Alterra Mountain Company announced it has purchased Purcell Heli-Skiing in British Columbia, Canada. The company will be incorporated into its mountain experience, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, adding nearly half a million acres to its heli-skiing operation in North America.
Purcell Heli-Skiing was founded in 1974 by Rudi Gertsch, a former CMH guide. The operation is the closest primary heli-skiing offering to Calgary. It includes a 13-acre lot with a day lodge and heliport and a tenure license for 495,000 acres of glaciers, high alpine bowls and gladed subalpine forest in Golden, British Columbia, adjacent to CMH’s current Bobbie Burns tenure.
“At Alterra Mountain Company, we continually look for opportunities that offer guests unique mountain experiences and exceptional guest service,” said Rusty Gregory, President & CEO, Alterra Mountain Company. “We found that ideal combination in Purcell Heli-Skiing and look to preserve and continue its unique culture within the CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures operation.”
All confirmed Purcell bookings will be honored and managed by CMH, and any available spaces will be incorporated into CMH’s current product offerings and sold for upcoming winter seasons. CMH President & COO Rob Rohn will oversee the transition and all operations.
“Purcell Heli-Skiing is a storied and respected outfit, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue founder Rudi Gertsch’s legacy and history of creating incredible memories. New and loyal guests of Purcell and CMH will have the opportunity to explore both outstanding experiences under one managed umbrella,” said Rob Rohn, president & COO, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures. “The CMH team will observe and assess current operations to determine our long-term plans after the first winter season.”
Alterra Mountain Company mountain destinations are in Steamboat and Winter Park, Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort, California; Stratton and Sugarbush, Vermont; Snowshoe, West Virginia; Tremblant, Quebec, Blue Mountain, Ontario; Crystal Mountain, Washington; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, British Columbia.
Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass offers skiers and riders access to 45 mountain destinations in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, including 15 Alterra Mountain Company destinations, plus 30 global partner destinations.
Photo courtesy Purcell Heli-Skiing
