DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alterra Mountain Company announced today that it has closed on the purchase of Purcell Heli-Skiing in British Columbia, Canada. The business and ski tenure will be incorporated into the company’s premier mountain experience, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, adding nearly half a million acres to the already largest heli-skiing operation in North America.
Purcell Heli-Skiing was established in 1974 by Rudi Gertsch, a former CMH guide, and has been a family business for nearly 50 years. The operation is the closest major heli-skiing offering to Calgary and includes a 13-acre lot with a day lodge and heliport, and a tenure license for 495,000 acres of wide-open glaciers, high alpine bowls, and gladed subalpine forest in Golden, British Columbia, adjacent to CMH’s current Bobbie Burns tenure.
“At Alterra Mountain Company we continually look for opportunities that offer guests unique mountain experiences and exceptional guest service,” said Rusty Gregory, President & CEO, Alterra Mountain Company. “We found that ideal combination in Purcell Heli-Skiing and look to preserve and continue its unique culture within the CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures operation.”
Current Purcell trips include one, two and three-day packages for up to six people with two guides, excluding lodging and transportation. All confirmed bookings will be honored and managed by CMH, and any available spaces will be incorporated into CMH’s current product offerings and sold for upcoming winter seasons. CMH President & COO Rob Rohn will oversee the transition and all operations.
“Purcell Heli-Skiing is a storied and respected outfit, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue founder Rudi Gertsch’s legacy and history of creating incredible memories. New and loyal guests of Purcell and CMH will have the opportunity to explore both outstanding experiences under one managed umbrella,” said Rob Rohn, President & COO, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures. “The CMH team will observe and assess current operations to determine our long-term plans after the first winter season.”
Alterra Mountain Company’s destinations offer premium ski, snowboard, and all-season activities for those who seek adventure and fun in the great outdoors. Alterra Mountain Company mountain destinations are spread throughout six states and three Canadian provinces: Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton and Sugarbush in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia.
Alterra Mountain Company introduced the Ikon Pass for winter 18/19, which today offers skiers and riders access to 45 mountain destinations throughout the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, including 15 Alterra Mountain Company destinations, plus 30 global partner destinations.
About Alterra Mountain Company
Alterra Mountain Company is a family of 15 iconic year-round destinations, including the world’s largest heli-ski operation, offering the Ikon Pass, the new standard in season passes. The company owns and operates a range of recreation, hospitality, real estate development, food and beverage and retail businesses. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with destinations across the continent, Alterra Mountain Company is rooted in the spirit of the mountains and united by a passion for outdoor adventure. Alterra Mountain Company’s family of diverse playgrounds spans six U.S. states and three Canadian provinces: Steamboat and Winter Park Resort in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. Also included in the portfolio is Alpine Aerotech, a worldwide helicopter support and maintenance service center in British Columbia, Canada. Alterra Mountain Company honors each destination’s unique character and authenticity and celebrates the legendary adventures and enduring memories they bring to everyone. For more information, please visit www.alterramtnco.com.
About Ikon Pass
The Ikon Pass welcomes skiers and riders to a community of inspiring mountain destinations and the people who live and play among them across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Brought to you by Alterra Mountain Company, the Ikon Pass unlocks adventure at iconic and unique destinations including Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and Eldora Mountain Resort in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming; Big Sky Resort in Montana; Stratton, Sugarbush Resort, and Killington in Vermont; Windham Mountain in New York; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain in Michigan; Crystal Mountain and The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington; Mt. Bachelor in Oregon; Schweitzer in Idaho; Tremblant in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; SkiBig3 in Alberta, Canada; Revelstoke Mountain Resort, RED Mountain, and Cypress Mountain in British Columbia, Canada; Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine; Loon Mountain in New Hampshire; Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico; Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort, Alta Ski Area, and Snowbird in Utah; Zermatt in Switzerland; Thredbo and Mt Buller in Australia; Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt in New Zealand; Niseko United in Japan, and Valle Nevado in Chile. Special offers are available at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures, the world’s largest heli-skiing and heli-accessed hiking operation. For more information, please visit www.ikonpass.com.
About CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures
Celebrating over 55 years of heli-adventures, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures is the world’s first and largest Heli-Skiing and Heli-accessed hiking operator. At 3 million acres, the total CMH tenure is one-third the size of Switzerland. From their head office in Banff, Alberta, CMH operates from 12 lodges located in the Bugaboo, Purcell, Selkirk, Monashee and Cariboo ranges of British Columbia, Canada. Heli-Skiing takes place each year from December through April, and CMH Summer Adventures take place from July to mid-September. For more information, please visit www.cmhheli.com and/or cmhsummer.com.
About Purcell Heli-Skiing (Now CMH Purcell)
Established by Swiss mountain guide Rudi Gertsch, the Golden, BC-based heli-skiing company spans 495,000 acres of backcountry tenure in the Purcell Mountain Range. It offers small-group skiing with one-day, two-day and three-day trips just 2 hours west of Banff, AB. Purcell Heli-Skiing was operated by the Gertsch family from 1974-2021 and was acquired by Alterra Mountain Company in August 2021. It is now operated by Alterra's CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures under the new name, CMH Purcell.
