The founders of Northern Escape Heli Skiing had the "luxury" of the heliskiing forefathers paving the way before them, since 1965.

Describing NEH founder / partner Benny Abruzzo, 2015 New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame inductee, as an outdoor enthusiast, would be an understatement. Benny owned and managed the Sandia Peak Ski Area & Ski Santa Fe, taking over from his parents. (His father was a famous balloonist, Ben Abruzzo.)

That gave the NEH founders, who were four lifelong friends and experienced in the skiing hospitality industry, the ability to look back at 40 years of heliskiing and then envision a heliskiing operation with All of the elements that they would want present if they were guests...add on the secret sauce!

They began with the obvious - focusing on a smaller-scale, small-group heliskiing experience, so that their clients felt like they were heliskiing rockstars in the throws of their own concert performance! This normally entails groups of no more than five or six skiers. Interestingly, NEH is one of the few operators flies Koala helicopters. This aircraft allows them to fly faster and more nimbly, arguably reaching more terrain than other popular industry helicopters.

So they started with...and still maintain that "small-group heli vibe." (At Heli-Skier, we are big believers in that same vibe!) 6 years later they did something special...

For the 2009-2010 season, they identified terrain known as the "Catland Zone." They introduced two snow cats that would transport their guests throughout thousands of acres of tree skiing. Say hello to catskiing right within their tenure! Essentially, they solved the "no-fly day" problem for their guests! If you've ever been to B.C. heli lodge and been grounded for days unable to fly, it can become madding! Too big a bar tab! Northern Escape heli skiing integrated the solution to this problem directly into their heli skiing program. That was genius.

But identifying the best elements of a heliskiing adventure and implementing them into the business model didn't stop there...

The NEH operations could now keep skiers on the hill nearly every day, regardless of the weather. Rapid improvements in ski technology also gave the skiers more performance and endurance in deep powder conditions. Guess we're racking up more vertical!

For the 2011-2012 Season, They began offering "Unlimited Vertical," with no additional fees after a typical vertical target was met for the ski package.

NEH has now combined 3 key ingredients to greatly enhancing the guest's experience:

• Intimate small-group heliskiing
• No down days
• Unlimited skiing potential

WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT! RIGHT?

The result? Recognition.

Northern Escape’s operation and terrain has been used by many major ski film companies, including Matchbox Productions. Their operation has also appeared in Skier, Transworld Snowboarding, and Powder.

Today, the experience is much the same as it was when the four founders set out more than two decades ago. They hire an amazing team of ACMG-certified guides, world-class Red Seal Chefs, and an attentive service staff that’s there for your every need.