Ski Chile 2015

[Beder]

So nice to see snow falling at VN

[Jim S]

The answer this year is Argentina....

We can only pray. Possibly going last week of August but waiting to see how snowpack develops.

[skiandgolfnut]

i too am hoping for last week of august. have flights and hotel booked at portillo. can cancel hotel by 8/1 and flights will get stuck with credit and a change fee for next summer.

seems like this weekend is the make or break storm...fingers crossed. the snowforecast totals are crazy.

[tripice351]

I've got an award trip on hold that will put me in Santiago on the 23rd-27th of this month. Vacation days expiring, held out as long as I could. If the snow really does show up this weekend (and then preferrably more very soon thereafter.. not holding my breath), I'll be there. Will definitely try to link up with Casey. Would be great to link up with any other maggots too.

[Beder]

Friend at Portillo says they are looking for 200 cms. It has happened before though not lately.

[skiandgolfnut]

any reports from down there? seems like its dumping but tough to get first hand updates.

[Jonathan S.]

^ Although the resort websites usually aren't good on updates (with the notable exception of Chillan, which unfortunately still looks grim), some of the Facebook page posts are helpful, especially the first-hand reports from various commenters (with the usual caveat of course that on the internet nobody knows you're a dog):
https://www.facebook.com/SkiPortillo
https://www.facebook.com/Corralco
https://www.facebook.com/ValleNevadoSkiResort
https://www.facebook.com/SkiLaParva
https://www.facebook.com/SkiArpa

[Casey E]

Probably Portillo is the best of the facebook pages, Corralco updates theirs better than their website, and Valle Nevado is not too bad. But don´t expect a clear picture of snow conditions in general from the rest.

Note that the comments from users ("eyeball repórts") on snow-forecast are not to be trusted in general. There can be very misleading eyeball reports. Although Villarrica Pucon is closed this season, it is weird that people are posting snow info as though it were open. In the 3 Valleys, like La Parva and Valle Nevado, there are posts like "snowing heavily" etc, when there is no snow falling. Also, some say "another glorious day" when there is no snow whatsoever, or the skiing is dirty old ice. These would seem to made by businesses just interested in getting bookings.

Regarding Villarrica Pucon, it is still affected by the activity of the volcano, which has a yellow alert plus a no-go zone of a 3km radius around the crater, and the road up is in a lahar path This is impeding the opening of the ski area, which has informed they will not be opening this year. http://www.soychile.cl/Temuco/Socied...a-naranja.aspx

As for the big storm, as of sunset, nothing important has happened yet in the 3 Valleys. The clouds are hanging over the Andes without the normal northwest gales that herald a storm, but the barometer still says it is coming. As far as I can see, the whole thing is weakening from the prior forecasts. Portillo, which in these conditions gets more than the 3 valleys, has had snow falling today, and may accumulate more than the 3 valleys due to this.

If all goes well, I will probably head up on wednesday and will report....

[tripice351]

Thanks for your updates, and all the great info in this thread Casey. Looking forward to your beta!

[Casey E]

The storm was delayed and disappointed, but hasn't stopped yet, so tonight could make a big difference if it keeps snowing like it is now. Probably have between 50 and 80 cm accumulated as of now. Some photos from today:

Valle Nevado:


Portillo:


La Parva:

[tripice351]

Here's to hoping today and tonight are heavy.

Long range forecast has promise. A wave of snow for the southern resorts during the week, with a 2nd wave potentially reaching central zone next weekend/Monday. If the pattern takes hold, I will be happy....

[Altaholic]

One of my Jackson ski buddies lives in Chile. I hope he is getting face shots. He is damn good powder farmer in the face shot category.

Double Dog Leg in Granite. Nacho love getting shot in the face.

[Casey E]

Face shots coming up in Chile! A quick update on the condtions...

