In terms of timing, Liu Xiaoshan’s group was formed very late, but their trip actually took place before Shen Lang’s group. That’s why I still prefer to call this the Second Chinese Group.
Liu Xiaoshan’s group had only three people—plus Feifei and Changchun Gaofeng. The trip ran from March 5 to 8, 2013, for four days of skiing. For some reason, these guys had heard some nonsense and were afraid of avalanche danger, so they didn’t want to go. Three days before the trip, Feifei changed her mind and didn’t want to participate. After my strong persuasion, she reluctantly joined but insisted that I come along too, asking me to ski for two days on her behalf. I was overjoyed and immediately hit the road with them.
The destination was still Great Canadian Heliskiing Co. (located near the Rocky Mountains in inland BC, and considered one of the best places in the world for heliskiing). Our group of four drove there in a large four-wheel-drive SUV. Since I had been there once before, we had no trouble driving to the heliskiing base before dinner on the evening of the 4th.
There are two things about this company that I’d especially like to highlight: First, they offer flexible group combinations. Although we signed up as a group of three, we could swap members midway—Feifei skied the first two days, and I skied the last two. This is something that other companies simply wouldn’t allow, but the benefits for Chinese skiers are huge: first, everyone is Chinese, so it’s easier to get along. Second, it allows better management of physical energy—many people can’t handle consecutive days of skiing due to exhaustion and might only manage two days. This alternating setup lets you enjoy the thrill of heliskiing without overexerting yourself, avoiding burnout on the last two days. The second benefit is that some Chinese have what you might call a “Chinese stomach” and aren’t used to Western food. This time, we brought lots of food that Chinese people enjoy, and we could use their kitchen to cook for ourselves—making dishes like red-braised pork, rice, beef with chili peppers, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes. It was a real treat, and something other heliskiing companies would never be able to offer.
After dinner that day, we had to weigh in, take photos, and prepare the gear we’d be using. The next morning after breakfast, we signed the paperwork (waivers and airbag usage instructions), then practiced how to use avalanche transceivers, deploy airbags, and safely board and exit the helicopter. Then the other three took off with our requested guide, Rob, leaving me all alone at the base for two long days (including cooking Chinese meals for them)—pretty miserable.
Rob adjusting the bindings on Feifei’s snowboard
The three of them practicing with avalanche transceivers
Feifei striking a pose
Getting ready to board the plane at 9:30This post has been synced to Weibo @OldChenFromWhistler