Peter Schlunegger was on his way back from a mountain guide trip to New Zealand in 1967 when he stopped off in Banff, Canada, to work as a ski instructor in Lake Louise. Here, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Swiss did such a good job that CMH founder Hans Gmoser offered him the opportunity of a lifetime a year later: a job as a mountain guide with the fledgling company Canadian Mountain Holidays, the first commercial heliskiing operation in Canada. To guide the guests at CMH Bugaboos Lodge, Gmoser hired four Swiss mountain guides, affectionately known as the "Swiss Mafia". One of the "Mafiosi" was Peter Schlunegger.

This meant that the Swiss man had been part of the heliskiing business since day one. In the 1970s, while working at CMH, Schlunegger completed his Swiss mountain guide certification and led numerous ski tours in the Rocky Mountains and throughout British Columbia. He led a group of glaciologists to Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, and founded the Banff Mountaineering School.

Schlunegger founded Selkirk Tangiers Heliskiing

Then, eleven years after coming to Canada, the Swiss skier moved to Revelstoke. The reason: the quantity and quality of the snow and the wide variety of terrain. Even today, the Selkirks and Monashees still bring a sparkle to the eyes of heliskiers. The two mountain ranges are among the best deep snow areas in the world. An average of around nine meters of the finest powder per season, relatively stable weather conditions, breathtaking glacier slopes and wonderful forest runs make them a dream destination for powder fans. You shouldn't miss out on this during your next trip to North America!

Schlunegger founded his company Selkirk Tangiers Heliskiing in 1978. Back then, guests stayed in mobile homes on the side of the road, a far cry from today's modern lodge. The area where guests skied back then was in the Selkirk Mountain Range near the Tangier River. Hence the name: Selkirk Tangiers. At the time, the company was the only heliskiing operation that took skiers to the area's legendary powder snow. Since then, many others have followed in its footsteps. Revelstoke is now considered the secret capital of heliskiing.

A new home: the Hillcrest Hotel

Over the years, Schlunegger optimized his company with Swiss precision. From 1990, he also offered heliskiing with small groups. Shortly before the turn of the millennium, the Hillcrest Hotel opened its doors and created a new home for Selkirk Tangiers. Since then, the helicopters have been taking off from here every morning for their tours in the mountains.

Selkirk Tangiers and Revelstoke merge

In 2007, Selkirk Tangiers joined Revelstoke Mountain Resort, allowing the heliski operator to combine the potential of the resort with the spectacular terrain of Selkirk Tangiers. Guests now have access to world-class heliskiing and boarding, as well as one of the most exciting new ski areas in North America.

Selkirk Tangiers offers heliskiing for both small and large groups of skiers and snowboarders. The merger with the relatively new Revelstoke ski area has turned out to be a huge advantage for all guests. Like the center of Revelstoke, the resort is only a ten-minute drive from the Selkirk base. If the helicopters are unable to fly due to bad weather, you can quickly switch to resort skiing or go cat skiing.

40 years of pioneering work

Schlunegger slowly withdrew from Selkirk Tangiers as part of the merger in 2007. However, he remained connected to heliskiing and Selkirk Tangiers in particular. He now acts as an examiner within the Canadian Association of Mountain Guides. In 2017, Schlunegger celebrated his 40th anniversary at Selkirk Tangiers as one of the great heliskiing pioneers.

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