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Kamchatka
Another day in the office! An insight into Heli Guiding in Kamchatka by Neil McNab.
East takes you out to sea, North takes you towards the big Volcanoes such as Koryaksky, a very active Volcanic area offering some amazing riding but which today will be exposed to too much wind at altitude. West offers lots of possibilities with its mass of smaller steeper peaks, many of which remain un-ridden and are little explored, we’ll try and swing back through these western peaks for a quick look as we make our way back at the end of the day.
Looking across Petropovlask towards Vilyuchinsky Volcanoe
South takes us towards the impressive perfectly shaped volcanic cone of the isolated Vilyuchinsky and the steep coastal peaks that surround it. Big descents, great terrain and lunch by the Pacific and best suited to today’s conditions.
So South it is! And that is about all the info we have to give at the heli base before we take our own private MI-8 Helicopter and disappear off into the Kamchatkan wilderness for another days heli-boarding, the rest we’ll make up as we go along!
I love Heli guiding in Russia, a big old MI-8 at your disposal and some of the worlds greatest terrain under your feet. The MI-8 is a big old bird, an ex military machine that can seat up to about 20 people and haul some pretty heavy military machinery from place to place if called upon to do so. It’s a proven bit of kit that can pull some serious Gees and can handle some pretty serious cross winds which is handy for high altitude ridge landings with the right pilot behind the controls.
Today there’s me, fellow McNab guide Seb Montaz and our group of 12 riders, all regulars from our McNab BC and Voyager courses. Up front there are 2 pilots and a flight engineer, I take a position just behind the Flight engineer so that I can study the terrain as we fly and Seb takes a position by the door on the left. The rest of our crew are seated in quiet but excited anticipation along the side benches either side of the cabin.
The mountains stretch out beneath us as we fly towards the big cone of Vilyuchinsky mid left on the horizon. A few of the smaller peaks start to catch my eye as we approach the area where we will base our operations for the majority of the day and so I signal to the pilot to do a quick fly by so as to spot a drop and a descent.
Picking lines in the foothills for a warm up run on our way to Vilyuchinsky.
This is the great thing about Heli guiding in Russia, in front of us lie hundreds of perfectly formed peaks and they are all at our disposal. It’s simply pick a peak time, I assess the flow and angle of the terrain, the wind effect and sun aspect to judge the stability and quality of the snow pack, I look for a drop spot and a pick up and then the pilot sees if he can land us there in the current conditions.
Five minutes later we’re on final approach, crabbing sideways towards a flattish spot just below the chosen peak, the flight engineer has the door open watching the tail rotor and talking the pilot into the drop zone. He perches the front wheel in the snow and we pile out the door. With a massive down draft, the heli lifts off and disappears into the valley below. The contrast from the noisy heli ride to the incredible silence of this probably never ridden peak is amazing as we get our kit together and I find my bearings for the descent.
It takes a bit of getting used to spotting a line from the heli and then riding it on-sight from top to bottom as everything looks very different once on the ground and often less steep from the air.
Getting warmed up Kamchatka style
This first drop is a warm up, not too long, wide-open terrain with very little danger. The terrain is smooth and rolling and the snow is perfect. The Heli is parked up out of sight somewhere straight below and there’s little chance of getting lost so we all ride together and spread out each getting their own line and finding their own way.
This is the beauty of Kamchatka, we make up the rules as we go along, none of that riding one next to the other and one at a time, unless safety demands it, no need to preserve the snow for others as there are mountains stretching out as far as you can see and we probably won’t see anyone else all day long anyway.
When the conditions allow I let everyone rip their own line in their own time. I stay out in front and if I stop, the group know to pull up above me and wait for further instructions. Everything depends on the terrain and the conditions and we’re constantly assessing and reassessing the terrain, the snowpack, our chosen line and group management in order to get the best run, have the most fun but above all be safe. On each descent we’re also looking out for where to go next, checking out lines on neighbouring peaks and distant mountains.
A kamchatka local getting fresh tracks.
Every now and then we’ll come across bear tracks or even get a bear sighting. It’s fun trying to work out how fresh the tracks are and which way the bear has gone. If he’s above us its ok but if he’s gone down we need to be a little on guard so as not to get a close encounter. On one occasion I ask the heli to come in a bit nearer at the bottom a big descent as we’re following fresh tracks into flattish terrain with plenty of bushes and trees between us and the heli. A fall here for a snowboarder would mean one footing it in deep snow with a hungry bear lurking somewhere in the vicinity. Mostly the bears will run away as we approach but you never know!
A few more drops along the way and we’re creeping up the flanks of the big Vilyuchincsky volcanoe.
I’m checking out lines through both the front and side windows, huge lava runnels snake down every aspect of this perfect cone shaped Volcano and so it’s all about wind and sun assessment in order to find the greatest snow and the best line. The descents here stretch out for miles and drop some 2000m vertical. There are banks and windlips everywhere and you can expect your legs to be aching and your grin to be busting by the bottom.
The heli is buffeted by the wind as we approach the exposed eagles nest style drop zone that I’ve spied high on the mountain. The engineer gives the nod and we pile out the door, I stand within view of the pilot and the rest of the group huddle close together on our lofty perch as the heli backs away and disappears down the mountain. Suddenely we’re surrounded by calm with nothing but miles of untracked powder waiting below. I drop in to the wide lava gully to make a few turns and check out the conditions thinking I’ll pull in to the side once I know if its safe or not and give directions to the group. It’s a bit steeper here and the snow is deeper so we’re exercising caution and strict group control, everyone knows the score and is awaiting my command.
A big never ending descent on Vilyuchinsky before lunch.
I make a couple of turns pushing deep into the snowpack to test its stability and get a good feeling for it.
If anything starts to move I have my exits covered and will pull out to the side to let it past.
The slopes here are mostly concave and pretty stable. Almost immediately I can feel that its pretty much perfect and once up to speed there’s no way I’m going to break stride and pull over. I give a big shout and wave them in as I race towards the valley miles below, checking back every couple of turns until I see everyone piling in and whooping it up. There’s plenty of room for all and the air is full of powder as we charge towards the speck that is our heli miles below.
Lunch by the Pacific, you can ride right to the Ocean.
We make drop after drop with a descent from summit to sea to have lunch by the Pacific before slowly peak hopping our way back towards the heli base via a natural thermal hot pool where we stop for a soak and a few beers stashed in the heli for the purpose.
Crouton soup for Kamchatka bears.
Evening is approaching as we circle into the heli base and all pile out, content grins plastered on our faces. We jump on our bus and head off for food and refreshments. I’ll be checking the weather conditions for tomorrow in a short while and then it’ll be decision time again, North to the big guys, South for coastal entertainment or maybe even West to explore the unknown peaks and make a few first descents. What ever it’ll be if the weather remains stable you know you’re going to get some of the best riding the planet has to offer!
I settle down for a snooze on the way back to Petropavlovsk in the bus, the mountains are now shadowed in dusk but we’ll be back tomorrow. Until then I need to get some rest, tomorrow its work as usual and another hard day in the office awaits!
Neil McNab is the founder of McNab Snowsports the freestyle, freeride and backcountry specialists and is a Professional Freeride Snowboarder, Skier and UIAGM High Mountain Guide.