September 11, 2007, near Volcan Lanin, Argentina

After a 12 hr driving day from Las Lenas, including three of those hours on gravel roads (ripio in spanish), we were ready for an out of car experience.  Our inexpensive hostel in Junin provided a great quiet night and hot shower.  It was foggy in the morning and freezing.

We got started just short of the Argentine border station, it was a little breezy and nearly noon, so we decided to go for some tree skiing across the road from Lanin.  Snow conditions varied from rotten fresh covered by a suncrust, to bulletproof wind buffed snow.  After an hour and a half we reached a nice crest with views of many possibilities.  After lunch there we skied down toward the road and Lanin and found the sun had just started cooking the fresh corn.

Once on the flat we realized we had illegally entered Chile, yikes!   So we skied among the trees hoping not to be discovered, and passed both the Chilean border station and the Argentine.  Never did find our up tracks, but luckily headed over to the road exactly where we had parked the car.

Will edit and post photos in the next few days, tons of potential for nice turns on many aspects.  Also opportunity to ski live bamboo gates.   Chau for now.