Not commenting on this specific incident, but heli-skiing with the 212 has its own cautions. Biggest is probably understanding how the torque limiter works, rapidly winding back the N1, with the result that the RPM comes down real quick. As the blades get slow they teeter a lot and especially if you hit hard on the left side the tranny and advancing blade drop down, hitting the right front of the cabin.
9 pax and the pilot and guide, a little fuel, shouldn't have been a big load on a cold day at 7500'. Weather was reported in the media as being not bad.
malabo