EpicQuest is the go-to luxury adventure travel company for skiers and snowboarders in search of unparalleled heli-ski vacations out on Alaska's most pristine peaks. The company is upping the ante on its 2012 itineraries with a stellar lineup of professional athletes and experts gearing up to host its heli-ski season in Girdwood, Alaska – a terrific value-add, considering there is no additional cost or premium for participants to enjoy the company of the pseudo-celebrity guest hosts. Heli-skiing is a notoriously expensive venture, but these amped-up, Smart Luxury-approved outings bring more value to the table, er, slopes.

Pick from an assortment of legendary skiing and snowboarding hosts, including Reggie and Zach Crist, Chris Davenport, Bryan Iguchi, Jess McMillan, and more, who will each lead weeklong heli-skiing trips, in collaboration with local Chugach Powder Guides. Learn the moves from the pros, then hang with them for some après-ski, for one heckuva bragging rights-worthy adventure. Rates start at $5,600 for the week (see inclusions below).

Or, for photography buffs, hook up with celebrated ski photographer Scott Markewitz, whose one-week outing will educate guests on snapping top action shots out on the slopes. This year’s 6-night trip will cost $1,000 less than last year's, ringing in at $8,900.

Trips are based out of Alyeska Resort, situated 40 miles south of Anchorage. Heli-skiers and boarders will hit the nearby Western Chugach Mountain Range – which averages a staggering 600 inches of fresh powder annually, with hundreds of runs offering drops of up to 4,000 vertical feet. The professional guides hook up skiers with appropriate slopes based on their determined abilities.

The 4- to 6-night itineraries include guaranteed heli-skiing or boarding, accommodations at the Hotel Alyeska, round-trip transportation from the airport, lunch on heli-ski days, and more. One big plus with EpicQuest is that on no-fly days, guests also have the option to get out on snowcats to access backcountry terrain (most heli-ski companies don't have that fallback plan). Plus, they'll even throw in some aurora borealis viewing to top the whole thing off (alright, maybe that's not their doing, but another great reason to get up there!). Groups sizes are kept to a maximum of 16, and you can expect some fellow adrenaline junkies to share powder and tales with. Note that shorter long weekend trips, minus the pro athlete/expert guides, start from a more wallet-friendly $3,500 per person.

Visit www.epicquest.com for more information.

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