Valle Nevado 8/28-9/4 :-)

[snowsprite]

Anyone interested...please PM me your email address and I'll put you on the loop! Yo hablo español!
:cool:
Sprite
***************************************
This ski season ended waaay too soon... So I'm going to Valle Nevado, Chile in August!

Date: 8/28/04 - 9/4/04 (includes labor day weekend...extra day to recover from the skiing and festivities)

Flights range in price from $853 (for 18 hr flight) or $1053 (for 11 hr flight) Package below not including airfare. You may use frequent flyer miles or I can help refer you to sources for discounted airfare. Airlines to consider: LAN, American Airlines, Delta

Ski and Stay package: $853 for Puerta Del Sol (standard first class hotel). This includes 7 day lift tix, lodging for 7 nights and 3 meals a day!

You can choose from a double room or a quad. A quad room will be a little less than the $853 (details on that to come). Airport transfers an additional $30 per person ($15 each way). The resort is only about an hour from Santiago airport.*

We hope to hire some local guides when we arrive to take us around the VAST resort area. There are heli-skiing and off-piste opportunities available.

Please respond before June 10th so we can finalize our plans! Trip size is limited to 20 people.

*I'm still negotiating prices, and these may drop pending contact with a few agencies

Read about Valle Nevado: http://www.southamericaskiguide.com/Chile/vnevado.htm

Read about Puerta del Sol hotel: http://www.chileanski.com/eng/valle_nevado/hotels/puerta_del_sol.htm

[Buster Highmen]

In February, officials in the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen established the world's first formal stock-market-type arrangement in which farmers and producers can efficiently buy and sell liquid manure. And the London Evening Standard reported in March that soaring funeral prices in Germany have created markets for cost-saving services, including a thriving business in sending loved ones' bodies to Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic for disposal (a phenomenon known in the trade as "corpse tourism"). [Reuters, 2-24-04] [Miami Herald-Knight Ridder, 3-26-04]

[snowsprite]

Sorry, my bad I guess. Carry on!
;)
Sprite

[bad_roo]

Last week of January I've booked the Snowsprite family into Alpe d'Huez.

[snowsprite]

Dang Roo...I better start shopping now so I have enough frequent flyer miles by then. I'm heading straight for the mall after work. My husband thanks you in advance!
:D
Sprite

[non grata]

what made you decide on valle nevado vs. las lenas or portillo?

[snowsprite]

Well, a few things...

1. Ease of access
It's only about an hour from Santiago airport. When you're looking at a 17 hr flight, adding on a lot of travel time to the ski mtn isn't a good option.

2. Nice package price
I was going to "backpack it in Las Lenas" but for this first foray into SA...I'm going the easy route. This is all inclusive and will allow me to relax and get a feel for the area. Meals are included which is a huge plus. I researched the accommodations and they are decent--not too fancy and not skeevy, just somewhere in the middle.

3. Snow reliability
According to Minotauro and other sources I looked at, they appear to have more snowfall/slightly longer season at VN than some of the other places (i.e., Barioloche).

4. Terrain
From what I've researched, the terrain on-piste weighs heavily toward the intermediate...but there are plenty of advanced trails and also off-piste options. I've learned that for the first day or two it's a good idea to get a guide. The trails there are not very well marked like we are used to here in the U.S. One wrong turn and you can find yourself with a heck of a hike back to a lift/the hotel...or facing some mongo cliffs w/ no idea what to do (except maybe huck 'em if you're crazy?)

I'm probably taking a flight back on the 5th so the hubby and I will spend a day and night hanging out in Santiago seeing the sights. I'm pretty stoked about that too...I wanted to see the city as well. I would really love to stay extra time and head to easter island, but my kid starts school and I already feel guilty enough leaving him w/ the grandparents and his aunt for a week.

Oh, for anyone flying in to Santiago...there's a $100 fee just for entering the country. This is usually not covered in packages or airfare. Still, it's a pretty good deal. I was going to check out the round trip flights from NYC from 1-800-argentina and post the current prices here. When I do an expedia-travelocity thing the flights are looking like $850 and up with most in the $1,000+ range. Kind of steep! The trip works out very cheap if you have the frequent flyer miles. I believe Delta is costing 50K miles now and American Airlines is only 40K. Delta still has frequent flyer seats left on flights going out 8/26 and 8/27.

Sprite

[snowsprite]

One other thing about Valle Nevado...

I found out it is bigger than Portillo. A few people I communicated with said they felt Portillo for a whole week would not be as fun as a week in VN. In VN, trails connect to both El Colorado and La Parva ski areas. There's just more to see and ski in VN if you are staying a whole week.

Andes web has really good information on all the areas. I will be checking this snow report link quite a bit!

http://www.andesweb.com/snowreport.html

[non grata]

4. Terrain
From what I've researched, the terrain on-piste weighs heavily toward the intermediate...but there are plenty of advanced trails and also off-piste options. I've learned that for the first day or two it's a good idea to get a guide. The trails there are not very well marked like we are used to here in the U.S. One wrong turn and you can find yourself with a heck of a hike back to a lift/the hotel...or facing some mongo cliffs w/ no idea what to do (except maybe huck 'em if you're crazy?)

the "intermediate on-piste wasteland" was something that stuck in my mind when i was deciding about where to go in sa. there should be plenty of good terrain to get lost in with 21,000 acres, though it's been difficult to find anything about it. i've also heard that portillos is a bit claustrophobic, but also that it's easy to traverse to good off-piste.

carbone travel (1-800-argentina) has tix to santiago for around $630 last i checked and i believe they book through aerolineas argentinas. i would advise against buying em until i check them out personally in queens (i don't trust travel agents, or many other agents for that matter.) i'll give a report on the results.

even after countless posts read, websites scoured and people questioned, it's still too close to call; everyone has their favorites. with only a week vacation LL is definitely out and i really wish i could stay longer to check out santiago and valpariso since i've been wanting to go to sa for such a long time... but with turns to be made on such a short stay i guess that won't be possible this time around.

thx for the input, sprite. :)

[snowsprite]

Well if you end up going the VN route around the time I am there please let me know...would love to make some turns w/ you!

Also would you mind PMing me info when you check out that Carbone travel fare thing? I have some peeps looking for the cheapest air tix possible. Much appreciated dood.

Sprite

[non grata]

right now i'm leaning a bit more towards portillo, but time will tell. we can always do vt this winter... i was a NE virgin until last year so i still have lots to see up there.

i'll try to pay carbone a visit this weekend to check em out and let you know if i get a good vibe from them. is there anything in particular you want me to ask em about besides:

- airfares (aug/sept)
- blackout dates
- airline they use to go to santiago
- changes made to reservations (in the US and chile) and applicable fees
- refundability
- additional fees, if any

oh yea, my boss got held up at the airport on his way to brazil because he didn't have a visa. he pointed out on his ticket that a visa isn't needed yet they said that even if he did arrive in brazil, they'd send him right back to the US. i know there's an "entry fee" of $100 when arriving in santiago but is there anything else needed (besides a passport of course) ? should i call the chilean embassy to check?

[snowsprite]

That's a good question! I think I'll check the embassy website. I'll post what I find here. Hold off on the call.
Sprite

[non grata]

aye chihuahua! www.chile-usa.org links to http://www.prostitutas.com/relatos-eroticos

[snowsprite]

Hahahahah!!! I know, I was on the consular information sheet:

http://travel.state.gov/chile.html

and clicked on the "further information link" and got our "access denied" link.

But looks like from the consular info sheet that only a passport is required and the entrance fee (which I found out is $100)

Sprite

[snowsprite]

LACSA flights to Santiago out of JFK are coming up around $668 rd trip on Expedia. Not too bad a price.

Before, I was seeing only $1,000 + flights that were Delta/AA. Not sure how good an airline LACSA is, but anyway there you have it!

Sprite

[non grata]

LACSA = Lan Chile?

my friend who's going down to chile has been searching on airgorilla.com and has been coming up with some cheap tix too. i think she's found a few for $700ish. no idea why fares are dropping but i'm not going to complain.

carbone has some pretty shitty hours... closed on the weekend and 5:30pm during the week. i'll try to take off from work early.

[Minotauro]

Sprite, I dont think it is important to get a guide on the first day unless you want the offpiste. If you are going to stick to the traisl, just grab a trail map and navigate it. Although the trails dont have signs like in the US, I dont think you will get lost...

On the other hand, if you plan to do BC, a guide is necesssary.

[Albertski]

I´m a local at Valle Nevado. This week we´re expecting a foot of snow or more, so I encourage anyone who was hesitant about this season in Valle Nevado, to give it a go. Valle Nevado has a great ski area of its own and its connected with El Colorado and Farellones. adding up an inmense varety of terrain and more than a kilometer of vertical drop. During August we usually enjoy dry powder and sunny days and empty slopes during weekdays.

I own a condo in Mirador del Inca (ski in) that confortably fits 7 people, its very close to the slopes and has a great view.

It´s a very convenient no intermediary deal.

please email: astern@puc.cl for more info.