Heliski Guides and Pilots of Great Canadian Heli-Skiing

Our Guides

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing holds your safety as our #1 priority. Our guides are experienced and certified professionals (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Canadian Ski Guide Association and International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations). They are all trained in snow safety, weather analysis, and emergency medical techniques and mechanized ski guiding. You know you are in safe hands since all of our guides have, at the very least, +10 years of experience out in the field. Day by day they will find the best of what Mother Nature has to offer.

Greg Golovach has been guiding for 24 years including guiding for 21 years at Great Canadian Heli-Skiing! Greg is a fully certified I.F.M.G.A. Mountain Guide and became a professional guide “because he could not imagine doing anything else for a living”. Greg's passion for guiding is evident: not only is he a heli-ski guide, he also guides ski touring, ice climbing, rock climbing, and mountaineering. Safety is Greg's #1 concern. A true man of the mountains, when asked what his dreams are, Greg unequivocally states, “I'm living my dream.” When not guiding, Greg spends his time enjoying the outdoors with his three adorable children, Hunter, Bryce & Tia.

If you are interested in doing any climbing, touring or mountaineering, check out Greg's website: www.alpineadventureguide.com

Inspired by friends in Grindelwald, Switzerland where he worked as a ski tech, Rob has guided for 19 years, 18 of which have been with Great Canadian Heli-Skiing.

Since 2002, after putting his Aircraft Maintenance career on the back burner, Rob has worked year-round for Great Canadian as Operations Manager. In general, Rob takes care of all the various things that need taking care of. He admits that although there were aspects of his former full-time career he really liked, he feels that “the current arrangement keeps me around the people and the sport I love”.
Happily married to another GCH Ski Guide, Sue Gould, he lists Keelan (13) and Neva (10) as his other interests.

“I have been guiding in and around Golden for 10 years, 8 of these with Great Canadian Heliskiing. Previous to this I ski patrolled and did avalanche forecasting in the Canadian Rockies for 10 years. In the winter when I am not guiding for Great Canadian I guide ski mountaineering and ski touring. Summers are spent surfing as much as possible.

My certification includes ACMG Ski Guide and Professional Membership in the Canadian Avalanche Association. My favorite part of guiding, other than epic deep powder, is sharing guests "Best Day Ever" - on any day!”

Dave holds a B.A. in Geography. His favourite type of day is a snowy day in January at -10 degrees and skiing the steep and deep trees (like Velcro, Big O, etc). First tracks are always a bonus!

Terry's been guiding 20 years and has been guiding with GCH for 15 years. When he's not guiding you'll find Terry running his highly successful business Footworks, where he provides high performance ski boot fitting and dispenses prescription orthotics for guides, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. TM is our resident oenophile: he's always looking for a good Shiraz to share with guests at Heather Mountain Lodge! When he's not working, TM enjoys windsurfing and has a passion for fly fishing and wine.

Alison has been guiding (officially) since 1992. As past owner, operator, and guide of a 3 lodge ski-touring business (Golden Alpine Holidays) Alison has now happily moved into the heliski world and is heading into her 5th winter with Great Canadian Heli-Skiing. “I thought I might give up guiding all together, but skiing at GCHS has just been too much fun, so I'm back for more” Al is a well entrenched local Goldenite with ancestry in the Columbia Valley that dates back to the 1890's. “It's the best place to live. I hope that not too many people figure that out!”. When not working Al still loves to ski-tour, climb and build things. She looks forward to another winter of outrageous skiing, camaraderie and the opportunity to sample a few more of Terry's favourite wines.

Dave was born and raised in Golden and learnt to ski at a young age right on the old Mt.7 Ski Hill. Dave still lives in Golden with his partner Cindy and their two beautiful little girls. As an ACMG certified ski guide since 1988 and a professional member of the CAA, Dave has guided all over Western Canada and even a few winters in the New Zealand Southern Alps. Dave splits his winter time between heli guiding at GCH, looking after his girls and operating his gorgeous backcountry lodge, “Mistaya Lodge” in the Rockies.

He enjoys being out in the mountains skiing with people everyday and having the best job around.

Sue has been guiding for Great Canadian Heli-Skiing since 1996. She can also be found guiding ski touring and teaching avalanche courses around the province. Not wanting to limit herself, she also teaches piano, conducts and directs a children's choir, performs classical and jazz piano with different groups around BC and Alberta and has been recently appointed Programming Assistant for Kicking Horse Culture, Golden's local arts council.

Sue likes to feel the love. Her love of the mountains is only surpassed by the love of her 2 kids, Keelan, 13 and Neva, 10. Her other loves? Mountain biking, rock climbing, a really good tequila and her husband Rob Dalinghaus.

Great Canadian Heli-Skiing guide since 2002, John's first guiding job was in the summer of 1986. When he's not at Heather Mountain Lodge, John is a senior manager at Mt Norquay Ski Resort in Banff. During the summer, John guides exclusive family-oriented outdoor adventures for professionals and executives, and spends as much time as possible with his own family canoeing, hiking, mountaineering and generally enjoying the outdoors. He has competed (and won) at national and world Ultimate championships. He also is an energy consultant, specializing in distributed generation and demand-response programs. John says that he guides because he's addicted to powder skiing and flying in helicopters.

The other guides think his wife Linda has her hands full with three kids not one! Hailing from Canmore, Alberta, Alex has been guiding for 21 years; with GCH for 11, Besides guiding, and being a busy parent, Alex is a construction contractor in and around the many parks of the Canadian Rockies. He says his reason for guiding is to spend time in the mountains, with the best skiing in the world!

Kristina started skiing at the age of 3 and hasn't looked back! Growing up in Calgary she had many resorts to choose from in the Banff and Kananaskis regions, though she says Fortress Mountain was her home resort, until moving to Golden, BC where on her days off she skis Kicking Horse.
Kristina has a lot of experience working in the ski industry, having done everything from instructing to snowmaking, grooming (i.e. driving a snowcat) and patrolling. She then thought mechanised ski guiding would be a fun job so gained her credentials in order to “live the dream”!

Our Pilots

At Great Canadian Heli-Skiing we use the ultimate heli-skiing machine, the AStar B2. These are powerful, very comfortable helicopters, ideal for mountain flying. In order to fly and maintain these awesome machines, we employ an engineer who lives on-site as well as ‘high-hour’, mountain-trained pilots supplied by Coldstream Helicopters. Coldstream has a huge amount of experience and expertise in working in the mountains. They have extensive infrastructure to ensure the rigorous maintenance schedule and safety inspections required for helicopters. When out in the field, our team of pilots are in constant contact with each other as well as with our lodge and office. Each helicopter is equipped with First Aid and Trauma kits, AED Defibrillators, GPS, Satellite Tracking System, VHF/UHF Radio as well as Satellite Radio. Your safety is our #1 priority.

Dirk, Coldstream Helicopter's Golden Base Manager, has a pretty impressive helicopter skiing resume. Before becoming a pilot, Dirk was a ski guide with Great Canadian for 10 years! In fact, he has been with us since the company's inception in 1988. After a decade of guiding, he jumped from the guide's seat to the pilot's and has been flying ever since. Dirk lives in Golden, BC with his son Thomas.

Cathy Moore has been working in the helicopter industry for over 20 years! She no longer says just how long, as that would indicate just how old she is! Cathy has worked mostly in B.C., Alberta and the Northern Territories with a variety of other jobs that have taken her as far east as Goose Bay. With all that variety of jobs and locations, she is still determined that GCH is "THE" best place to fly with the best guiding and lodge staff available. Cathy has been known to smile (though you have to watch for it) and will not tell us what her latest nickname of C² (C squared) stands for. Her time is divided by her family in Canmore, Alberta and her time flying with GCH. She is always in motion; ranging from skiing at Lake Louise to helping run the dogs at the family kennels.

Frank has been flying helicopters since spring of 2002. He started out with Tundra Helicopters as a co-pilot on the S58T. After 3 summers he was hired by Sarvair helicopters. Since 2002 Frank has had the opportunity to work up by Alaska doing mine support, heli-log in BC and Alberta, heli-skiing and avalanche testing in Revelstoke and fire suppression in most of western Canada. Frank's interests include drawing, prospecting and alpine ski touring...and he loves the mountains!