Free fallin’ with Extreme Yeti Adventures in Golden B.C.

Step out of your comfort zone (and a plane)

The crew of Extreme Yeti Adventures work to make every visitor’s jump as safe and fun as possible. — Photo courtesy Myles Delorme

Introducing people to skydiving is what Extreme Yeti Adventures in Golden. B.C. does best. For many, skydiving is the scariest thing they’ll ever do. Yet, rolling people out of airplanes into free falls is what Myles Delorme and his team of certified instructors do daily. To them, seeing how truly happy people are once they’ve accomplished their jump makes the job worthwhile.

Behind the business

Delorme, co-founder of Extreme Yeti, originally started skydiving at a small-drop zone near Calgary, Alberta. Like most people, he started with a tandem skydive (meaning that the newbie is in a harness with the professional who operates the parachute and ensures everything goes smoothly).

During that first jump, Delorme caught the skydiving bug. After learning the ins and outs of the sport, he began coaching and instructing others. Two things Delorme has gotten out of skydiving: friends and adrenalin. One of those friends was Darren Strocher. Together, the two started Extreme Yeti in 2011.

“Our goal was to skydive in the mountains and live the dream,” said Delorme, “Eight years later, here we are.”

The jump

Delorme’s biggest tip to first-timers would be to only jump when they’re ready. “We can always tell who wants to be there and who gets dragged there by their friends,” Delorme said. “To truly enjoy the experience you have to be willing to experience it. Also, it’s perfectly normal to be scared. You are doing something completely unnatural. Fear is OK.”

The experience starts with a flight out of Golden to the designated drop zone. This ride comes complete with spectacular mountain vistas and breathtaking views of the Kicking Horse River. Once the plane reaches 10,000 feet, the instructor leaves the plane . . . with the customer attached. Travelling at 120 miles per hour (193 km/h), the free fall over the Canadian Rockies lasts from 20 to 40 seconds.

What makes this yeti special

Extreme Yeti hasn’t really seen a change in its clientele over the years. It does, however, feel the impact of local tourism trends.

“This is something I am still trying to figure out, as I imagine many tourism operators are,” said Delorme. “We offer a very unique experience and a very small group usually decides to take part. Trying to figure out what makes people get through the door or make the phone ring is probably the biggest challenge, and one that changes every season.

“I think what makes us stand out from any other company is our location,” he said. “We offer some of the most spectacular views available to any drop zone. It’s a unique experience to get above the Rockies and be able to free fall into the Columbia Valley. To truly understand how many thousands of mountains there are . . . you have to see it for yourself.”

The airplane ride alone makes this experience worth it. Golden is at the doorstep of Banff and Lake Louise and borders several of Canada’s most scenic national parks including Jasper, Glacier, Kootenay, Yoho and Revelstoke.

To learn more about making the jump and how you can experience a once-in-a-lifetime experience, visit Extreme Yeti’s website.