Operator
About
Last Frontier Heliskiing is an independent heliskiing Operator in the far north of British Columbia, flying skiers and snowboarders into the Skeena and Coast Mountains near the Alaska border. Their tenure covers 10,100 km², which Last Frontier bills as the largest single heliskiing tenure in the world. Inside it are more than 1,000 named runs, from glaciated alpine bowls and icefields to old-growth forest, with the longest descents topping 2,000 vertical metres. The area averages 15 to 25 metres of snow a year, and its northern latitude keeps that snow cold and light. Last Frontier keeps groups small: 4 guests per guide, with 3 groups sharing each A-Star B2 or B3 helicopter. They moved from groups of 5 to groups of 4 in 2017, and say the extra fuel capacity lets them reach deeper into the tenure. Instead of an unlimited-vertical model, every package comes with a vertical guarantee. If weather or a mechanical problem keeps a group short of it, the unskied vertical is refunded, and if conditions are great, guests can keep skiing and pay for the extra. Guides are certified through the ACMG, IFMGA, or CSGA, and Last Frontier was one of the first Operators in the industry to make avalanche airbags mandatory for every guest, back in 2008. Guests choose between two very different bases. Bell 2 Lodge is an off-grid heliski village of log chalets in the Skeena Mountains, with helipads right out front and terrain in every direction. It hosts up to 36 guests and suits strong intermediate to expert skiers and riders. Ripley Creek is a quirky heritage inn in the old mining town of Stewart, on the Alaska border. It hosts up to 24 guests and accesses steeper, more rugged Coast Mountain terrain, with about 30% more snow on average. Ripley Creek is for advanced to expert skiers and riders only. Adventures are all-inclusive and run 4, 5, or 7 days at either lodge. Lodge-to-Lodge Safaris of 7, 9, or 10 days split a trip between both bases, and private tours give a group of 4 or 8 their own helicopter and unlimited vertical. The season runs from mid-December through April. Last Frontier was founded in 1996 by George Rosset, Franz Fux, Mike Watling, and Geoff Straight, after a 1994 exploration of what was then largely unskied terrain. Today it is still independently owned in BC, with Mike Watling as Managing Partner. Contact Heli to check dates and book.
About the operator
Locations
Where Last Frontier Heliskiing runs trips from — open any pin in Google Maps.
Bell 2 Lodge
Bell 2 Lodge is Last Frontier’s off-grid heliski village in the heart of the Skeena Mountains, about 360 km north of Terrace and roughly a 4-hour ground transfer from Terrace airport. It sits in the middle of the tenure, so the helicopter flies in every direction from the lodge, and the closest runs are about 5 minutes away by air. Most groups depart straight from the helipads out front, with additional road staging 10 to 20 minutes north and south. Treed terrain close to the lodge keeps groups skiing when weather moves in, and Bell 2’s longer season means more early-winter tour options. Guests stay in log chalets with two rooms upstairs and two down. The rooms were renovated in 2024 with new washrooms, heated tile floors, extra sound insulation, and new lighting, and each keeps its wood-burning soapstone stove. The main lodge holds the dining room, bar, front desk, gift shop, a coffee shop, and a gear room where skis and boards are tuned and gear dries overnight. Around the village are a hot tub, a sauna building with a dry sauna, massage rooms, and a stretch-class space, plus a fitness centre, games room, and media room. On downtime, there are snowshoeing, cross-country, and fat-biking trails out back, along with archery, skeet shooting, bonfires, and polar dips in the lake. There’s no cell service, but the lodge has a fibre-optic internet line. Bell 2 hosts a maximum of 36 guests per week.
249 BC-37, Kitimat-Stikine A, BC V0J 3S0, Canada
Open in Google Maps ↗Ripley Creek — Stewart, BC
Ripley Creek is Last Frontier’s town-based heliski operation in Stewart, BC, a historic mining town of fewer than 300 people at the head of the Portland Canal, a 114 km saltwater fjord, directly across the border from Hyder, Alaska. Last Frontier opened it in 2005, and it accesses the southern part of their tenure in the Coast Mountains, where the terrain tends to be steeper, the glacier runs bigger, and the old-growth tree skiing longer. It’s about a 4-hour ground transfer from Terrace airport. The inn is a collection of heritage buildings along Stewart’s main strip, and no two rooms are alike: guests might stay in a former prospector’s house, an old clothing shop, or a former brothel. It keeps things simple, with a hot tub and sauna, lounge areas with views over the Portland Canal, a gift shop, and a boot room. Meals are served across the street at the Bitter Creek Cafe, which doubles as the bar. Helipads are in town: the first group flies from Stewart each morning, while the second and third groups drive 15 to 40 minutes to staging areas, so expect a longer commute than at Bell 2. Cell service works in town, and medium-speed internet is free. On downtime, guests explore Stewart’s back streets by bike, visit the museum, snowshoe, or cross the border to Hyder. Ripley Creek hosts a maximum of 24 guests per week.
311 5th Ave, Stewart, BC V0T 1W0, Canada
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Adventures
7 adventures available
Four Days at Ripley Creek
Canada · 5 days
From CA$11,770 / person
Seven Days at Bell 2 Lodge
Canada · 8 days
From CA$16,750 / person
Five Days at Ripley Creek
Canada · 6 days
From CA$11,760 / person
Five Days at Bell 2 Lodge
Canada · 6 days
From CA$13,210 / person
Four Days at Bell 2 Lodge
Canada · 5 days
From CA$13,220 / person
Seven Days at Ripley Creek
Canada · 8 days
From CA$15,580 / person
Lodge To Lodge Safari Tour
Canada · 8–11 days
From CA$20,940 / person