Corralco got their share and are now reporting (bottom to top):

Nieve acumulada: 1,15 mt
en base Zorro con Botas.
Nieve acumulada en base 1600: 155 cm
Nieve acumulada en retorno Volcán. 1,90 mt
Retorno Cumbre; 2,40 mt

Portillo got wacked too:

Nieve caída a la fecha 186 CMS
Nieve base actual Hotel 115 CMS
Profundidad Nieve Plateau 0 CMS
Profundidad Nieve Juncalillo 0 CMS
Nieve últimas 24 horas 45 CMS
Nieve últimas 48 horas 110 CMS
Nieve últimos 7 días 168 CMS
Tipo de nieve actual POLVO

No hard info from the 3 Valleys, but this is what Valle Nevado looks like:



Just in, a real time photo from my place in La Parva, they got about 90cm at the base:



El Colorado opens today, La Parva Wednesday and the rest not confirmed. Yahoo!

[Casey E]

A bit more stoke for the backcountry boys, volcano webcam from Planchon near San Fernando:

[capulin overdrive]

Another big thanks for the Chile 411!

[DasBlunt]

last min tickets to ARG and Chile are cheapish from Denver right now..

[Jonathan S.]

Such a major snowfall was of course inevitable just as I was leaving!
(And meanwhile the PNW has been going through a major heatwave in advance of my second volcano ski trip out there...)

Speaking of too late, I didn't notice these map downloads for Chile until just now:
http://www.openandromaps.org/en/down...middle-america

Instructions for using them within Backcountry Navigator (my favorite Android app for ... backcountry navigation):
http://support.crittermap.com/entrie...13ad-176403445

Backcountry Navigator also has a built-in topo map source for Chile (and pretty much everywhere else) via Open Cycle Map, although the detail is ho-hum.
Previews available here:
http://www.opencyclemap.org/
(And although the topo detail is ho-hum, some other details are very impressive, e.g., includes the exact contours of my house, including the screened-in porch!)

Another ho-hum detail option -- but entirely free -- is DeLorme's Earthmate app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...arthmate&hl=en
Its main purpose is connecting with a DeLorme inReach SE or Explorer to allow for full-keyboard two-communication via satellite (as the inReach's typing abilities are rather limited).
But with your phone in Airplane mode, yet connected to the Explorer's GPS signal, you can navigate and record track logs for days w/o a battery recharge.
Alternatively, the Earthmate app has downloadable worldwide topo maps, with detail that is at least better than nothing.
Plus the app can run off your phone's own GPS signal (i.e., instead of the signal from an inReach Explorer).

[tripice351]

Paging Casey E, and any other Southern maggots with a camera. .. more stoke please! Can't wait to get there.

[Casey E]

Just got to La Parva and it is, in a word, bleak. Rocks on the runs and poma lines. High winds trashed what little snow there was. Now cloudy and warmish. Photos coming up when 3G is good.

[Casey E]

Actually where there is snow, it is quite good. Got several good groomers in south facing runs, each with it's own shaky spots, which are worsening. Off piste iffy, but nice snow.

[Casey E]

Mid station looking south east:

[PNWbrit]

And meanwhile the PNW has been going through a major heatwave in advance of my second volcano ski trip out there...

Tickets refundable?... it's really bleak...we mostly all gave up yonks ago.

Doesn't help the SA itch.... must not look at airfares...must not look at air fares.

[Casey E]

View north from Fabres, south exposures with classic LP double fall line skiing, and some tracks, not too many rocks, but enough.

[Casey E]

While the 3 valleys scrape by with a 30cm base, which slowly deteriorates, Portillo looks like the spot to go right now. They have a 85 to 105cm base. The short term weather outlook doesn't look good for the central zone, so July may come and go without turning the season around.

The Chilean weather service is still saying "moderate El Niño", and predicts normal precipitation for the central zone in JAS quarter. It is doubtful this will significantly change the 40-80% deficits from Chillan north though.

Further south, from Los Angeles to Puerto Montt, they forecast above average precipitation. Corralco already has a 250cm average base, and Antillanca is looking very skiable too (http://antillancalodge.blogspot.com/...nquino-03.html), so my advice it to go south young men!

The forecast link: http://www.meteochile.gob.cl/predicc...<br /> <br />

[Casey E]

Skied El Colorado and had a good day on hard packed groomers. Fewer rocks and more options tha La Parva. Snow fences did their jobs, saving the day on the western exposures. Some phitos:, starting with the view to Cerro La Parva: