 Poster: A snowHead
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I have a work trip to Rio De Janeiro coming up, probably won't be able to travel until mid-July.
Thinking of tacking on a trip to a 'nearby' ski area for a few days but I know nothing about skiing in South America.
Have done a bit of googling but any thoughts / ideas /information would be very helpful. Keen to cut down travel time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not much nearby Rio. Fly to Santiago probably your best bet.
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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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That's exactly what I'm thinking. Any experiences with resorts near Santiago?
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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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Easy enough to get up to El Colorado/ Valle Nevado from the city. Think there are shuttles. Portillo is a bit further but stunning location and more likely to bump into skiing rockstars there.
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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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I'll be there in late August for my second snowboard trip, but not resort based. I can tell you about the heli operations in some detail 
There are a few resorts close to Santiago, which is an interesting city and pretty relaxed. You can day trip to resorts, so that tells you they're pretty close. I think there are airport shuttle busses.
Portillo or valle nevado might be where most people would go. TGR used to have some interesting local generated user content, but with their troubles I think that's lost. Can't fly there direct from UK this year.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Went to Chile in 2007. Plane from London was late so missed the connection from Madrid to Santiago. Put up for a few hours in a hotel and then flown to Buenos Aires in Argentina. Just made a connecting flight to Santiago, a couple of snowboarders we had made friends with missed this cos their boards couldn’t be found in time, and they were only going fora week. Arrived Santiago to find our contact was not expecting us that day. She managed to find a taxi to take us to Portillo that evening. Fairly long drive, the cabby just managed to stay awake. Spent a week in the lovely hotel. Skiing was fun.
Then spent a week in Chillan, beautiful skiing on the volcano. Arriving back in Santiago we opted for a days skiing in Valle Nevado, and got a local taxi there. Vague recollection it cost about 50 US dollars for a 45 minute cab ride. Anyway it was a fun day.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Wed 28-05-25 10:08; edited 1 time in total
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Nevados Chillan is quite a way south - a 5 hour drive from Santiago by the looks of it. Is that how people have travelled there?
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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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| Quote: |
Nevados Chillan is quite a way south - a 5 hour drive from Santiago by the looks of it. Is that how people have travelled there?
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@phil_w, we went by train, about 4 hours as I recall, and then about an hour in a car
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| Quote: |
| Nevados Chillan is quite a way south - a 5 hour drive from Santiago by the looks of it. Is that how people have travelled there? |
We did an organised road trip with a US operator (Casa Tours). It was a great set up, with skiing at the areas near Santiago and at Termas de Chillan, plus cultural activities like a winery, markets etc. After the tour, we organised our own trip (booked a driver) to ski at Portillo and also went to the coast at Valparaiso. We had fantastic snow conditions, so had a brilliant time.
At the time (about 20 years ago, but feels like yesterday!) Casatours was operated by its founder and was very reasonably priced. However, it's since been sold and prices are now off the scale 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| phil_w wrote: |
| Nevados Chillan is quite a way south - a 5 hour drive from Santiago by the looks of it. Is that how people have travelled there? |
In S American terms that's the same as going to the corner shop
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You know it makes sense.
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Lots of information here - thanks all. Sounds like South America is a completely different experience to Europe, especially with surface lifts - which, as a snowboarder, I abhor.
I'm currently looking at Cerro Catedral in Argentina...
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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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The sling lifts in Portillo look absolutely mad!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Rusty76 wrote: |
Lots of information here - thanks all. Sounds like South America is a completely different experience to Europe, especially with surface lifts - which, as a snowboarder, I abhor.
I'm currently looking at Cerro Catedral in Argentina... |
I'm on a snowboard too, visited Santiago last Sept, and you will be ok in Tres Vallees (VN, La Parva, El Colo)... yes, plenty of surface, but also gondola and quads.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have been a few times over the years since my first visit in 1990..
The No 1 thing to understand is that South American snowfall is notoriously unreliable. Hit & Miss !!
Travelling from Europe you had to book months in advance for affordable fights & check the local Argentine & Chile Embassy Newspapers for basic conditions (snow depth)
Wind forward to nowadays I would only book an Airline ticket with a Flex option to cancel or Reroute for a Summer Holiday instead in say Mexico, etc...
In the OP case your already be in Brazil...so should be easy to pickup a last minute flight from Rio down to the neighbours
July & August is High Season (School Holidays) in all the SA Ski Areas.. Areas like Bariloche & Las Lenas get packed out actually with the lot of Brazilians.. Bariloche is very popular with Argentinian School Trips they drive by sleeper coaches from Buenos Aires (20hrs)
In my experience Chile is less crowded except the ski areas near Santiago (Valle Nevado & El Colorado,La Parva, Farrellones)
Portilio is spectacular for the scenery and drive up there. Skiing is what you make of it ... Accommodation very very limited
Termas de Chilan now called Nevados de Chillan is the best in Chile Decent long descents on the Volcano .. Lots of Americans visit here.
That being said I have had some Epic seasons down there !!
Earthquakes.. Yes they do happen.!!
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