August 23-September 22, 2007 Argentina & Chile

Jill and I have returned to Argentina and Chile on a 5 week ski marathon. It´s been 2 years since our last trip to the region and this time it´s late winter conditions. Generally, the Andes are experiencing a big snow year and the ski reports have been encouraging.

This years plan is to rent a car in Bariloche, Argentina for a month. We will travel in a clockwise direction west across the Andes into Chile , then head north to Santiago then east across the Andes towards Mendoza then south to Las Lenas and further south to Bariloche then even further south to visit friends in Trevelin and ski La Hoya near Esquel. Back to Bariloche then bus to Buenos Aires and back to Seattle.

We hope to ski as many ski areas as possible along the route but weather and road conditions will dictate where we´ll have access. Some of the ski areas will be rather well known such as Catedral, Valle Nevado, Portillo, and Las Lenas. Then there are the lesser known such as Bayo, Pucon, Chillan, El Colarado, La Parva, snowcat at Ski Arpa, Penitentes,Chapelco and La Hoya. Winter access without a high clearance 4x4 vehicle is a challenge. Many of these smaller areas have ancient equipment and our rando gear creates a lot of interest. It´s all part of the adventure.

The plan is to ride lifts and do some sidecountry touring when conditions permit. Off piste skiing is not common at most smaller areas so there isn´t a big need to spend energy touring when the ¨goods¨¨ are readily available.

A surprise component to this adventure is the addition of Silas Wild for part of our trip. When Silas saw our plan, he asked to trvel along for awhile. I don´t think we have enough torture points included in this trip to keep Silas challenged. I´m certain our desire to sleep in beds versus cars and eating in restaurants will drive him crazy. It should be fun.

I´ll group some TR together and post some photos when possible. What makes these adventures wonderful is that your great plans usually change dramatically. If you are really flexible and have a sense of humor, you return home with new friends, stories and memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. Upcoming TR includes a ski patroller on a rescue with a ladder and learning your rental car provided you with chains of 2 different sizes.

Ciao,
Zap y Jill

Zap & Silas
say hello to my friend Fernando Grajales in Las Lenas for me

cheers
robert

I don´t think we have enough torture points included in this trip to keep Silas challenged.  I´m certain our desire to sleep in beds versus cars and eating in restaurants will drive him crazy.

Tonight, true to my reputation, I balked at a $35 single room with toilet and bath down the hall!  Also, chose to finish my leftover lunch rather than $20 for a vegetarian dinner.  Can't wait to get back to Argentina for big beef, red wine bottles, half hour massages, and dorm beds for $8-10/each at Las Lenas (you heard it right Chris.)

Meanwhile today Zap learned more about late winter approaches to ski areas in Chile, his previous trip was a bit later in the season.  My arrival in Pucon coincided with what might shape up to be a few days of sunny weather, after the big precipitation yesterday that created the situation today pictured below.

Hello fellow South American travellers,
I, Overthhills and Tangerine are due in Las Lenas on September 14th and hopefully can meet up with Silas and you guys if you are still in the neighborhood.. We are staying at the hotel Escorpio. We are bringing touring gear!

Do September turns in SA count towards your TAY streak or do they have to be in the PNW?

Hope you have a great time and here's hoping for a Santa Rosa storm to dump some freshies.
Hasta Luego and bien suerte.

Chris

Jill, Silas and I are currently(4 September) in Santiago.  We are staying with Steven Hatcher and his wife Wendy. We met Steven thru Telemarktips.  He started the "Offical South American" trip reports thread. 

I'll post some TR in awhile.  The short story is that we have:

* Skied Catedral for 2 days in a snow storm and a sunny day.
* Skied Cerro Bayo in snow flurries
*Crossed over to Chile and stayed at the Thermals at Aqua Calientes
* Attempted to ski Antillanca but couldn't reach the area in a snow storm
* Travelled to Pucon and picked up Silas at the bus terminal
* Skied Ski Pucon on Volcan Villarica and had the "chain experience" . Silas had a "sliding experience"
* Travelled to Termas Chillan and skied spring conditions
* Travelled to Santiago and finally found Stevens home after 5 hours
* Skied LaParva in spring conditions - no new in 2 weeks.  Drove from 3000' to 9000' and the 40 hairpin turns in a Grand Prix areana.
* Ski toured with Steven in El Mora Natl Park near Portilla.  See Telemarktips South America thread.
* Skied Valle Nevado in firm spring conditions and experienced driving the 50 hairpin turns.
* Taking a rest day to catchup and breath the air pollution in Santiago.
* Departing for Portillo on Wednesday, 5 September.

The southern part of Chile and Argentina have a bigger snowpack than the northern parts and there is a large storm hitting the south currently.  We've been having a great trip.  Although there has not been any fresh snow in the north for 2 plus weeks, it has enabled us to gain access to the ski areas and see the surrounding terrain and ski corn.  The driving is aggressive and not for the timid driver.  Once we are back in Argentina, the roads will be "rather interesting" for the long drive south back to Bariloche.

Zap y Jill

Hey Zap, Jill and Silas, thanks for sharing.  Continue having fun, will look forward to more of your adventures and pictures.

Remember "Never stop coloring outside the lines".