Now THAT’s a SKI LIFT

Mail on Sunday – November 2006

Are Alpine ski runs too tame to thrill you? Then take a helicopter ride to the top of a volcano in Kamchatka -where Alf Alderson finds adrenaline (and vodka) flowing freely

After the bright orange helicopter has clattered off into the distance I sit on the unnamed summit and wait for the snow blown up by the rotors to settle. Gradually, the view beneath us begins to clear and the steaming crater of the 7,651ft Mutnovslcy volcano takes shape. The volcano last erupted five years ago, and along with seven other skiers I am about to descend into it. Well, to its very edge, at least.

We ski down steep, wide-open slopes of windblown powder before skidding to a halt just beneath the lip of this void on the Earth's surface. The stench of sulphur and hydrogen sulphide fills the air. Marco, our French mountain guide, shouts, `Don't spend too much time close to ze crater - ze atmosphere ees poisonous!' But it's impossible to resist the opportunity to unclip from my skis, scrabble 60ft up the rubble and ash of the crater's side and gaze over the edge.

Scalding-hot steam rising from the depths has stained the crater's inner walls shades of su lphur yellow, chromium green and iron red, and the volcano hisses like a gigantic chemical plant. It's an unforget­table sight and not the kind of spectacle you normally encounter on a skiing holiday. But this is no ordinary package deal.

I'm one of a handful of guests on the first ski trip to Kamchatka in far east Russia, organised by British heli-ski specialists Elemental Adventure. I've been tempted here by the snowbound, primeval land­scape of the most active volcanic region on the planet and the chance to ski thousands of feet all the way down to the black sand shores of the Pacific Ocean. James Morland, director of Elemental Adventure, is accompanying us.

`It's one of the wildest, most remote heli-skiing desti­nations in the world,' he says. `The scenery is like nothing else on Earth and at times it's so dramatic that it's almost impossible to take it in. It's tough skiing, and we make no attempt to hide that from potential clients.'

Situated at the same latitude as Alaska, Kamchatka has heavy winter snowfalls and a wealth of wildlife, particularly grizzly bears. In fact, it's home to the world's highest concentration of grizzlies, and while we don't see any bears, we do spot scores of black and white Steller's sea eagles soaring overhead; half of the world's population of these magnificent, threatened and increasingly scarce birds live in Kamchatka.

The scenery may be rewarding but the terrain is tough. To cope with it you need to be comfortable ski­ing in mixed snow conditions and steep off-piste terrain with an incline of up to 35°, which is as steep as the most challenging black runs at popular ski resorts. Rarely is a run less than half a mile from top to bottom, and some are more than two. On some days, we'll do more than six miles of skiing, which certainly takes it out of you. The snow varies from perfect, knee-deep powder to windblown, knee-wrenching crud.

Another requirement to be here is a thick wallet - helicopter travel doesn't come cheap. Clients tend to be successful entrepreneurs from Europe and Russia; our group consists of three Anglo-Dutch bankers and a group of thirtysomething Muscovite `businessmen', all sporting the latest ski gear from Quicksilver and Patagonia, and buying endless rounds of vodkas whenever we go to a bar. (They also have a truly Russian capacity to withstand the after-effects).

The Kamchatkan climate is so wild that Morland has told me to expect only around four days' skiing in my ten-day visit, `since helicopter pilots don't appreci­ate flying in blizzards'. So we are thrilled to wake up on our first morning to clear blue skies - a pattern that, unusually, continues for the following four days, allowing us at least eight runs each day.
Mornings begin with a bumpy coach journey along potholed roads from our hotel in the former military city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the helicopter base. Here we climb into a very utilitarian Mi-8 heli­copter, which rises over birch-covered hills before climbing up into the mountains. Traveling by Mi-8 is not for the timid flyer: they rattle, they smell, the hard benches have no seat belts, and there's no safety drill.

One day, we land just beneath the steaming summit of the 9,025ft Avachinsky volcano to great excitement. Gloves and goggles are given last-second adjustments, then guides Marco and Vitaly shout `Go!', slapping us on the back as we leap out clumsily in our ski boots to land softly in virgin powder. `Follow my tracks,' Marco tells us. It's essential to remember this advice at all times, as there are crevasses, avalanche slopes and cliffs to avoid, and he knows where they are. Dropping off the top of a windy volcanic ridge into pristine pow­der, huge snowfields open up under our skis, long steep gullies beckon, and we swoop through shin-deep pow­der beside glaciers glinting ice-blue in the sunlight. No ordinary ski resort can possibly match this.

A few days later, after one particularly fine descent down the 11,338ft Koryaksky Volcano, I ask Vitaly what the run is called. He shrugs: `It doesn't have a name. You give it one if you like.'
Of course, no adventure is perfect. At the end of a hard day's skiing you need to refuel - fast. But dinner at our three-star hotel, despite being the best in town, is invariably a test of patience. The wrong meal inevitably arrives at the wrong table at least half an hour after placing the order. That said, the local fish isn’t at all bad - and there's plenty of it, since Kamchatka has one of the largest wild salmon runs in the world. You can even end your day with a wallow in one natural hot springs that dot Kamchatka’s valleys, while sipping very palatable Russian champagne.
After dinner one night, the Dutch contingent coax us to the Cosmic Nightclub next door to our hotel. `Come on, you know you'll love it...' In a way they’re right, tired as we are. Rather than the fearsome local vodka, we down rum and Cokes, served by a cocktail waiter who insists on spinning every glass in the air - while full - before handing it over. And being foreign, we attract keen interest from the locals – tourists are still a rare sight in Kamchatka. As long as the attention comes from attractive local girls it's welcome, but when a burly Russian fisherman attaches himself to fellow Englishman Rob, it seems an appropriate moment to scurry through the snow back to the hotel.

Surprisingly, even after a heavy night at the Cosmic, everyone is up and raring to go the next day. But who wouldn't be, given the chance to skim through untracked powder down spectacular slopes where only a handful of skiers have ever been before?

I'd go back tomorrow if I had the chance. Its even worth enduring the 12-hour flight with Aeroflot - and I doubt you can say that about many things in life.

HELI-SKIING ESSENTIALS
Powder skis Extra-wide skis are a must. A good option are the K2 Apache Chiefs (£350), which can cope admirably. k2skis.com Ski helmet If you crack your skull, you're a long way from a hospital. The Giro Nine.9 (£89) is lightweight (13oz), has 12 vents, removable earpieces - and looks cool. Ski jacket Hag lofs Heti jacket (£245) comes with a wide range of features, yet weighs only 25oz. hag(olsse Daypack You'll need to carry spare clothes, a camera and food. The Gregory Ecco pack (£130) is well-made and comfortable. gregorypacks.com Camera A compact digital ,jES-1 camera is light, easy to use and many have at least eight-megapixel resolution.

HOW TO GET THERE
Kamchatka's ski season runs from March to mid-May. Book early to ensure a place. Elemental Adventure (eaheliskiing.com, info@eaheli.com 0207 836 3547) offers ten-day packages from around £2,650 per person. This includes visas, accommodation, ten hours of helicopter time (giving an average of 35,000 vertical metres), internationally certified guides and all safety equipment. Extra heli time is charged at £150 per person per hour. The aircraft is normally shared by 12 skiers, who split into two groups, each with two guides.
London- Moscow- Petropavtovsk flights with Aeroflot cost from £525 return. Accommodation is in the three­ star Hotel Petropavlovsk- it's a far cry from your average Alpine chalet but friendly and fun. Down days can be spent exploring Petropavlovsk, dog-sledding or skiing on the two small and very basic local ski hills.