 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there - this is my first snowheads post and have read the chile/argentina topics, but most seem to relate to shorter ski trips. My wife and I are planning to travel around South America for around 6 months, and would like to spend a month skiing in each of Chile (thinking of 3 valleys in August) and Argentina (perhaps Bariloche in September to avoid the holiday crowds). We are fairly confident intermediates that currently battle a bit in powder/off piste and are hoping to improve! With this in mind, I'd be very grateful for any advice as to the the resorts best suited to our ability - we're hoping that by the time we get to Bariloche we'll be happy enough to head off piste with a guide. Have read good things about Bariloche and Cerro Cathedral and understand they had a big dump in early Sept last year. Whilst realising our limited ability to predict the future, am just a little concerned that snow cover may be a bit thin there at that time. Any advice/tips would be much appreciated!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| youstupidboy wrote: |
| Any advice/tips would be much appreciated!! |
Don't give them your name! (welcome to  )
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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youstupidboy, welcome to snowHeads
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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3 Valleys is excellent - daily travel from Santiago is a pain so advice would be to
stay up the mountain.
Termas de Chillan (5 hrs south of Santiago with fantastic wineries on the way!!) is amazing - hikes to the top of smoking volcanoes with easy (off piste) descents. Decent piste stuff too.
Portillo is very limited on piste but the setting and scenery are fantastic. Off piste is brilliant by all acccounts - we didn't have a guide so stuck with the piste.
I know you are on a DIY trip but I can recommend Casatours (a US firm). We did Chillan & the 3 Valleys with them - an amazing trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Think you may get bored doing a month in Valle Nevado.
If you stay on the mountain its like staying in some apartment block in Tignes or Les Menuires
I stayed downtown Santiago and commuted each day.
Termas de Chillan is excellent.
Portillio, is small & to be honest disappointing.
Bariloche is a great Austrian style party town with a good mountain.
Las Lenas is great but if the "Marte" lift is closed (frequently) its just small & intermediate .
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Wed 1-04-09 19:36; edited 1 time in total
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For your level of skiing, Portillo is well suited. But not for a month.
Agree with Termas recommendation and would add Antillanca in Chile too.
Haven't skied at Catederal, but would recommend Chapelco (staying in San Martin), Cerro Bayo (staying in Angostura), La Hoya (staying in Esquel) and Caviahue. Once again none of those for a month. Make an extended road trip of it. That should ensure that you get good conditions.
The time that you intend visiting equates to early spring in the north. Perfect. Sunshine and at least weekly snow events.
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In Aregntina I loved Cerro Chapelco (stayed in St Martin de los Andes) when i was there last August, i also liked Cerro Bayo (stayed in Ville Angostura). Both had a decent number of lifts, lots of groomed and ungroomed terrain plus lots of opportunites to get in the trees and off piste.
I didnt really like Antillanca in Chile but that could have been because of stinking hangover (Pisco Sours into the early hours) and awful weather, i just found it really bare and uninteresting. Pucon/Villarica is apparently good, i didnt ski there (got robbed and spent my time there sorting that out) but eveyone else in our group enjoyed it. When your in Chile tey and get to the Baobab hotel at Huilo Huilo (connected to Montana Magica) Its an amzing hotel and theres lots to do (including skiing although that is all off piste and you may need to arrange in advance as access is via a piste basher) all around.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have to say, loved Bariloche, but not sure about skiing it for a month. Brilliant and lovely town, good and reasonably cheap accomidation - I think our place was €10 a night for a twin room, en suite, with breakfast and dinner included. I did find the resort was a little hectic, lifts started when the lifties decided - if it was a late night, then it was late opening! Just our finding, had a great time. There are a good number of pistes, and some great off piste, with some tree skiing. Well worth visiting, and truely scenic, very beautiful indeed. You can do a trip to Chile on the lake, and, while we didn't have time to do it, it was supposed to be tremedous.
I would also highly recommend Las Lenas, had some of the best skiing of my life there. There are a couple of buts - the main part of Las Lenas is the off piste - absolutely outstanding, easy access (when Marte is running,) continous options and nice variety. One of the main things is to that Marte is open - happily it opened the first day we arrived, and closed in the afternoon of our last day. For the rest of the week it was blue skies and great skiing. Las Lenas is very expensive to stay in, but you could stay further down the valley. Ski hire is shocking, the resort is owned and run by one company and the lack of competition can be seen in some of the food and ski hire (we found it much better in Bariloche, where we rented from the shop at the top of the main shopping centre/ 6 man chair - good variety, you can leave your skies and boots there, friendly stafff.
