Thread: South America 2012

Season has stared or is about to start almost in all SA. We are working on a ski and snowboard camp for this season in cerro catedral, Bariloche... You'll get the best guides, hotels, and everything you need all round Bariloche at a really cheap price compared with other operationes. Hope to see you down here. If anyone is interested send me a PM.

Update 2nd day of 2012 Las Lenas season: got 12+ laps in on Cenidor wind was blowing little crusty just good Las Lenas lower mountain skiing. Still lots of fun boot top wind blown every lap my own. Now waiting for the top to open and some long walks to great terrain. I think LL is the only mountain really open other than Ushaiia's Castor which should be doing ok. Still hear that Chile is bad and Bariloche no snow. Should change soon though.

Originally Posted by Cedrik

I'm in contact with Jorge at www.andescross.com about doing a 3-4 day Frey Hut tour sometime between 8/27 or so and 9/5 and am looking for partners to split the cost. PM me if you're interested. I'm also looking for day touring/side-country partners without a guide.

Jorge is a super nice guy and will surely improve your frey experience

Originally Posted by tylerjames

Ushuaia may be good since its so far south and stays pretty cold. Cerro Castor opens on the 22nd and looks to have decent coverage but there is always the Martial Glacier outside of town that even has lift service and purty cheap. their website is in castallano www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/glaciarmartial and there is a refugio

hit or miss with slightly better chances of hit than the rest, probably. nice bc options around glaciar martial (that is not actually a ski area, it's one chair and one completely flat run), castor too but the area there is more suited for overnight trips imo. lots of roadside terrain around also. not sure about the status of the refugio at g. martial, you would have to find out who runs it currently and negotiate with them, it's not a regular hut, more like a coffee place that may or may not be open.

Originally Posted by ogendlesswinter

Update 2nd day of 2012 Las Lenas season: got 12+ laps in on Cenidor wind was blowing little crusty just good Las Lenas lower mountain skiing. Still lots of fun boot top wind blown every lap my own. Now waiting for the top to open and some long walks to great terrain. I think LL is the only mountain really open other than Ushaiia's Castor which should be doing ok. Still hear that Chile is bad and Bariloche no snow. Should change soon though.

Sweet.

Valle Nevado say they're opening up today (22nd).

http://www.vallenevado.com/en/blog/s...on-on-june-23/

Originally Posted by klar

Jorge is a super nice guy and will surely improve your frey experience

We've just corresponded via email so far and he does seem like a super nice guy. Since you've been to Frey, do you need a sleeping bag? The photos I've seen make it look sort of like a mid-range European hut, where wool blankets are all you really need.

i was there last two years ago and have been a few times in years before. it's gone from somewhat run down but charming to as european as they can make it, still charming though different. they've done major renovations downstairs, upstairs (sleeping area) not so much.

whenever i've been, everyone had sleeping bags and any blankets were more for the rare person that forgot theirs than the norm. you can obviously survive but it's much nicer with your own sleeping bag. (bedding/matresses might also not be as spotless as in most euro huts) i would definitely bring mine, check with jorge if you really want to save weight by leaving the bag.

Originally Posted by klar

everyone had sleeping bags

Then I will, too. I was trying to avoid bringing my big touring pack . . . At least my suspicions are confirmed, it's no Branca Hut, but it's all about the snow, terrain, and company anyway.

Thinking to head to Chile in September by myself for some ski touring / backcountry... Anybody will be there? I am looking for a partner to ski with...

i might be. i don't know what i'm doing with my life. i'd like to do 3 weeks leaving mid/late sept. have you looked at transportation or lodging?

No yet, I just decide a couple of days ago ... I looked at flight only for the moment ...
I'd like to leave in the first half of September for two weeks ...
I am sending you a PM ..

Originally Posted by 2climb

No yet, I just decide a couple of days ago ... I looked at flight only for the moment ...
I'd like to leave in the first half of September for two weeks ...
I am sending you a PM ..

cool. got your pm. i'm looking at a little bit later. it's likely i can do sept 10-24 (2 weeks) or sept 17-oct 9/16 (3 or 4 weeks). i'm very much concerned on budgeting, some things i'm tossing around

