visitors enjoy the ultimate experience, beginning with an early-morning session in the gym and ending with an evening buffet. One thing is emphasised above all others: "We place the greatest emphasis on safety," says Mike Wiegele, describing his uncompromising principle. First thing in the morning the data from three weather stations is collected, and the snow stability and avalanche situation analysed. The day's routes in the vast region are determined on the basis of this vital information. When the Bell 212 helicopter takes to the air, ten skiers and two guides per group are on board. At the end of the day's skiing, while guests are relaxing, the conditions are discussed and all the observations and data collected during the day are brought together. In the case of emergencies the site has a first-aid clinic and a doctor.
Wiegele's guides are now equipped with the ideal clothing for their jobs in the wind and weather. They tested the designs, workmanship and protection from the cold, detailing, breathability and much more before deciding on Schöffel. Peter Schöffel says: "We are delighted to be able to work together with Mike Wiegele among the high-flyers of skiing."