Ski in Chile - advice from an insider

[Casey E]

Great site, thanks klar.

Temuco looks rainy all the time, but compare it to the graph meteochile published and it is clear that all is relative to a "normal" year. This graph shows that although this year is normal for the south (light green for June and grey for Q2), the 24 month situation for Araucania and Bio Bio is very dry (black and red on the last map). 2012 and 2013 weren't good years, but luckily this year is great!



The YTD rainfall deficit for Santiago, even after last wednesdays rainfall, is still 30%-50%.

[klar]

Temuco looks rainy all the time, but compare it to the graph meteochile published and it is clear that all is relative to a "normal" year. This graph shows that although this year is normal for the south (light green for June and grey for Q2), the 24 month situation for Araucania and Bio Bio is very dry (black and red on the last map). 2012 and 2013 weren't good years, but luckily this year is great!

it looks rainy in my plot because the colours make the precipitation pattern throughout the year stand out, not single years. you can tell the last year in the plot was very dry. winters (July, August, September) in both temuco and santiago have been below average since 2010. in temuco 2012 was the driest year since 1953. this is the winter precp. anomaly compared to the 1980-2010 mean in mm.

[Casey E]

it looks rainy in my plot because the colours make the precipitation pattern throughout the year stand out, not single years. you can tell the last year in the plot was very dry. winters (July, August, September) in both temuco and santiago have been below average since 2010. in temuco 2012 was the driest year since 1953. this is the winter precp. anomaly compared to the 1980-2010 mean in mm.

These are good charts, too bad they don´t include May and June, when the base can start to be built. Comparing all the above charts, does however show that the 2008 and 2009 dry years were not concentrated in the 3 winter months your charts show.

Your Cerro Calan (a hill in eastern Santiago, 20 km in a straight line from Farellones) chart maps my 37 years of skiing in Chile! Here is my north-facing 2 story shack in La Parva as of August of 1987, the 20th century peak precipitation year:



That year it snowed about 25 days between July and August!

[klar]

These are good charts, too bad they don´t include May and June, when the base can start to be built. Comparing all the above charts, does however show that the 2008 and 2009 dry years were not concentrated in the 3 winter months your charts show.

well, how's this?

Here is my north-facing 2 story shack in La Parva as of August of 1987, the 20th century peak precipitation year:

That year it snowed about 25 days between July and August!

that is awesome

[Casey E]

Bit too much heat hit, and the 3 valleys are back to brown. Bits and pieces of good snow can be found, but things are getting rather dire. Same la Parva shot as in my last conditions update post, looking north at Falso La Parva from la Nevada lift:

This is Las Tortolas lift, with the Valle Nevado del Inca lift on the right horizon.:


And Pioneros lift in El Colorado with Andes Express on the peak above:

[Casey E]

Skied Valle Nevado today (sunny but cool), and the lower half is slightly better than La Parva upper runs, but the upper half of VN is icy, apparently from lack of grooming. Andes Express top is ice and rock and dirt and snow for first 200-400 meters. General view looks good though.

The 20-40 cm base is still there, and if it snows again, it will be good again. If the heat hits, the cat tracks will be the first to go, together with any north facing and flat slopes.

[scotttcb]

hi casey, thanks for all the info in this thread. i will be headed to valle nevado to ski the week of sept. 14. hopefully there's more snow between now and then. a couple questions if you don't mind: first, i've head that the week of the chilean independence day can be crazy, how will that affect my experience? bigger crowds?

i am planning on taking my boots down there but don't want to travel with skis, do you have any idea what the rental fleet is like there? my everyday ski at home is the s7


also, i will have about a week or so after being in valle nevado to check out some more of what chile has to offer. plan on a couple days in santiago, after that i'm open to suggestion. any ideas for me? i probably don't want to travel too far from santiago, i was thinking of checking out the coast. what are some cool, relatively chill, inexpensive places, towns i might put on my radar?

thanks in advance

[Casey E]

hi casey, thanks for all the info in this thread. i will be headed to valle nevado to ski the week of sept. 14. hopefully there's more snow between now and then. a couple questions if you don't mind: first, i've head that the week of the chilean independence day can be crazy, how will that affect my experience? bigger crowds? also, i will have about a week or so after being in valle nevado to check out some more of what chile has to offer. plan on a couple days in santiago, after that i'm open to suggestion. any ideas for me? i probably don't want to travel too far from santiago, i was thinking of checking out the coast. what are some cool, relatively chill, inexpensive places, towns i might put on my radar?

thanks in advance

Scott, the week of sept 14 is a holiday week, and everyone gets Sept 18/19 off. Not many people ski that week, they prefer parties in the country or beach, especially when the snow conditions are not good, so no problem with crowds. The 18th is fun, with BBQ's going full tilt and cueca music blaring. The 19th is military parade day, more BBQs and parties. On the coast, check out Los Molles, Maitencillo, or Horcones. They are cheaper than Zapallar or Cachagua, which are nice too.