-i don't mind hiking sidecountry/bc at all, i just have no experience with hut/overnight tours
-Bariloche cause hostels are $15/night
-Mike Pow's post here - http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...078#post755078 - is excellent. i like the idea of using santiago as a base. maybe show up and see what the conditions are like in LL, if bad head to bariloche, or ride the santiago resorts Valle Nevado/colorado
-it seems like it's either "to LL or not to LL", if i choose to make LL a priority it seems like the better idea might be to fly into mendoza, wait it out in LL/malargue for a week, head south to bariloche, or even way further south to ushuaia (especially if i'm there in oct)
-i need to get Lonely Planet's South America on a Shoestring
-ball park for 7nights lodging and 3 lift tickets to LL around $550-$850
-Termas de Chillan seems to have some good terrain
- http://www.barilochevacationrental.com/ looks like if you get 7-8 people committed you could pay about $150/each for a week of lodging, access to Catedral, Cerro Bayo Chapelco , La Hoya and Antillanca
-if terrible snow head way south immediately to ushuaia "southernmost city in the world" ( http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...hlight=Martial ) Cerro Castor and martial glacier. staying in ushuaia 40min bus ride to cerro castor. (about $20/night lodging in ushuaia). flight from BA to ushuaia 3.5 hours and $150/one-way

questions-staying in Malargue seems cheap. good idea while waiting out LL or is it worth the extra money to stay up close to the mountain?

now my plans could completely get thrown out the window if i stumble upon cheap floor space somewhere (HINT HINT)

some sample itineraries-

Originally Posted by cloud cult

There's a good loop you can do; I did something similar to this in 2008, though I had more time and did it in the reverse order.

One thing to keep in mind is when traveling by bus the pass between Mendoza and Santiago can and does close frequently and for days at a time, and once it opens it's a miles-long jam of heavy trucks waiting to make it over.

Starting in Santiago you can day ski Parva, Colorado and Valle Nevado, then head north to Portillo. Ski shops in Santiago have shuttles to all these resorts daily. Cross over to Mendoza and ski Penitentes; again ski shops in Mendoza run shuttles to the area. Down to Las Lenas, then down to Bariloche -- a long ride. Ski Bariloche -- public busses go there -- then make the short hop to Angostura for Cerro Bayo, which you can get to using public busses, then north again to San Martin to ski Chapelco; travel agents run shuttles. Cross over into Chile and ski Pucon and climb the volcano if the weather is good, north to Chillan, a great underrated area, and then it's a simple ride to Santiago. You can ski Chapa Verde along the way, but it's not that great IMO.

Going this way you can take public busses the entire route. Busses are very nice and many serve full meals.

Originally Posted by smitchell333

My high level recommended itin:
1) Fly into Santiago - Colorado/Valle Nevado
2) Drive Chillan
3) Drive back to Santiago and fly to Mendoza - Las Lenas
4) Fly to Santiago and back on return flight

If you've got more time than 2 weeks than I'd recommend a longer leg in Chile and possibly southern Arg with Portillo, Lonquimay, Villarica, Antillanca, Bariloche area as a long road trip.

Originally Posted by Scottish_Skier

Looking forward to the official Paedee South American ski safari TR already!

One suggestion would be...

Fly into Buenos Aires.

Transfer to Mendoza and hit Las Lenas for 4/5 days.
(For off piste / powder skiing LL is the spot in South America.
Though it just a concrete ski resort and not actually a proper South American experience)

Then go down to Barilloche - which is a a proper town and one of the better places for touring round lot of resorts using a rental car and also seeing a little of Patagonia (Cerro Bayo / Chapelco / Catedral / La Hoya and Antillanca all within easy striking distance).

Other places on your hit list if your looking for other options might be Los Pennitentes (near Mendoza / LL) and Portillo (Chile, over the border from Mendoza) and Valle Nevado (3 resorts near Santiago, Chile) or even Cerro Castor (worlds most southern ski resort at Ushuia!)

Couple other things -

Santiago is only really closer access to the Chilean side of the mountains.
Buenos Aires is 20 hours from the Andes, but the overnight bus transfers are ok. Argentina is way cheaper, and probably has better skiing than Chile.
Getting around South America takes time, the distances are large, so what ever your final plan pick a few areas and enjoy them. Plus it would be a shame not to take some time to see the country side and cities too.

Few photos here, from 5 years ago!

http://www.haggistrap.co.uk/photostrs/argentina.shtml

Originally Posted by daver

i don't know what i'm doing with my life.

Then WTF are you waiting for, GO NOW! October's pretty dam late for SA.

Originally Posted by Shredhead

Then WTF are you waiting for, GO NOW! October's pretty dam late for SA.

i got a good summer job i don't want to burn any bridges with by leaving. i gotta at least make i through labor day weekend

edit: but you're right. i should book my flight for sept 4th

Arpa Catskiing opened yesterday

that view up to the left from inside the cat must look good...
ratonera!

Originally Posted by _Aaron_

Arpa Catskiing opened yesterday

Nice, did you snag the job thru the post here?

