Bugaboo Dreams: A Story of Skiers, Helicopters & Mountains by Topher Donahue

by Topher Donahue

If you're a connoisseur of the high and wild, just hearing the name Bugaboos is enough to make you feverish with wanderlust. Topher Donahue captures not just the landscape but the people and dreams that shape these otherworldly peaks. -John Flinn, Executive Travel Editor, San Francisco ChronicleBugaboo Dreams is a marvellously detailed account of the evolution of heli-skiing and -hiking in the Canadian Rockies. More importantly, however, it is the story of the remarkable man behind the business, Hans Gmoser, whose passion and commitment to mountain environments led to a lifetime of bringing others to recreate in these places he loved the most. -Rebecca Martin, Executive Director, Expedition Council, National Geographic SocietyThe stars were aligned to create this remarkable a vast mountain wilderness of rock spires and undulating glaciers and a visionary individual who inspired others to help transform his Bugaboo dreams into reality. Topher Donahue has captured the tale in an engaging manner that makes for a great read. -Bernadette McDonald, author and former Director of The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festivals.It was an honour and one of the highlights of my youth to be part of the beginnings of the Bugaboos. Skiing with Hans Gmoser and the wonderful guides who joined him became an indelible experience, not only for the ultimate thrill of skiing in deep powder through the trees and vast open areas of untracked territory, but it also gave me an insight into the true qualities of leadership. Topher Donahue beautifully captures the essence of the experience and the hearts and souls of the pioneers who have made helicopter skiing a passion for so many. -Isadore Issy Sharp, founder, chairman and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Companion to the Order of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.Take the snowiest mountains in Canada, add two Austrian immigrants, an army of adrenaline-addicted skiers (kings, queens, billionaires, average people and everyday ski bums) and throw a helicopter into the mix for an unforgettable story of mountain adventure.The tale begins when two childhood friends-Hans Gmoser and Leo Grillmair-leave postwar Austria and travel to Canada in search of adventure. They stumble upon employment taking skiers across the vast glaciers and through the thick forests of Western Canada. When skiers start asking the immigrant mountaineers if it would be possible to use a helicopter to reach the best high-altitude powder, the two find themselves catapulted into a project brimming with more adventure, success, tragedy and fame than they could have dreamed.Complete with archival and contemporary photos, this is the inside story of the people, thrills, accidents and innovations behind the evolution of a sport from a dangerous, ramshackle and lawless enterprise into a multi-million dollar industry offering reliable access to one of the world's most exciting forms of recreation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada

Hardcover

First published September 15, 2008

Reviews

[Matt Weeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heliski Bible

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just "a" story, but filled with many entertaining tales!

[Heather Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been heli-skiing, but I've lived near the Rockies and know enough about it to be curious about how it all started. Turns out, taking people up a mountain in a helicopter to let them ski down on pure, white, untouched powder is quite an interesting story.
The man who made it possible, Hans Gmoser, is the father of heli-skiing, but he isn't your average businessman with a vision: Hans was a mountain man through and through, and did it for the love of skiing and the outdoors more than anything.
The book describes all aspect of heli-skiing and how it came to be: the early days, the building of the lodges, recruiting guides. And it also goes into a HUGE amount of detail on the evolution of the mountain guiding industry, the avalanche safety industry, and the mountain and environmental stewardship industry.
The book is actually twice as long as it needs to be, and at times it was tiresome to read yet another gushing description of how heli-skiing is the ultimate experience any human could possibly hope for in life.
The first half was very interesting, but the second half dragged a bit.
In short, a really great story about a really great guy who revolutionized skiing, recommended for hardcore skiers and people who like the history of the Rockies.

[Bill Leach · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Hans Gmoser and his development of Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH). A good portrait of Gmoser.

[Karyn Wendling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't wait to ski and climb these areas! Unfortunately, a better author could have done this amazing story more justice. Too long with not enough content.