Spectacular? Yes. You’ll spend your high-adrenalin days deep in the remote glaciers of the Columbia Mountains (the Rockies’ little sister). Cush? Check. Each backcountry lodge comes with a resident chef, massage therapist, sauna, whirlpool, plus games and exercise rooms. Indulgent? Sure, but not wasteful. Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) also goes the distance with its green stewardship.

The world’s largest heli-skiing and heli-hiking travel adventure outfit, CMH aims to be North America’s leading sustainable tourism operator. It’s well on its way.

Based in Banff, AB, the company has won multiple awards for its comprehensive commitment to sustainability: a wildlife management program, energy conservation project and responsible purchasing policy, plus work with local communities.

Its most ambitious project to date: a micro-hydro power system at one of CMH’s nine backcountry lodges. The plant eliminates the need for around 75,000 l of diesel and 25,000 litres of propane annually, saving 226 tonnes of carbon dioxide from spewing into the air. Huh? Imagine some 2,500 households of four changing all lightbulbs from incandescent to energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.

But CMH isn’t resting on its laurels. In January 2007, the company released a sustainability status report that tracks its progress since 2004 (impressively, there are no printed copies; you can download the report from the company’s website). Research is underway to explore the feasibility of installing micro-hydro systems at three other lodges, two by 2010.

Around for 40 years already, CMH is proof that going green doesn’t mean going without. www.canadianmountainholidays.com