East Greenland Heli-Skiing 2012 The heliski area is on the East Coast of Greenland in the Angmagssalik region. The mountain ranges are between large fiords coming off the Greenland ice cap with the highest peaks reaching 2000 meters, most of the mountains are around 1000 meters and rise immediately from the ocean. The fiords are mostly ice filled and the surrounding ocean is pack ice making the area only accessible by boat in the summer months after the ice breaks up. The skiing is on the satellite islands formed as the ice has retreated, runs are between 800 meters and 1100 meters long. The terrain is spectacular, skiing down towards large ice bergs, with the pick-up after each run on the water’s edge which is unique to the area. Usually the group will work our way back up the fiords, or explore different islands and sometimes we visit the small Inuit villages. Spring is the best time to visit these regions as there is more snow on the glaciers and the snow pack is usually well settled meaning less avalanche problems. The glaciers are also very well filled so there are no problems with crevasses and the weather is much more settled during this time of year!

Access: Access is via Reykjavík on Air Iceland. This portion must be booked with our travel agent so we can ensure that the entire group is on the same flight. Our agent knows the system and staff at Iceland Air which helps if there are delays caused by weather, plus we can ensure that you receive the best possible airfare. The plane departs from Reykjavik domestic terminal on a Saturday morning, returning the following Saturday. Keflavik international airport is approximately 1 hours’ drive from the city of Reykjavík, the Domestic Terminal where you depart for Greenland is 15 minutes from the city center. Hotels: In Iceland there are a plenty of hotels in downtown Reykjavík, this can be booked as part of your package at additional cost, or you may shop around and book your own. If booking your own accommodation it is recommend that you choose a hotel in central Reykjavík, as this is close to restaurants and the domestic airport. In Greenland the group stays in the Hotel Kulusuk, this is a new hotel with good facilities and is close to the Kulusuk Airport. The dining room has an amazing outlook over the sea ice toward the mountains. Kulusuk is one of the last hunter gatherer communities left in Greenland and the village is an interesting place to visit.

Helicopters: Greenland Heli-Skiing charters a B3 helicopter with full emergency equipment from Air Greenland. Air Greenland own one of the most modern fleet of helicopters in the world, this is due to the increase in mineral exploration in Greenland which requires a large fleet of helicopters. There is a regular crew of extremely good pilots and a very good maintenance program. An engineer based nearby checks the machine every week. Being in such a remote place means the helicopters are comparatively more expensive to charter, plus there is an additional charge to bring the machine from the base in Nuuk on the west coast. Being on the East Coast of Greenland helicopter arrivals can be delayed by weather and mechanical problems can cause longer delays! There are backup aircraft in the region and the helicopters are the newest most modern machines available, however like any machines it is possible to be grounded.

Your tour guide Kevin Boekholt Qualifications: IFMGA Guide, professional member of Canadian Avalanche Association Director: Alpine Guides and Methven Heli-skiing, Shinstesu International Limited Nationality: New Zealand Kevin began working as a professional mountain guide in 1983, and became a full IFMGA/UIAGM guide in 1985. Kevin is well known for his boundless energy and enthusiasm for the mountains. He started working for Methven Heli-skiing in 1986 and has directed the operation since its inception. His passion for the area and dedication to providing the best heli-skiing service brings return clients back year after year. Kevin’s international experience regularly takes him around the world. He works as a lead guide for CMH Heli-skiing, and has been with them since 1989. He is actively guiding heli-skiing operations in Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Russia, as well as acting as an examiner and instructor for the IFMGA – in NZ, Japan (he speaks Japanese), Canada and Russia. Beside skiing and snowboarding, Kevin’s climbing career is an extensive one; including first ascents in the Himalayas, NZ, Alaska, USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. He has also been to Kamchatka, the Caucasus Elbrus Mt. Region.

