Alterra Mountain Company To Add More Heli-Skiing to Its Portfolio
This article originally appeared on Ski Mag
Why settle for one heli-ski company when you can own two? That's the reality for Ikon Pass parent company Alterra Mountain Company, which announced today that it will be buying Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, the B.C.-based heli-skiing outfitter founded in 1970 by Austrian-born visionary Mike Wiegele.
The new heli op will join Canadian Mountain Holidays under the Alterra umbrella, which has been part of the family since Alterra's creation in 2018. Ikon Pass benefits regarding Wiegele's have not been announced yet, but pass holders get discounts and early-booking benefits with CMH.
The Wiegele acquisition, which is expected to close by end of the year pending approvals, will add some 1.5 million acres of terrain in the Cariboo, Monashee, and Rocky Mountains ranges to Alterra's portfolio. Unlike CMH, which operates 12 diffuse lodges across 3 million acres, Wiegele's has one home base in Blue River, home to its 20,000-square-foot main lodge and 22 log chalets.
Wiegele emigrated to Canada in 1959, working as a carpenter and then a ski instructor before hatching the idea to ferry skiers to the top of pristine peaks via helicopter. Along with his wife, Bonnie, who's the current owner, the two built a scenic and truly unique mountain enclave where customer service, luxury amenities, superior guiding, and a commitment to safety are paramount. Wiegele died at the age of 82 in 2021.
With Wiegele's under its belt, Alterra will have the honor of ushering one of the most highly regarded heli-skiing operations on the planet into its next era. More plans will be shared after the sale closes, Alterra announced in a press release, but all intentions are to continue the mission laid out by Wiegele and currently carried on by the operation's general manager, Elias Ortner, and his team.
"Alterra Mountain Company is the ideal partner to celebrate and preserve the legacy that Mike Wiegele left behind," said Ortner. "Becoming a part of the Alterra family will propel this operation to new heights, allowing us to enhance the guest experience further and deepen our existing community and loyal guest partnerships."
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