I've skied resorts for decades and never seriously considered a heliski trip until a friend organized a "bro-cation" for several of his ski-loving friends. A few had heliskied once but it was a first for most of the group - we were a little timid as images of avalanches and Warren Miller 70 degree slopes dominated our assumptions. We could not have been more wrong. While demanding and solid black diamond skills are a must, it's not nearly as difficult as I expected. This is partially because the guides at Last Frontier do an amazing job teaching (in advance) about avalanche safety, what to expect, how to deal with mother nature, how to behave around the helicopter, and generally how to be a better powder skier.
My first run was epic - unlike anything I've done before and one of the top 5 most incredible experiences in my life (and I've done some really, really cool stuff). We had 5 days of unbelievable weather - some bluebird / no wind days and 2 days of "puking" snow. We met other skiers from different countries, skied till we couldn't stand up, ate great food, and slept harder than on any other vacation. It. Was. Amazing.
We stayed at Ripley Creek and would love to come back and experience Bell 2 one day. Can't help you with choosing between the two - but Ripley was fantastic.
