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CPG Team
CPG Team
CPG Guides Scoping the Line.
Photo By: Adam Clark

Girdwood / Alyeska

Chugach Powder Guides' classic helicopter skiing terrain.

The classic heli-ski adventure, our Girdwood/Alyeska trip features wide open terrain, clean lines, heart-pounding descents and that feeling of expansiveness that anticipates the next run. Short helicopter flights place skiers on top of big Alaskan faces with views of Turnagain Arm in one direction and Prince William Sound in the other. 

From our headquarters near the base of Alyeska Resort in the small town of Girdwood, our guests can ski and ride more than 750,000 acres of prime heli terrain – and return to the lap of luxury to soak and dine sore muscles away.

CPG's headquarters is located near the base of Alyeska Resort; a sprawling luxurious compound nestled in the small, mountain town of Girdwood. From here, the Western Chugach Mountains extend east toward Prince William Sound and south along the Kenai Peninsula. Our classic operating areas include Twentymile, Winner Creek, and Mount Ascension.

Feel like skiing or riding 3,000 to 4,000 feet of vertical? We ski from elevations around 6,500 feet to sea level, taking you well above the timberline to ski on glaciers, and across endless alpine zones offering that once-in-a-lifetime possibility of pioneering a new line.

Our Girdwood/Alyeska location is the go-to trip for powder lovers everywhere, whether you're a first-timer or part of a seasoned professional film crew. Most of our guests end up skiing or riding the northern zones, and also have the option to make one of our remote heli ports in the southern Chugach basecamp for the week.

Ski locations can vary on a daily basis due to weather and snowpack stability, as well as the strength, experience and desires of our guests. As conditions allow, we move from quintessential runs to aggressive, big mountain lines.

On days when weather prevents the helicopter from flying, inbounds and cat-skiing keep our guests in powder. We offer more than 4,000 acres of cat skiing from Hotel Alyeska and the slopes of Alyeska Resort.

Where you après ski is up to you, but if you are looking for the ultimate heli-ski adventure, you've come to the right place.

Weather

The Western Chugach Mountain Range benefits from the combined influences of warm Pacific Ocean air mixing with colder arctic air that blows in from the Alaska interior. The resulting high-quality powder snow is what makes this coastal mountain range famous. CPG's operation area averages almost 700 inches (1,700 cm) of snowfall each winter. The average temperature from February to mid-March is 20°F (-7C). In March, each day gains nearly six minutes of daylight, and as the days grow longer, afternoon highs typically rise from 20°F to 30°F (-7C to -1C). Through the end of April, dry powder conditions can still be found on all but the southern-facing slopes, where excellent corn snow offers spectacular spring skiing conditions.

Season

Our season starts with snowcat skiing in mid-December as snow conditions allow. Helicopter skiing begins in early February and ends at the end of April. Each month offers its own unique characteristics. Our guides' favorite for the best powder snow on all mountain aspects is from February to early March when the sun angle is lower and the temperatures are cooler. Daylight starts at 8 hours in late January and rapidly gains to 11 hours by the end of February, so there is no difficulty achieving maximum vertical due to daylight.

We normally experience dry powder conditions on all but south facing slopes where good corn snow skiing can usually be found. By early April, daylight rapidly progresses to over 14 hours. During this period our guests ski on Northerly slopes or on the higher elevations for powder and on southerly aspects when corn snow conditions allow. No matter when you come to heli ski with us, you'll find lots of fun and the never-ending quest for spectacular skiing.

Girdwood -- The broadest range of skiing in Alaska
Girdwood Packages

Choose a day of heli-skiing, a 5-day package, or enjoy the flexibility of one of our private trips.

1-Day Heli 2020

A full day of heli-skiing with Chugach Powder Guides includes 16,000- 18,000 vertical feet of heli-skiing (16,000 vert guaranteed) along with lunch in the field, safety training and safety equipment. 
Reservations for single days of skiing is available early and late season, as well as Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays through peak season and can be made at any time. Payment in full is required when booking this option. We reserve Thursday-Sunday seats for our 4-Day semi-private packages. 

Itinerary:
  • 7:30am: Check-in for Safety briefing Hotel Alyeska Powder Desk (2nd floor)
  • 8:30am: Ready for pick-up
  • 9:00am: Pick-up for heli-skiing (weather permitting, delays posted at the Powder Desk)
  • 5:00pm: We usually return late afternoon (weather permitting)

 

Includes:
  • 16,000-18,000 vertical feet of skiing (16,000 feet guaranteed)
  • Safety equipment (airbag backpack, safety harness, avalanche beacon, shovel, probe)
  • Safety briefing
  • Lunch, snacks, water, hot drinks
  • Pick-up and drop-off to Hotel Alyeska Powder Desk
Not included:
  • Demo ski/snowboard equipment (they are available for rent)
Packages:

$1,375/day
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays as well as early and late season.

