Beginnings of Eagle Pass Heliskiing

Eagle Pass Heliskiing was the brainchild of 3, impassioned local Revelstoke ski guides coming together with similar ideas and aspirations. Many years of exploration and permit processing led to Eagle Pass Heliskiing being granted a 30-year tenure for over 1,000 square kilometers (270,000 acres) of some of the world’s best heliskiing terrain.

Within British Columbia, the city of Revelstoke is seen to be the “mecca” for heliskiing.  Eagle Pass Heliskiing has moved into “The Last Piece of Paradise” as described by SKIING magazine. (September 2008)  The terrain of Eagle Pass Heliskiing is nestled in between the three original and largest heliski operations in British Columbia, Canada. In 1978, the BC operators formed their own Association to define and uphold specific standards and operating guidelines, in particular those for safety and environmental stewardship. That association is now called HeliCat Canada. Currently there are 19 heliskiing operations in British Columbia.  Eagle Pass Heliskiing became a member of that association in May 2007.

Where Eagles Fly

Our name comes from the famous Eagle Pass (elevation 550m / 1804 feet) which cuts through the rugged Gold Range of the Monashee Mountains in British Columbia, Canada.

Eagle Pass was discovered by Walter Moberly in 1865 in his role as assistant surveyor general for British Columbia. His job was to explore new routes for travel and trade for the fast growing territory. The story is that he shot at an eagles’ nest and watched the birds fly up a valley.  Reasoning that the birds were unlikely to fly up a blocked valley, he followed them up and discovered the pass which, 20 years later, was chosen as the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway and much later the Trans Canada Highway. In fact, It was near here that the “last spike” of the trans-Canada rail line was driven into the ground—a watershed moment in Canada’s history and an act that consolidated the country as a nation.