CMH Heli Skiing are the founding commercial heli skiing operation that started a global industry in Canada back in 1965. And for that, we are thankful.
If you’ve had the privilege of heli skiing with CMH Heli Skiing then you’ll know the joy of a week in a remote lodge in the mountains with a helicopter for transport and a small crew of fellow skiers that become life long friends. The powder bond is real.
Five guides made history last month as the first all female guide team for CMH Heli Skiing at the famed Bugaboos lodge, with all heli skier groups being led by a lead guide that was a woman. The historic day wasn’t planned that way either and was only discovered as the day took flight.
Apprentice Ski Guide Kendra Hicks was the first to sound the celebration as she did the math on site. Hicks was joined by Mountain Guide MB Board who led the day, Mountain Guide Helen Sovdat who took on the snow safety guide role, ski guide Jamie Hood and Apprentice Ski Guide Teresa Yau.
Together they served up close to 80 years of combined guiding experience.
The Bugaboos offered the perfect backdrop for the occasion as the original location of CMH’s first heli skiing operation, a lodge that today offers an even split of male and female guides. An anomaly in an industry that has around 15 -20% guides that are female.
And with only 14 of around 215 fully certified ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guides being female, there are clearly still powder ceilings to be shattered.
