Today an important decision was made. When I injured myself at Revelstoke, in Canada in January 2015, I was about to start a seven-day heli-skiing trip with CMH Heli-skiing. They are very much the go-to company for Australians venturing to the high peaks in Canada. The company very kindly agreed to give myself and friend Lou Stevenson, who was also on the trip, a credit for the 2016 season in lieu of the season we had missed. As 2015 has worn on and I have got progressively stronger, I have deliberated not only whether I could ski in early 2016 but also whether I could take up CMH’s offer for the coming 2016 Canadian winter. Over the last week I’ve realised that this is a bridge too far. While I may be able to ski, there is no way I will be jumping out of helicopters on precipitous slopes somewhere in Canada. As part of the early stages of my skiing rehabilitation, this may be setting goals that my body can’t keep.

Lou was gracious about it and agreed that I could ask if CMH would allow us to go in 2017 rather than 2016. I turned to our old ally Toby Withers at Travelplan in Sydney. Everybody who has gone overseas for a skiing holiday knows Toby Withers. He came back with the good news today that CMH has agreed to roll us for one more year to 2017. This is a great relief to me. I can now stop worrying about whether I will be fit enough and brave enough to go heli skiing in January next year.This is how I replied to Toby’s email:
Toby
Many thanks from Lou and I. 2017 it is. Let’s hope for a long life.
Regards
Kieran

I am eternally grateful to both Travelplan for organising this and CMH for allowing it. CMH has this extraordinary reputation for professionalism among skiers all around the world. I agree even though I have never actually got to ski with them. So far, at least, they have been extraordinarily professional to deal with. I look forward to the day when I can actually jump out of one of their helicopters, rather than just go through all the planning and training.

Goal number four is still intact. I would like to go skiing in January/February 2016 to celebrate the 12 month anniversary of my injury. It just won’t be heli skiing.

If you are going skiing in Canada don’t go past this company. CMH Heli-skiing link