Skiing with Air Support

Those who have heli-skied before would have you think that it's only for the likes of James Bond. Don't believe them. If you can get down a blue-groomed run without denting your ego, then there's a heli-ski run for you. Imagine avoiding those chairlift queues, and stepping off your chartered chopper onto untracked powder.

Kiwi snow is above the tree line, so New Zealand has lots of clear slopes on which to try this exciting sport for the first time (Southern Lakes Heliski, www.southernlakesheliski.co.nz, offers two introductory runs near Queenstown). Things are more difficult in Europe, however. It's illegal to heli-ski in France for environmental and noise reasons, and the Swiss have a large anti-heli-skiing lobby. But Italy has two regions that allow heli-skiing and Austria permits it (at restricted times) in Arlberg. The Freeride Center, www.freeride-center.at, in Solden offers heli-skiing in both those countries.

North America, on the other hand, is heli-ski heaven — think Colorado's Rockies, Utah's Wasatch Mountains, the Canadian Rockies and rugged Alaska. In the U.S., try Diamond Peaks, www.diamondpeaks.com, or Heli Trax, www.helitrax.com — both have access to some of the best snow. In Alaska, Points North, www.alaskaheliski.com, offers heli-ski cruises to the Chugach Mountains. Skiers spend a week flying from the back of a cruising vessel that serves as a floating inn. Across the border is the world's most extensive heli-ski operation, Canadian Mountain Holidays, www.canadianmountainholidays.com. It runs 12 remote lodges dotted around stunning terrain.

The truly intrepid can consider Russia's Kamchatka region (Vertikalny Mir, www.vertikalny-mir.com, is an experienced operator) or the Himalayas (try Himachal Heli, www.himachal.com). But wherever you choose, think long and hard, and amass plenty of funds, before you step into the chopper. The heli-ski beast is a hungry one, and will need feeding for life once unleashed.