[scotttcb]

Scott, the week of sept 14 is a holiday week, and everyone gets Sept 18/19 off. Not many people ski that week, they prefer parties in the country or beach, especially when the snow conditions are not good, so no problem with crowds. The 18th is fun, with BBQ's going full tilt and cueca music blaring. The 19th is military parade day, more BBQs and parties. On the coast, check out Los Molles, Maitencillo, or Horcones. They are cheaper than Zapallar or Cachagua, which are nice too.

thanks for the info, another question; i am planning on taking my boots down there but don't want to travel with skis, do you have any idea what the rental fleet is like there? my everyday ski at home is the s7

[moops]

Scott, the week of sept 14 is a holiday week, and everyone gets Sept 18/19 off. Not many people ski that week, they prefer parties in the country or beach, especially when the snow conditions are not good, so no problem with crowds. The 18th is fun, with BBQ's going full tilt and cueca music blaring. The 19th is military parade day, more BBQs and parties. On the coast, check out Los Molles, Maitencillo, or Horcones. They are cheaper than Zapallar or Cachagua, which are nice too.

If you are not connecting in SCL then you shouldn't have too much of an issue. I have been in that shit-show...traveling through Santiago over/during the independence holiday is not fun. It makes flying during T-day in the states look quiet and going to Woodstock look organized

[Casey E]

I don't rent but my impression is there is something for everyone., in the ski areas or in santiago. You should keep an eye on the conditions though, we are getting a heat wave with no snow in sight. I am going to the beach this weekend.....

[Casey E]

Another angle on the current central zone drought, is the atmospheric pressure trend of the South Pacific anticyclone, a semi-permanent high pressure system which gets stuck off the coast of northern Chile and southern Peru. When present, almost all westerly flowing low pressure systems are deflected south, depriving north/central Chile of rain. The warm waters of El Niño, together with a change in tropical wind direction, weaken this system and allow rain through to the desert north and the central zone. This graph shows the pressure anomalies over the past 44 years:



Seco=dry, Humedo=wet.

The Chilean weather service just published their monthly El Niño report, and it has been pretty much discarded for this year. Let's hope next year is better!

[gscruggs]

Hey Casey and others -- I'm heading to Chile from Sept 6-17. I have some work to knock out Sept 8-11 but then free and planning to ski. I've got the 12-17 open ideally for a longer trip. I toured in the Maule region in mid-September 2011 and had a great time but willing to venture further afield. If anyone would like to set up some touring plans, let's be in touch. I'm also x-posting to South America 2014 thread.

[Skiwald]

Heading down south next week for some Volcano skiing. Any updates on the conditions around there?

[gscruggs]

Heading down south next week for some Volcano skiing. Any updates on the conditions around there?

Thinking about Lonquimay, Llaima, and Villarrica in September. Any of those on your volcano skiing agenda?

[Casey E]

Got a heat wave over most of Chile, 30°C in Santiago, and the snow is going fast in the Central Zone. The South also getting spring weather up high, but with the tremendous base there, a drop in temperature and a good snowfall will bring winter roaring back. I gave up on the 3 valleys and hit the beach at Puertecillo:




Surf was mediocre, but the bikinis and swimsuits were out!

[Casey E]

The weather is forecast to change by this weekend, with a temperature drop and some precipitation coming. If anyone is interested in a 2 night rando outing to the Laguna del Maule area sometime next week, let me know. Sleep in a tent trailer with heater, ski to a hot spring, and explore the Campanario valley looking for lines. Timing will depend on the weather.

Next I plan to head to the Araucania for at least the first week of September, plan to be fine tuned this week.

gscruggs - looks like I will be busy from the 13th on, "national holidays week", but I will let you know if I will be in the volcano vicinity.

skiwald - where are you heading next week?

[klar]

Heading down south next week for some Volcano skiing. Any updates on the conditions around there?

the volcanoes are okay. osorno skied fine yesterday, bit hard up top, did not soften up despite very warm temps. corn lower down. some rime ice. resort is very thin but you can still skin from the parking lot. antillanca was corn all the way today, can also still just start from the base on skins if you don't mind getting them a little dirty. villarica and lanin look normal from a distance.

[Skiwald]

Thanks for the beta guys.

A buddy and I are renting a van in Santiago and driving south. No set agenda. Living in the van to be mobile. Just looking for good snow and ski some volcanoes. We'll be in the area Aug 22 - Sept 1. As of now we're thinking around Chillan, Pucon, and maybe Bariloche?

The only places i could find to refill airbag packs were in Santiago and they only listed BCA canisters. Any refill locations for ABS packs or anyone know of a place in Chillan or Pucon that can refill canisters?

Stoked to be back in SA skiing again!

[Casey E]

There is snow in the Laguna del Maule forecast (2,500m):

[Casey E]

New life for La Parva:


Guess i'll just head up there tomorrow instead of Chillan!

[Casey E]

Wierd year, today in Volcan Osorno, at 1,200m:



Lots of precipitation, but too warm....

[klar]

wasn't much better when we were there a week ago, upper part was fine though and you could get down to the parking lot on snow. some rime ice on the windward side

[Casey E]

La parva al instante!

[Casey E]

I plan to drive south from Santiago very early on Sept 1, probably hitting Chillan first, then Corralco. Anyone want a ride, PM me.