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As the premiere provider of the Alaskan big mountain heli-skiing experience, we invite you to join us in exploring the Chugach range - "the mountains of the people" according to native culture - surrounding Valdez, Alaska. Our experienced heli-ski guides will take you places you've only dreamed of.
Skiing with Alaska Rendezvous Lodge and Heli-Ski Guides gives you immediate access to the "Blue Hole" of Thompson Pass. We are located further to the north than other Valdez heli-ski operations. Storms clear from the north, which results in more skiable days than anywhere else in the region.
Annual snowfall in the Chugach Range is between 30 to 80 feet per year, and our maritime snowpack sticks to even the steepest faces. Cold air pours in from the Copper River Delta making our snow cold and velvety. Breathtaking knife blade ridges make for landing zones on peaks with elevations up to 6,800 feet - and descents up to 5,000 vertical! Not only are there steep couloirs and chutes, our terrain also lends itself to long ridgelines and big open bowls.
Alaska Rendezvous Lodge is located in the best location of any heli-ski operation in Alaska. You already know the reputation of heli-skiing in Alaska, but you may not know how to make the right decision to have the best chance of realizing your dreams.
Not all operations in the Valdez area offer the same experience.
When you come to Alaska Rendezvous, you come to ski as much as possible. Our helicopters are just steps from your doorstep. The only time you leave the lodge is by helicopter. You spend your time in the air and on the slopes, not on a 75 to 80-mile commute between a heli-pad and your hotel in Valdez.
Because we are a completely self-contained operation, we fly more. Our guests, guides, and pilots eat and sleep at our location. This means that if the weather clears in the afternoon, we can get out and fly - we do not have to make a decision for the day based on the morning's weather. You may not realize that helicopter pilots are subject to FAA regulations for the duration of their shift. Other operations have pilots who begin their shift the moment they begin their long commute from Valdez to Thompson Pass, and time spent driving and waiting on the ground limits their ability to fly. Our pilots do not face that challenge.
We live in the mountains. We forecast avalanche hazard and weather conditions for the mountains. Other operations call us to find out what is happening with the weather. The traditional Alaskan storm pattern clears from the north and allows us to fly while other operators to the south wait.
When we do encounter adverse weather, you have the comforts of a modern lodging facility with world-class food - a first for Thompson Pass. Our lodge enables you to engage with the community and, if you choose, to socialize nightly with guests and guides.
Alaska Rendezvous Heli-Guides website
HCR 90, Valdez, AK 99686
Phone: 907-822-3300
info@ARLinc.com