33°20′S 70°17′W
Cordillera de los Andes
Región Metropolitana

Private heli-skiing · Central Andes, Chile

High‑altitude heliskiing 15 minutes from downtown Santiago

Stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Santiago, lift off from a city rooftop, and land on a 4,000m ridge 15 minutes later. Seven days, a private helicopter, two experienced mountain guides, and endless lines across the high Andes.

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15 minRooftop to first ridge

4,700 mHighest drops

3 : 2Guests to guides

PrivateOne group per helicopter

A heli day

From hotel to summit ridge

No mountain roads. You leave from the hotel and fly straight into the Andes. Timing shifts with the weather; your guides keep you posted.

07:00
Breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental
Your guides meet you at the hotel for the day's snow and weather plan, and fit your avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel and airbag.
08:00
Five minutes to the helipad
Your private driver takes the group down the road to a building with a rooftop helipad.
09:00
Lift off from the rooftop
Helicopter safety briefing on the pad, then a 15-minute flight from the city straight into the Andes.
09:15
First run
A warm-up run to get your legs going, while your guides assess the snowpack and the day's conditions before choosing bigger lines.
12:30
Lunch in the high Andes
A curated lunch prepared by the Mandarin Oriental kitchen, served at a landing spot above the valleys with views across the high Andes. Then back to skiing for the afternoon.
16:00
Fly back to the city
Land on the rooftop, your driver brings you back to the hotel, and you are in the spa or out for a pisco sour by five.

From the field

See the week

From the rooftop helipad to the high ridges and back to the city. Tap any photo or clip to see it full screen.

The week

Seven days of private heli-skiing

One package, fully private. Your group of up to 3 guests has its own helicopter and 2 guides for the whole week, with the Mandarin Oriental as your base.

7 days · Santiago

Andes Heli Week

TBAPrice to be announced

Seven days heli-skiing in the Andes, 15 minutes by air from your hotel. Weekly departures from August 1 to September 11.

Request your week

Private A-Star helicopter
Maximum 3 guests per helicopter
2 guides per helicopter
14 heli hours included
Private van with driver for the week
Avalanche safety equipment provided
Deluxe Room at the Mandarin Oriental, Santiago
Gourmet field lunch
A private Chilean asado after skiing, once during your week

Price per person for the week, paid by wire or bank transfer. Credit card payments carry an additional fee. Extra heli time beyond the 14 included hours is $3,500 USD per hour for the helicopter.

2027 season dates

Six weeks in the Andes

Every trip runs seven days, from August 1 to September 11, 2027. Each week we fly two private helicopters, one group per helicopter. Pick an open slot to request it.

Week 1Aug 1–7

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

Week 2Aug 8–14

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

Week 3Aug 15–21

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

Week 4Aug 22–28

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

Week 5Aug 29 – Sep 4

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

Week 6Sep 5–11

Helicopter 1AvailableHelicopter 2AvailableRequest

About us

Big mountains, city base

Santiago Heliski is built on a simple idea: some of the best heli-skiing in the central Andes is 15 minutes from one of South America’s great cities. So instead of a remote lodge, our guests stay at the Mandarin Oriental and fly straight from a Santiago rooftop to the high peaks.

We keep it small on purpose. Two private helicopters, one group in each, and two guides who ski with you all week. Every day is planned around your group: the snow, the terrain you want to ski and how hard you want to push.

When the skiing is done, you are back in the city in time for the spa, dinner at one of Santiago’s best restaurants or a glass of Chilean wine.

Base: Mandarin Oriental, Santiago
Fleet: 2 private A-Star helicopters
Guides: 2 per helicopter
Season: Aug 1 – Sep 11

