Heliskiing in Kamchatka
on the Mi-8
Runs from the summit of a volcano down to the shore of the Pacific. Eight days, eight hours of helicopter time and 45,000 square kilometres of terrain. You stay at a hotel with a thermal pool. Freeride by helicopter on volcanoes above the ocean. This trip is run by SnowSurfPro.
8 days, 8 hours of flying
Group of 12–14 riders
with three mountain guides
45,000 km² of terrain
bigger than Switzerland, within 150 km of Petropavlovsk
Three places to stay
Antarius Hotel 3*, Kamchatka Chalet 5* or a private residence
Avalanche safety gear
ABS airbag pack, transceiver, shovel and probe for everyone
Mi-8 helicopter
private, your group only
The Kamchatka heliski classic
Glaciers, active volcanoes and fjords on the Pacific coast. The terrain is bigger than Switzerland — you won't cover it in one trip. The group flies in a private Mi-8.
From volcano to ocean
You start at the summit of a volcano and ride all the way down to the Pacific shore.
Into a volcano crater
A descent into the crater of an active volcano.
In the fjords
Riding above the water, where the mountains drop into the ocean.
Heliskiing in Kamchatka is easier than it looks
Heliskiing has a reputation for being difficult and extreme — that's a common misconception. The thing we hear most from first-timers before a trip is "I'm not ready yet". In practice the bar is lower than it seems.
Untracked snow forgives mistakes
Heliskiing is easier than resort freeriding on chopped-up snow. We fly to where nobody has touched it.
Runs chosen for your group
With a helicopter we are not tied to lifts or set routes: the guide picks the drop-off and pick-up for the group's level and makes the route easier or more challenging, so it works for everyone, from experienced riders to beginners. A little off-piste experience in soft snow is enough.
Three guides and an avalanche kit each
Three mountain guides work with a group of 12–14 riders. ABS airbag pack, transceiver, shovel and probe are included in the price, and the first day starts with a briefing and avalanche rescue practice.
From ₽650,000 ($7,500) per person — and what that covers
Prices shown are for the 2026 season. Current prices will be updated soon, closer to the season.
- We meet you at the airport
- Private airport–hotel–airport transfers
- 7 nights at the hotel you choose — Antarius Hotel 3* or Kamchatka Chalet 5*
- Breakfast, and a picnic in the mountains on flying days
- Thermal pool and sauna
- Private Mi-8 helicopter
- 8 hours of actual helicopter time
- 3 mountain guides for a group of 12–14 riders
- Avalanche safety gear: ABS airbag pack, transceiver, shovel, probe
Prices are set in Russian roubles. Dollar figures are approximate, converted at ₽87 to the US dollar.
Budget for these separately
Flights to Kamchatka. Drinks. Single room — a supplement of ₽30,000 ($345) for the week. Dinners — about ₽15,000 ($170) for the week. Personal expenses. Membership fee — ₽5,000 a year: the annual association fee that gives access to all our heliski trips in the current calendar year.
Extra time
₽39,000 ($450) per person per hour for a group of 12 or more. The group decides once the hours included in the trip have been used.
Flying time, not the number of runs
Many operators sell runs or vertical metres. We count the helicopter's actual time in the air: that way the group is free to move and can go wherever the snow is best today.
7,000–10,000 metres
Of vertical, in roughly 2.5 hours of flying.
8 hours included
The trip includes 8 hours of flying.
Three places to stay
The trip, the Mi-8 helicopter and the time in the air are the same; you only choose where to stay. All three are in the Paratunka river valley, in hot-spring country.
Antarius Hotel 3*
Thirty minutes from the airport and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in a birch forest. Twenty-five standard rooms, two junior suites and two suites. Restaurant, bar, billiards, sauna and an outdoor thermal pool.
- Group: 12–14 riders and three guides
- Helicopter: Mi-8, with the helipad eighty metres from the hotel
Kamchatka Chalet 5*
Russia's easternmost five-star hotel, opened on 1 July 2023. Six hectares, private chalets, a thermal and spa complex, a gym, and a restaurant built around local produce and foraged ingredients. You can see the Vilyuchinsky volcano from the windows.
- Group: 12–14 riders and three guides
- Helicopter: Mi-8, with the helipad eighty metres from the hotel
Private residence
Built in 2018, right next to the terrain. Nine designer rooms, two thermal pools, a sauna and a hammam, a gym, a home cinema and billiards. A restaurant serving local cuisine with a menu to order, and a wine cellar.
- Group: your own party of up to nine riders, with three guides
- Helicopter: Mi-8, with the helipad right on the grounds
What's at the base, and what's in the guide's pack
Avalanche kit
ABS airbag pack, transceiver, shovel and probe for the whole trip, included in the price.
Black Crows skis
Nocta and Anima models are available to rent. For freeride we recommend a wide waist, 115–140 mm, and a long turn radius.
Repairs and tuning
There's a ski workshop at the base: they'll adjust bindings, prepare your skis for the next day and fix them if needed.
Briefing and practice
Every trip starts with a briefing and a practice session: how to use your gear and how to search for someone in an avalanche.
Comms and first aid
Shovel, probe, first-aid kit, an Iridium satellite phone, and a radio for talking to the other guides and the helicopter.
Evacuation gear
First-aid kit, stretcher, splints, vacuum mattress.
Gloves get wet fast — you take your skis off and put them back on for every run. Bring one or two spare pairs; spare warm clothing can stay in the helicopter.
Trip schedule
Sunday
Arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and a thirty-minute transfer to the base. A welcome reception, introductions to the guides, lunch, a safety briefing and avalanche rescue training, dinner.
Riding. On no-fly days there are other things to do — we have a programme for that.
Sunday
Breakfast, transfer to the airport, flight home.
SnowSurfPro, since 2013
Founder Peter Yastrebkov is a certified ski guide of the Russian Mountain Guides Association. Heliskiing is freeride with a helicopter. Without one, we guide freeride in Krasnaya Polyana. On request, we organise a freeride school — get in touch if you want to learn.
Each season more than 150 people ride with us on heliski trips, and more than 300 across all our trips. Groups are accompanied by guides, including ski guides certified by the Russian Mountain Guides Association. Meet the team on the About page.
Footage from the trip
The classic trip on the Mi-8
Heliskiing in Kamchatka, 2019
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Find your trip
We'll tell you about the next dates, who's in the group and what the price covers, and help you choose a destination that fits your level and your dates.
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