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Heli-skiing in Anarctica

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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
i realize that it would be super expensive, but there are some "heli-skiing from yachts" companies that charge like 36,000 a day.  so why doesnt MSP (only company with enough $$) go ski anarctica.  there are def som big ass AK style mountain ranges, and i bet the snow would be epic.
Dec 17 2008 6:30PM
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matthew.
Posts: 879 - Karma: 12
no
Dec 17 2008 6:32PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
antarctica is the driest continent on earth so I can't imagine necessarily epic skiing conditions... at least in terms of snow conditions, not to mention that it would be more economical to just fuckin earn the turns by skinng/climbing, and more badass.
Dec 17 2008 6:33PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
my dad takes me heliskiing in Antarctica every summer.  the heli picks us up right from our yacht.  the mountains are big down there.  plus they have penguins.
Dec 17 2008 6:35PM
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R.Fahey
Posts: 8602 - Karma: 539
Eh, It would be paying more, for worse conditions.  Why pay $36,000 a week to go ski something shitty when you can drop like $12,000 and go to AK where it's epic.
Dec 17 2008 6:36PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,534
WOW.  This is the most retarded thread I have EVER read.  What is the point?  I don't think there are any AK lines either, it is pretty damn flat.  You would have to travel hundreds, possibly thousands of miles in by heli before you get to a peak because there is such a big ice shelf.  It is going to be fucking cold (-50) at least.  Why bother going?  It costs way more  than AK and it is like trying to ski on a hockey rink.  The South Pole sees less than two inches of precipitation a year.  Everything is pure ice and wind pack.  I really doubt there is even a heli service down there. 
Dec 17 2008 6:42PM
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goneforever
Posts: 794 - Karma: 18
I doubt MSP or any large ski film company could afford $36,000 a day. Also, the conditions are pretty harsh on occasion, so you would have to have to pay for down days. I am not hating on the idea, but it just does not seem financially possible/sensible for companies like MSP, Poor Boyz, etc.
Dec 17 2008 6:57PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
i doubt it would cost 36000 cause it wouldn't be from a yacht.  you could fly into one of those research stations at the foot of the mountains.  also anarctica has one of the biggest mountain ranges in the world.  thirdly i realiz that anarctica is considered a desert, but it does blizzard because of all the blowing snow.  blowing snow=loose snow=really cold snow=epic pow is possible.  and you dont go during winter when its -100, you go during summer or whenever the weather is the best.  i think it would just be a cool trip for msp or *gasp* warren miller films to go on.
Dec 17 2008 7:04PM
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BigJew
Posts: 6974 - Karma: 79
I'm pretty sure Warren Miller already did it. In one of his movies they go ski touring in Antarctica.... No helicopter but close enough.
Dec 17 2008 7:14PM
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CFD
Posts: 1009 - Karma: 197
There's nothing I love better than spending thousands to ski rock hard windpack in a whiteout with hundred mile winds hammering my face.

Something so stupid that only Warren Miller could do it.
Dec 17 2008 7:19PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
i dont think it would be worth it. would be all ice and very little snow
Dec 17 2008 7:23PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
I may be mistaken, for there are a shit ton of warren miller movies, but I think you're referring to their trip to South Georgia.
Dec 17 2008 7:27PM
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GGreene
Posts: 993 - Karma: 42
yeah that is correct and South Georgia looked so sick
Dec 17 2008 7:33PM
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rj.
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 28
a friend of mine is in the falklands headed to antarctica right now, unfortunately not to ski though...

