WHITESADDLE RANCH, BC, (NAMC) - Launching an operation that ups the ante on adventure and large-scale ski terrain, Pantheon Helisports will begin offering access in February 2006 to half a million acres in some of the last great undiscovered ski mountains in North America, the Coast Mountains of western British Columbia.

Pantheon’s ski terrain features some of the highest peaks in the Coast Range, consistent and dry powder snow, as well as some of the longest powder skiing runs in all British Columbia – up to 5,000 vertical feet for some runs. Pantheon also offers a distinctly different holiday experience compared to skiing in British Columbia’s interior, where the bulk of Canada’s helicopter skiing takes place.

“At Pantheon, guests will find not only that our terrain is bigger, wilder, more remote and more adventurous, they’ll also find that we offer a highly customized experience tailored to eight to 12 skiers a week, and four skiers per group. That means more skiing and less waiting,” said Eric Ringdahl, founder of Pantheon Helisports.

“From the adventure standpoint, guests will literally be making pioneering descents of many of our ski runs,” Ringdahl said. “And because we have an exclusive permit for 700 square miles in the Pantheon, Waddington and Niut Ranges, combined with small groups of skiers, they’ll be pioneering runs for many years to come.”

Along with its unique terrain, Pantheon’s location on the east side of the Coast Range melds the best aspects of interior and coastal helicopter skiing. Because Pantheon’s terrain is on the east side of the Coast Range, it receives both abundant snow associated with a maritime climate as well as snow that is lighter and drier, more commonly found inland. In addition, Pantheon’s base is located farther to the east of the mountains, which is important because the weather is often clear to the east of the Coast Range. That means Pantheon has few of the weather problems and related down days that plague many coastal helicopter-skiing operations.

"Of all the areas I have been, it is the one that calls to me most, drawing me back,” said professional big-mountain skier Leif Zapf-Gilje. “And the lines that you spot while on one trip will leave you day-dreaming for a lifetime."

Pantheon’s ski terrain ranges from advanced intermediate to expert. Proof of Coast Range’s ski-terrain quality comes via ski film crews ¬– from Warren Miller to Teton Gravity Research and Matchstick Productions – that have filmed in the area during the past five years. In addition, the area was used for filming feature movies such as Seven Years in Tibet, Kundun and K2.

Pantheon is a new heli-skiing operation, but employs as its base an existing historic guest ranch, the Whitesaddle Ranch. The ranch is located near Tatla Lake, about three hours by car west of Williams Lake, B.C., and an hour by air from Vancouver. The ranch already contains an airstrip and associated aircraft infrastructure within walking distance of accommodations. The Pantheon Lodge, situated on the Whitesaddle Ranch, has a large area for dining, a recreation room downstairs, and sleeps up to 12 guests in adjacent cabins. The cuisine focuses on fresh food and ranges from range-grown beef and poultry to handmade bread and pastries. Hydroelectric power ensures self sufficiency.

“If the world ended tomorrow, we’d keep right on skiing,” Ringdahl said.

In 2007, Pantheon also plans to add helicopter-accessed backcountry ski touring and helicopter-assisted backcountry ski touring (known as neo-heli) to its roster of services. Guests will fly to remote, comfortable backcountry camps from which they can either ski tour or take part in neo-heli. Neo-heli is backcountry ski touring assisted by one to two helicopter drops each day. It has several advantages: it allows guests to access terrain impossible to ski even with a helicopter, it increases the adventure factor, and it is less expensive that a full helicopter skiing holiday. For serious ski tourers, a ski touring-only holiday is less expensive yet.

The backcountry camps will be comfortable double-walled canvas tents on raised, heated decks, including separate tents for sleeping, dining and drying gear. The camps feature amenities such as gourmet dining prepared by a chef, oriental rugs, fluffy mattresses, down duvets and hot and cold running water.

For more information on Pantheon Helisports, visit www.pantheonheli.com.