Keep us up on the conditions and I might just drop in last minute?

Originally Posted by daver

cool. got your pm. i'm looking at a little bit later. it's likely i can do sept 10-24 (2 weeks) or sept 17-oct 9/16 (3 or 4 weeks). i'm very much concerned on budgeting, some things i'm tossing around

I am open pretty much all suptmber, I was thinking on first half since weather condition should be a little better ...

Originally Posted by daver

-i don't mind hiking sidecountry/bc at all, i just have no experience with hut/overnight tours
-Bariloche cause hostels are $15/night


some sample itineraries-

I am looking more on real backcountry than resort, I really do not care of resort (apart for big powder day if I know really well the resort to find the right lines).
Bariloche (Refugio Frey) and Chillan (the volcanos) both are really interesting ... I am still deciding what to do, I may change the plans and go for a long trek in the cordillera blanca in Peru' ... I have to make my mind in the next few days based also if I find partners to ski with ...

Originally Posted by Shredhead

Nice, did you snag the job thru the post here?

Keep us up on the conditions and I might just drop in last minute?

Yup, Ill do my best on conditions. When Im up working, I have no internet so it might be a couple days to a week without updates.

As of a couple days ago (I havent been up since Wednesday) Coverage down low is non-existant but up high its pretty good. Conditions were a mix of windblown pow, breakable crust and windboard.

Oh, and the FWT is making a stop again in August sometime. See ya out there!

Anybody know any good guides in Bariloche, other than Jorge? He'll be guiding in Patagonia when I'm there. I always prefer to get recommendations rather than rolling the dice.

Also, what's up with hotels and others wanting payment is US cash? I never carry the amount of cash I'd need for the requests I've gotten.

Originally Posted by Cedrik

Also, what's up with hotels and others wanting payment is US cash? I never carry the amount of cash I'd need for the requests I've gotten.

Basically, Argentinians have even less faith than usual in the peso, and are trying to keep their savings in USD, while the government is trying to prevent this by putting controls on peso - dollar exchanges.

While the official bank rate is 4.5 pesos to the dollar, the street rate is 6 to 1.

Unless you just feel like being a nice guy, dont bother paying hotels in USD (unless they give you a favorable exchange rate). If you want to carry large amounts of dollars down here, find a trustworthy method for trading them at the street rate. This is illegal, so proceed at your own risk.

Thanks, Ilyon. I know about their inflation troubles, but I'm not going to put myself at risk carrying lots of US$.

sounding like a gringo and looking like one (which you will) puts you "at risk". Unless you like spending time looking for an ATM that'll work with your card (they aren't all compatible no matter what the sign says) and that has money (they can run out) and that will still ass rape you with fees I'd suggest carrying a decent amount of cash.

2 week loop (note: the problem with this is pass crossings, "los libertadores is open 24hrs but can close with snow, some of the other passes going south (i think most) aren't open 24 hrs a day and close more frequently with less snow). Fly into Santiago. Rent a car. Buy chains for the car at a home shop in Santiago. Ski at Nevado or the like. Drive to chillan. Drive south, stop at one of the side volcanos (i'm not a fan of pucon). Cross to the other side of the andes. Ski in greater bariloche area. Maybe drive south to esquel and ski. Sack up for the long shitty drive north. Ski somewhere off the road north if you want to tour. ski at lenas if there's snow. Drink wine in Mendoza. Ski at peninetentes. Go to Santiago. Go home. Lots of driving, driving in argentina sucks.

fwiw i wouldn't describe most of the lift-served skiing in south america as "resort" and little of it's anything like north america. other than it's snow the "backcountry" isn't much like the US either.

That's a great loop. You can make that long drive north from Bariloche to Mendoza a little more interesting by following Ruta 40, and making a side trip to Caviahue in the middle.

Originally Posted by llyon

That's a great loop. You can make that long drive north from Bariloche to Mendoza a little more interesting by following Ruta 40, and making a side trip to Caviahue in the middle.

Heh. I thought about including it but my experience at Caviahue was tons of wind and really flat skiing. Cool monkey puzzles and a nice vibe though. I can't vouch for the condition of RN40 on either side, either, several years ago there was a fair bit of potholed gravel road between caviahue and malargue which made for a loooonnnng drive. See attached pics (which I've probably posted before, oh well)

Originally Posted by Cedrik

Anybody know any good guides in Bariloche, other than Jorge? He'll be guiding in Patagonia when I'm there. I always prefer to get recommendations rather than rolling the dice.

Craig Ross from Andescross has a good reputation.