Not sure I can keep going as I'm hugely jealous of ya. Was looking at trying to get a week over there in the summer, but the funds just refuse to stretch themselves. Have a brilliant time
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Wow - thank you all for the advice!! I think it looks like we'll spend a couple of weeks at the different resorts mentioned rather than a month at any one as we'll probably not (at least initially) be able to get the most out of the off piste opportunities. Just a quick question about Termas de Chillan - the piste maps we've seen seem to show that has a small number of runs - is this the case or do the off piste/ scenery and non skiing activities make up for it?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Termas is massive.
Something like 10,000 acres of terrain. Plenty to keep you happy.
Off mountain is pretty quiet. Eating, drinking, hot springs.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi there - we're slowly getting our plans sorted out and looks like we'll start skiing in Chile in September - as we'll be travelling in central and south america from June it won't be practical for us to take skiis and boots with us. I'd be very grateful on any advice re sending skiis and boots ahead to Chile (ie to a hotel) or whether buying ex-rental/second hand skiis is possible in Chile, and if so, are they are reasonably priced?
Thanks again for all the info!
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Bariloche is the chocolate capital of South America, check out the fondue.
Can't comment on the skiing only visited in the summer.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
| Hanging off the southern lip of Nahuel Huapi Lake is one of Argentina's two main ski centers: Bariloche, comprised of the quasi-Alpine town of Bariloche and its mountain, Cerro Catedral. (The other, Las Leñas, was described to us repeatedly as not only expensive but boring.) |
Are he and Dan still wet behind the ears?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi! In Chile there are great ski resorts where you can practice ski, snowboard and many winter sports, besides of relaxing activities. One of the best is Termas de Chillan ski resort, located in the south of the country, where you can also enjoy of hot springs and beautiful surroundings for outdoor activities such as trekking, canopy, expeditions and much more. Regards!
Chile Ski Resorts
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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youstupidboy,
Check your PMs.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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discoversouth, Kenzie: The OP is from 2 years ago - so you may be a bit late.... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm planning a trip to Chile and Argentina in the autumn - I see the season runs until October, which is when we're thinking of going. Anyone know how late is too late to consider skiing?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That's too late IMHO.
Unless it's either been an epic season for snowfall and/or you tour up high.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mike Pow, thanks, that's what I'd assumed. I might have to start a "2 months (not skiing) in Chile and Argentina thread"...
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Miranda,
The ski season here in Argentina is usually from early July to late September/early October. Not sure about the other side of the Andes. Last year was shite at Las Lenas, which struggled to stay open in September and closed one or two weeks early. Barliloche on the other hand had a fairly good season. I've skied in Ushuaia in mid October, but that was right at the end of the season. Your best bet is August and September, as the last two weeks in July are peak season due to the school holidays, and so are top dollar. You might also get bored unless you travel around a fair bit, as all the resorts here are very small compared with Europe. Size wise they are comparable with Scottish ski areas.
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Skier from Argentina, thank you very much - it would have been very cool to try skiing in South America but we will have guests at our chalet in the alps throughout the summer season, and I'm not a gnarly touring, couloir skier who can take advantage of the late snow.... so it looks like skiing is out... but cities and vineyards are in! So I'm going to start a non-skiing South America advice thread in the apres ski zone... Thanks again for your advice.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Skiing in Chile is a bit easier to access compared to Argentina. If you ski around the central resorts outside of Santiago you can avoid booking a domestic flight (as required to get to any of the Arg. resorts). I would avoid early to mid July. For a 3 month trip consider later July into later Sept. If you are doing any backcountry you can ski well into October. Start around Santiago and make your way south. If you get a rental vehicle with permission to cross into Argentina you can easily explore both countries during your trip,. Here's a guide PowderQuest updates each year to help your research.
https://powderquest.com/south-america/chile/
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Thread resurrected after 9 years teamsbl?? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@mountainaddict, At least it's not spam!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Thread resurrected after 9 years teamsbl?? |
I actually searched for mentions of Chile! I guess, like me, people are actually thinking they might need some snow next summer!
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Cheaper than going to Australia and better skiing......could do a road trip!
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