/i know cool story hansel
Dec 17 2008 7:39PM
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dgcarbs
Posts: 438 - Karma: 11
WM was planning on filming an Antarctica section last fall, but it got canceled because the boat that they were supposed to use broke down
Dec 17 2008 7:45PM
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dbstar
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 20
actually pretty close to the coast their are mountains that get quite alot of precipitation, during alot of the year near the coast they have pretty mild temps, and there are also plenty of big mountain lines, along with the fact that your skiing in antartica which is fuckin cool
Dec 17 2008 8:05PM
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dbstar
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 20
Click for larger image
Dec 17 2008 8:09PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
yah fuckin rightttttt^^^^^^

that looks super dope...plus youd get to do a first decent on almost all the mountains...which means that you get to name it.
Dec 17 2008 8:11PM
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hey_dude_its_me
Posts: 1403 - Karma: 32
Isn't  there an episode of 'Untracked' in Antarctica? I kinda remember seeing it on my DVR but I didnt watch it
Dec 17 2008 8:12PM
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OneLove_skier
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 135
It seemes like it would be really wind blown
Dec 17 2008 8:30PM
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Drail
Posts: 14013 - Karma: 10,010
not sure what the odds are of getting deep pow in antarctica (just noticed - you spelt antarctica wrong in the thread title eh?) but hit it at the right time and you could probably get some really stable corn snow (which can be better than pow in a lot of ways.


as for you people fully hating the idea (which i think is completely bogus), have you ever looked into going to antarctica? take skiing out of the equation and it's still going to cost you a shit load of money to get there. It's one of the most remote places on this planet, it's not like you can just hop on a airplane in New York City and head down there for the week. It will cost you thousands (tens of thousands is probably more accurate) just to step foot on the continent. Alaska? you can ski that shit for free, Antarctica is somewhere where you gotta be somebody to get there, ya know?

I'd like to see more footage from Greenland. I've seen a couple pics of skiing in Greenland and it looked pretty dope.
Dec 17 2008 9:30PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
that is some EXTREME ice skating, rightthur
Dec 17 2008 9:32PM
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hey_dude_its_me
Posts: 1403 - Karma: 32
http://www.k2skis.com/news/news.asp?id=59
Dec 17 2008 9:56PM
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BenJAMIN4aWhil3
Posts: 773 - Karma: 12
well i think that about ends this argument. You can infact ski in antarctica... and it looks pretty sweet.
Sign me up!
Dec 18 2008 12:34AM
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Calb3rt
Posts: 6005 - Karma: 2,203
i laughed really hard at this because you are describing faribanks AK spot on.
Dec 18 2008 12:42AM
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3ski6guy0
Posts: 9201 - Karma: 134
you are very wrong. there is a very steep mountain range in Antarctica but it would be pretty icy and not worth it
Dec 18 2008 10:56AM
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michael_bc
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 764
???

Click for larger image

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Highest peak on Antarctica is 4892 meters.
Dec 18 2008 11:55AM
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michael_bc
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 764
Apart from Antarctica, there are several islands with mountains in the atlantic ocean close to Antarctica, which could be skied, such as South Georgia..

Click for larger image
Dec 18 2008 11:59AM
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michael_bc
Posts: 1394 - Karma: 764
Actually you can. You fly to Ushuaia in Argentina and then there are commercial operations by plane and by boat to visit the Argentinian part of Antarctica. It's not THAT far from Ushuaia.

Click for larger image
Dec 18 2008 12:03PM
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ASkierNamedJaymz
Posts: 1209 - Karma: 341
ya it would be cool to ski in antarctica... but not worth that much for probably worse skiing
Dec 18 2008 12:04PM
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james44
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 578
haha you guys go owned by that k2 news update
Dec 18 2008 12:13PM
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Drail
Posts: 14013 - Karma: 10,010
yea, i know of the boat cruises from argentina, but they're pricy for sure. and as for flying, you'd have to book a charter float plane wouldn't you? there can't be any commercial flights onto the continent... there wouldn't be enough people going to have regular commercial flights worth while for the company running it....

I mean, other than scientists and national geographic explorer types, who's going down there?

Last winter I glanced ever so slightly at antarctica, it's be a trip to remember for sure.
Dec 18 2008 1:53PM
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