Heli-skiing History in Greenland: Kevin spent 2 weeks in May 2005 in the region and enjoyed some amazing heli-skiing. The snow conditions were a mix of powder and corn. The fair weather conditions allowed 9 ½ flying days out of a possible 14 days. The snow conditions were perfect for exploring which was the nature of the trip. In 2006 Kevin returned, spending 3 weeks in the region arriving the last week in April. Again there was some great skiing conditions with a good mix of powder and spring skiing. During the 2006 3 week trip there only 4 days that the helicopter was unable to fly. In 2007 poor weather conditions allowed just 3 days skiing in the first week. The weather then cleared and was perfect for the next 13 days allowing a total of 16 days Heli-skiing out of 21. In both 2006 & 2007 the group did overnight trips to a small Inuit village approximately 100Km to the North, staying in the local school house. This was quite an adventure, arranging sleeping bags and catering as well as a few other logistics but it did make for a fantastic cultural experience and a chance to explore some amazing terrain. In 2008 inclement weather in Southern Greenland delayed the start. A persistent storm prevented the helicopter from flying so it was unable to fly until midway through the first week. On arrival the weather became settled and over a 4 week period there was 20 flying days out of 28. Bad weather days are spent ski touring and on occasion ski touring is combined with dog sledding to access different terrain. 2009 provided some amazing powder due to the cold weather in late April and early May. Kevin only operated for 2 weeks and flew on 9 out of 14 days. During this period he had some of the best skiing and riding experienced to date. In 2010 Kevin operated for 3 weeks and had a mix of powder and fantastic spring skiing conditions. There was a 3 day storm during the middle week and the last week volcanic ash from the Iceland Volcano prevented guests from arriving. Meanwhile in Greenland the weather was perfect!

In 2011 Kevin experienced the worst weather conditions skiing just 19 days out of 28. The poor weather conditions for the first 2 weeks delayed the first 2 groups due to Air Iceland flights being cancelled. To make the most of situation Kevin had to charter a private aircraft to take advantage of the weather windows. Private aircraft are available in Reykjavík and costs approximately double that of the scheduled Air Iceland flights, however they will come at your request thus providing a backup service. The final 2 weeks the weather was perfect and the group was able to ski every day. Season 2012: This season will be based out of Kukusk the hotel well set up to cater for the heli-skiing groups. Kevin has a substantial amount of gear in Greenland including a substantial supply of ski’s poles and snowboards if guests do not want to bring their own equipment or in the case of lost luggage or breakages. Additional equipment includes Secura Fix™ touring bindings and skins for ski touring as well as some touring ski’s, however if guests have their own gear it is a good idea to bring this with them. Depending on what the group wants to do there is the possibility of an overnight in a small Inuit village again this season. Other cultural opportunities include an evening performance at the hotel of local drum dancing

The Group: Kevin likes to put together a compatible group of people who will also get along well socially and have similar ski ability and fitness. Groups are kept to a maximum of 8 people for efficiency; however groups of 12 will also work should a larger group wish to book. Backup facilities: While Kulusuk has an airport it is basically a small island with a hotel 5 minutes for the airport and the village 20 minute walk away. The airport services a much larger village (2000 people) 10 minutes flight to the south called Tasiilaq. Air Greenland operates a helicopter that services this region for emergency purposes as well as some of the outlying villages. If there is a problem this machine is available as a backup however it is not an additional helicopter for Heli-skiing. Some weeks another guided group will also be operating in the region but based from Tasiilaq. The guides work together to offer support and are in regular contact in case of emergency. There are good communications via helicopter plus Kevin will be carrying a satellite phone.

The cost per person is €9650.00 (EURO). Cost includes:  Accommodation  Lunches and snacks while skiing  Ski Guides  Pilot and Helicopter fees (12.5 hours helicopter time) Additional use will cost €2300.00 (EURO) p/h.  Safety equipment  Re location costs of helicopter from West Greenland Equipment: Kevin will supply avalanche transceivers and harnesses (for skiing on glaciers) and all other safety equipment, there is a range of guest packs with shovels and probes although if you own a shovel and probe please bring these. There is a good selection of skis and poles; however you may prefer to ski on your own. All of the gear is serviced on a regular basis and in good condition and guests are welcome to use whatever they like. A full list of the ski equipment can be provided prior to arrival so guests can pre select.

Insurance: We strongly recommended guests purchase full trip cancellation insurance as Air Greenland has a no cancellation policy once a payment is made. In Summary: Greenland offers spectacular heli-skiing with unique terrain and the week offers a fantastic opportunity to experience somewhere completely different (more spectacular than Antarctica). It is not CMH and things in Greenland don’t operate with the same efficiency. The weather, snow quality or flying hours are not guaranteed and there is no refund policy. In saying this the runs are close and Kevin will strive to provide guests with the best variety of terrain, skiing quality and maximum number of runs possible for the number of hours flown. This is a high quality product and past experience says that you will get to have a great trip although you can expect a day or two doing alternative activities. The days are long and we make the most of every flying opportunity. Want to see great images from Greenland please visit: www.shinsetsuphoto.com