Meet the team

Co-founder
Agus Anguita
Agustín is the visionary behind Esnativa, creating world-class adventure programs across South America and Japan, and the Andes are his home. An architect, photographer and lifelong skier, he brings creativity, technical thinking and experience from years of travel across South America, the United States and Japan. At Santiago Heliski he focuses on mountain operations, holding every week to the highest standards of safety, quality and authenticity.
Co-founder
Niki Salencon
Nicolás “Niki” Salencon is a professional skier, ski instructor and certified ski guide in Argentina and France. Born and raised in Bariloche, the son of a ski coach and a ski school owner, he follows the winter between his home mountains and Courchevel. He is the only South American skier to reach the podium on the Freeride World Tour. At Santiago Heliski, Niki takes the guest experience to the highest level, combining elite performance, deep mountain knowledge and a real passion for sharing the mountains.
Co-founder
Joey Wolf
Joey is the owner and founder of Alaska Backcountry Guides. A diehard, passionate and experienced heli-skier, he has skied in every corner of the globe and worked for and skied with heli operators around the world before founding ABG. He has now partnered with Esnativa to open Santiago Heliski, bringing Alaska safety and standards to the Andes. When he is not in Alaska, Joey lives in Aspen with his German Shepherd, Eva.
Operations manager
Lisa Tarabochia
Lisa brings experience running high-level destination programs, including as General Manager of Alaska Backcountry Guides, along with a lifelong commitment to skiing and endurance sports. Raised skiing Mt. Hood and shaped by years of owning and operating her own business, she manages every part of your week in Santiago, from the Mandarin Oriental to the helipad, so it runs seamlessly. In the off season she is based on the Oregon coast with her children and family, running and training for endurance events.
Lead guide
Eric Layton
With more than 30 years of snowboarding and nearly two decades of professional guiding, Eric brings real stoke to every day in the mountains. In 2015 he became the first person to pass the AMGA Ski Guide Exam on a splitboard, and he has guided across Chile, British Columbia, Alaska, the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades. He holds AAA Pro 3 avalanche certification. Eric is the proud father of two boys and has a home in Wasilla, Alaska.

The terrain

The terrain we ski

A week with us mixes three styles of terrain, from wide-open powder to steep lines, with runs of 1,500 to 5,000 ft (about 450 to 1,500 m) of vertical. Your guides choose where to fly each morning from the latest snow and wind reports and match the terrain to your group’s ability.

Open bowls

Wide, open faces at a steady 30–35°. The best place to find your legs on the first run and our go-to on cold powder days.

Intermediate+30–35°

Steep couloirs

Rock-walled chutes and steep spines dropping off the highest ridges. For strong groups once the snowpack has settled.

Expert40–45°

Long valley runs

Rolling top-to-bottom runs that go on for kilometres, with big views across the Andes the whole way down.

All strong skiers25–35°

Safety

How we keep you safe

High-altitude flying and big mountain terrain demand serious systems. These are ours.

Guides

Seasons in these mountains

Our guides have spent many winters skiing and guiding in the central Andes. They know these peaks, how the snowpack builds through the season, and where to find the best snow on any given day.

Aircraft

Private A-Star (AS350)

The high-altitude workhorse of mountain flying, reserved for your group all week.

Equipment

Full avalanche kit

Transceiver, shovel, probe, airbag pack and radio for every guest, included in your week.

Forecasting

Daily snowpack reports

Guides dig pits, log observations and meet every morning before we choose where to fly.

Communications

Always connected

In the field, guides, pilots and guests stay in touch with each other by radio. The team stays connected to base through satellite communications, from the first flight of the day to the last.

Dispatch

Eyes on every flight

A dedicated dispatcher at base tracks each helicopter and group all day, logs every landing and pickup, and coordinates flights, weather updates and any emergency response.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How good a skier do I need to be?

We cater to guests from strong intermediates all the way up to experts and extreme skiers and riders. At minimum, you should feel comfortable riding powder and black diamond terrain at a resort. We have a great mix of intermediate cruising runs as well as the incredible steeps the Andes are known for, and we tailor the terrain to your ability.

What if the weather is bad?

Andean weather does keep us on the ground some days, and the big storms are what we hope for, because they bring the powder. We don’t fly or ski in a storm. On down-days you are based in Santiago with plenty to do: a helicopter flight to the Pacific coast to surf, a day at the resorts, the Mandarin Oriental spa, wine tasting in the nearby valleys, or exploring the city. Some activities come with an added surcharge.

What happens if I don’t use all of my flight time?

Your week includes 14 heli hours. We do not carry over or refund unused flight time, so we highly recommend travel insurance. If you want to fly more, extra heli time is $3,500 USD per hour for the helicopter.

What is your payment and refund policy?

We require a non-refundable 50% deposit to book your trip. Final payment is due in full by April 1, 2027.

We do not offer refunds under any other circumstances, so we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. Please see our booking contract for the full terms and conditions.

What equipment should I bring?

We recommend bringing your own skis or snowboard, boots and all your other gear for the trip. We have a handful of demo skis available. We provide a transceiver, shovel, probe, airbag pack and radio for every guest, included in your week.

What about the altitude?

We fly between 10,000 and 15,000 ft (about 3,000 to 4,600 m). Staying in the city is our advantage: you sleep in Santiago at around 570 m and only go up high during the day, which makes it easy on your body.

Reservations

Request your dates

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