The ultimate ascent and descent
The Arlberg is the only location in Austria where heli-skiing is permitted. For the better skiers and snowboarders then there can be no greater experience than flying over the Arlberg ski area and being dropped on a distant peak.
The practicalities of heli-skiing in the Arlberg
Heli-skiing is restricted to the Arlberg whilst access to the flights is open to the public. A certified local guide is a pre-requisite to boarding the flight and clients are required to spend some time with the guide to allow them to assess the ability of the group – when dropped off on the peak there is very limited rescue coverage so the guides ensure the clients are up to a certain standard of off-piste skiing or snowboarding.
Guides can be booked at the ski schools operating in the area. Fights are subject to availability and must be booked in advance. Cancellations due to weather and avalanche conditions are possible. Flights do not operate on weekends or public holidays and take off from the Flexenpass in Zurs and Kriegerhorn in the Lech ski area with the flights’ destinations being the Mehlsack and Schneetäli peaks. For those lucky enough to be boarding a flight the ride down these remote peaks is something really quite spectacular – serious bragging rights are on offer.