Dropping in for a hell of a ride
It wasn’t until an hour after the orange helicopter had dropped us on top of
the cloud-covered mountain that the doubt began to set in. One minute I was
hanging on to my mountain bike while careering down rocky trails, over logs
and across icy streams at the start of what would be a 7,000ft descent, and
the next, I was lost.
“We are more ‘off-track’ than lost,” said Courtney Nash, our guide, in a not
completely convincing tone. At that moment, stranded in a ravine on the side
of an anonymous peak in the middle of Canada where (I had read) bears and
mountain lions roam free, and with only a tyre pump for protection, I’m not
too proud to admit that I was losing my bottle. I wondered how long I could
survive on three energy bars.
Welcome to the entirely unpredictable world of heli-biking. The sport is still
in its infancy and as yet there is nothing comparable in Britain, where
mountains are few and far between. Across the Atlantic, however, it is
taking off as the next big extreme sport.
The premise is simple. Like heli-skiing, competent bikers looking to push
themselves beyond the limit are flown to the top of a mountain peak
inaccessible by any other means, in a helicopter. They’re then dropped off
with their bike and enough supplies for a day’s hard ride, and left to fend
for themselves.
The beauty of it is that as well as tackling some of the most challenging
routes imaginable, you get the thrill of knowing you’re probably the first
person ever to cycle the unmarked trails. Plus, of course, you haven’t had
to endure the leg-sapping climb to the start point. But the downside is that
if you get lost, run into a tree or shoot over a precipice, you’re on your
own.
The sport grew out of the fact that heli-skiing being a winter sport, the
choppers were idle during the off season. So bikers approached pilots and
asked them to drop them at the same place as they would the skiers, leaving
them to make their own way down the mountain.
Ever more ski resorts are latching on to the idea, and you can choose from a
wide range of trails. But most organisers stipulate that you must be an
experienced rider, and it’s advisable to earn your spurs on the lower
nursery slopes before going properly off piste. As I wanted to feel safe
undertaking such an adventure, and pick up some important tips for riding
unmarked and unpredictable trails, I contacted the popular Dirt Series
mountain bike camps based in the resort of Whistler, British Columbia. There
you can learn about the techniques required for riding skinnys (a length of
log you have to balance along), switchbacks (fast, tight corners) and
drop-offs (a sudden step down in the trail).
In winter, the Mike Wiegele Resort in Blue River, 270 miles northeast of
Vancouver, plays host to the rich and famous, all seeking privacy and some
of the best virgin powder and downhill skiing in the world. There are no
chairlifts to take you to the top of the Monashee mountains in which
Wiegele’s resort sits, so only those coming in by helicopter can experience
the spectacular views of glaciers and snow-capped peaks.
During the summer, when most of the 30ft of snow that falls each year has
melted, the bare rocks, fallen trees and narrow trails alongside streams and
soggy grassland offer mountain bikers the most challenging of descents.
And this is where I found myself on a Saturday morning with half a dozen other
heli-bikers kitted out in body armour and helmets and a bike called Rocky
Mountain Slayer.
Going up is almost as thrilling as coming down. Almost. We buzzed over
treetops and wilderness that stretched to the horizon, the bikes packed in a
net slung beneath the chopper. We banked hard then our veteran pilot dropped
us on to a small plateau a few metres from the ridge line from which we
would start our descent.
It’s when the helicopter becomes a tiny dot against the granite face of the
mountain and the noise of its rotors dies away that you realise just how
remote you are. There is no mobile phone signal, when you shout your voice
shouts back at you, and beneath your feet is terrain that possibly nobody
else has ever stood upon. The view is epic, the sense of wonder
all-consuming, and against the massive mountain you and your bike seem very,
very small and insignificant.
We saddled up, adjusted our helmets and rolled over the edge.
Back in the ravine, August snow had started to fall silently through the
trees. Nash decided we had taken a wrong turn at “the big tree” (Er, right,
like, which one?) and that we should dismount to retrace our steps. “Be
careful,” she said, “the snow has made this trail slicker than a gopher’s
guts.”
And so we worked our way back up the mountain, sunlight bathing the green
trees and moss-speckled granite rock by the side of the trail. Gingerly, we
coaxed our full-suspension bikes over rocks and roots, through valleys,
ravines and pristine forest.
An hour later we were back on track. Before saddling up for the descent, we
paused to take in the spectacular views in every direction. It was then that
I decided it was safe to take a bite of the energy bar I had been saving.
We pedalled gingerly down a single-track trail then bombed down a dirt track
used by loggers, as brilliant white clouds of snow billowed through valleys
below us and the wind roared in our ears.
When we arrived at the end of the road, ready to be picked up, we all agreed
that it had been one hell of a ride.
HOW TO DO IT
What Heli-biking
Why Because it is the ultimate downhill rush without the pain of
cycling up the mountain
When All year round in different countries. Heli-biking companies and
mountain bike camp organisers offer rides when there is no snow on the
biggest mountains in countries including Romania, New Zealand, France and
Canada
How Contact the International Mountain Bike Association for details of
specialist heli-biking companies. Alternatively, look for heli-skiing
operators in well known resorts and ask if they will offer heli-biking in
the off season
Cost Prices will vary, but as a guide Canadian prices start at around
£120 for a heli-drop; flights to and from the location and accommodation are
separate
More info The Mike Weigele Resort in Canada (www.wiegele.com),
which gives details of how to book, or the International Mountain Bike
Association (www.imba.org.uk) or www.dirtseries.com
for further biking information