4-Day Semi-Private 2020

This trip was built to allow smaller groups of skiers and riders to have access to the perks of a private helicopter. One major advantage of having a private helicopter is the option to go further into the mountains to find the best conditions the Chugach has to offer. This semi-private is based on flight hours instead of vertical feet, allowing us to make the choice to ski close to home, or head out for a longer mission.

With 3 groups reserved in the heli, the ship has 7.5 Hobbs hours (flight time) to utilize over the 4-day reservation. Close to home operations usually fly approximately 1 hour per group/ per day. The longer the mission, the more the Hobbs will be used, however additional Hobbs hours are only $2500/Hour divided by the group. These decisions can be made with your guides based on weather and conditions.

Itinerary:
  • Arrive Wednesday, ski Thursday through Sunday, depart Sunday. 
Includes:
  • Deluxe lodging at the luxurious Hotel Alyeska at the base of Alyeska Resort
  • Thursday evening three-course dinner at the 4-Diamond Seven Glaciers Restaurant
  • Transportation to and from Girdwood
  • Lunch on fly days
  • Alyeska Resort Lift Tickets on no-fly days
  • Use of safety equipment - Mammut airbag backpack, Mammut Pulse avalanche transceiver, harness, shovel and probe.
  • Safety training on your first morning
Not included:
  • Airfare, additional meals, alcohol and incidentals are not included.
Packages:

Dates
Feb. 27 - Mar. 01

 Pricing

$5700  Double Occupancy (per person)
$6100  Single Occupancy

Dates
Mar. 05  - Mar. 08
Mar. 12 – Mar. 15
Mar. 19 – Mar. 22
Mar. 26 – Mar. 29

Pricing
$5900  Double Occupancy (per person)
$6300  Single Occupancy (per person)

 

Dates
Apr. 2 - Apr. 5

 Pricing

$5700  Double Occupancy (per person)
$6100  Single Occupancy

Daily Private Charter 2018

For those who want the ultimate daily custom ski experience, and you already have your accommodations squared away, we recommend a private charter.  Guests who chose our charter trips have the ultimate flexibility, with varying group sizes, higher guide-to-client ratios, and custom options such as photography all available. Contact our Reservations team and let us tailor a trip for you. Day rates for customer charters begin at $6,000 per Hobbs Hour with a 2-hour minimum. Availability is often limited with these trips. 

Itinerary:
  • Safety briefing and training must be completed by every participant before flying begins.
  • Flying can begin anytime after 8am and must be completed before civil twilight or 7pm (whichever comes first.)
Includes:
  • 2 Hobbs Hours per day (enough to deliver up to 18,000 vertical feet of skiing for 7 people if we're flying efficiently.)
  • Flexible helicopter flight time arrangements
Not included:
  • Transportation to/from Anchorage Internatioanl Airport
  • Local Transportation

 

Packages:

Private group heli-ski trip based on Hobbs hours, number of days you'd like to go, number of people in your group. We'll discuss and tailor to suit your needs and budget.

THE EXPERIENCE
Ready for some world-class runs?
(907) 783-HELI
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About CPG
With 750,000 acres of heli terrain, 4 helicopters, 2 snowcats, and Alyeska Resort, CPG clients are in the mountains every day.

Chugach Powder Guides was founded in 1997 in the heart of the Western Chugach mountain range. Since then, CPG has opened up the finest backcountry skiing and snowboarding in the world, flying guests into terrain suitable for all skill levels. We have cataloged hundreds of new runs and tens of thousands of landings between the interior Chugach, Seward area, and Tordrillo mountains.

Physical: 439 Mount Hood Drive
Mailing: PO Box 641 Girdwood, AK, 99587
Phone: 907-783-4354
Fax: 907-519-6356
Email: reservations@cpgheli.com
Learn More About the Chugach
CPG Heli Status Line and Backcountry Trip Plan
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The Hotel Alyeska
Alyeska Resort is Alaska's premier year-round destination featuring the 304-room Hotel Alyeska. Alyeska is CPG's exclusive hospitality partner.
Heli Ski US
HSUS is a trade association whose members represent the very best helicopter skiing operators in the United States. Our members work cooperatively to help establish the highest safety and operating standards in the helicopter skiing industry.
US Forest Service
Operating under a special-use permit from the Chugach National Forest
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