Ski Chile 2017

[Casey E]

Snow stopped falling early yesterday evening, then got roughed up a bit by the wind, but between the bit of fresh and the wind, Saturdays tracks were mostly filled in.



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[Casey E]

While there will still be some powder to be found in the higher wind protected backcountry, warmer temps will start to make those tracked up lift accessed spots tedious to ski. While groomer conditions will be good for a few days after this long weekend finishes tomorrow, the light snowfalls since last Wednesday were not quite enough to change the direction of the season in the central zone. There are still rocks lurking, which will become more exposed as the days go by. More is needed if the conditions are to be reasonable into September. That said, what a difference a day can make, as shown by last Fridays dump, even 3 days later we were making eights







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[ZebraHead]

Ski Arpa on Saturday.

Approx 10" of fresh, sunny, no wind. Very usual combo at SA. Fantastic morning. New storm closed in around 2pm.

[Norseman]

That looks fun

[kamtron]

Antuco was good yesterday. Skied the NE summit slope before linking mellow bits back to the ski area. Made friends with a French hitchhiker we picked up and ended up summiting with him. Another few French and Italian folks (who had a drone!) rounded things out. Oh, and Frank the German expat living down the road was good to chat with part way up.









Amazing amount of skiing to be had farther out from Laguna del Laja if you had the time. Even a traverse to Chillan looked great with the right weather. Not to mention extreme lines on Sierra Velluda. Sounds like in another month is prime spring season.


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[Norseman]

Thanks for the pictures, Kam. Got me swooning

[kamtron]

Now that I'm getting a taste I'll surely be back for more! On our way to tour the araucarias and hot springs around Curacautin on this rainy day (maybe a meter of fresh coming to the volcanoes) before heading to Cajon del Maipo tomorrow.


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[Fwjdawson]

Hey,
So I'm currently sat in Rome airport waiting for my flight to Santiago. I had booked to stay in Portillo from the 19th to the 26th of August, but just got an email from the hotel saying snow conditions are pretty sketchy at the moment and that if I wanted to I could get a full refund on my reservation. This has got me slightly worried and I'm now considering whether to go to Portillo and run the risk of not having great snow, or cancelling my reservation and then doing my best to chase snow around the Andes. Was just wondering if some of you guys who are down in Chile now might be able to give me some advice on what conditions are like and what you would recomend doing? I'm not too bothered about on piste conditions as we pretty much just ski back country hence the appeal of Portillo. Thanks for the help

[Norseman]

Sounds great. Pehuenes!

[klar]

Hey,
So I'm currently sat in Rome airport waiting for my flight to Santiago. I had booked to stay in Portillo from the 19th to the 26th of August, but just got an email from the hotel saying snow conditions are pretty sketchy at the moment and that if I wanted to I could get a full refund on my reservation. This has got me slightly worried and I'm now considering whether to go to Portillo and run the risk of not having great snow, or cancelling my reservation and then doing my best to chase snow around the Andes. Was just wondering if some of you guys who are down in Chile now might be able to give me some advice on what conditions are like and what you would recomend doing? I'm not too bothered about on piste conditions as we pretty much just ski back country hence the appeal of Portillo. Thanks for the help

The base isn't great in any of the locations around Santiago but people are certainly skiing, as Casey E demonstrates in this thread. I understand the situation in Portillo to be similar to the Santiago resorts, i.e. pretty bony but if you're not too picky you can make do. The base situation is better further south (see kamtron's pictures), the snow quality changes from day to day wherever you go.

Chillan skied okay two days ago, very dense and heavy "pow" at low and middle altitudes, rather wind fucked higher up.


Cool shot!

[Beder]

Dawson, I'm at Portillo now and while it is thin there is still good snow up high. The chutes between Roca Jack and Estadio have skied very well this week. Forecast says snow late Friday.

[Fwjdawson]

Dawson, I'm at Portillo now and while it is thin there is still good snow up high. The chutes between Roca Jack and Estadio have skied very well this week. Forecast says snow late Friday.

Glad to hear it. My preference had been to stick with Portillo for the sheer uniqueness of the place. Always off putting when a hotel offers you a full refund because of snow.

[Beder]

If it snows you're golden. If it doesn't it will deteriorate

[Fwjdawson]

I do like snow

[Casey E]

Hey,
So I'm currently sat in Rome airport waiting for my flight to Santiago. I had booked to stay in Portillo from the 19th to the 26th of August, but just got an email from the hotel saying snow conditions are pretty sketchy at the moment and that if I wanted to I could get a full refund on my reservation. This has got me slightly worried and I'm now considering whether to go to Portillo and run the risk of not having great snow, or cancelling my reservation and then doing my best to chase snow around the Andes. Was just wondering if some of you guys who are down in Chile now might be able to give me some advice on what conditions are like and what you would recomend doing? I'm not too bothered about on piste conditions as we pretty much just ski back country hence the appeal of Portillo. Thanks for the help

I am going to do an update on general conditions in Chile and prospects (following). My only suggestion would be to cancel the week at Portillo, then go for the day or a couple of days, depending on what they offer you (phone them). For the rest of your time, go where it looks best. You still get to experience Portillo, and don´t waste your time there if the conditions don´t improve.

[Casey E]

Now that "high season" is over, and the foreign tour groups are peaking, it is a good point to have a look at current conditions and prospects for the rest of the season.

This is the time of year when spring normally kicks in in the central zone, with fewer storms and less precipitation, and rising temps. This by no means precludes epic powder days, the chances just diminish. Meanwhile, further south, the snowline also creeps up and storm intensity diminishes, but there can still be fairly frequent snowfalls (and rain). This is what the snow forecast looks like now (remember to divide by two):




So there is a reasonable possibility of the central zone maintaining their base. The groomers are already superb in the three valleys, and the cover off-piste is better than it was before the last snowfalls. So with this forecast, things don´t look too bad for the next 10 days.

Meanwhile, folks in the Araucanía are starting to talk about a "terremoto blanco". For the uninitiated, this means "white earthquake", and was coined back in the 90's when an earthquake in the north caught all the attention and money, while the farmers and herders in mountains of the south were buried under many feet of snow. Animals were dying, pipes bursting, roads blocked, and so on, and they tried to wake the government up to their plight using that term. Incidentally, the skiing was phenomenal into October.

Recent photos from Corralco




Recent photos from Pucon Villarrica




And Antillanca




Corralco reports 270cm of new snow in seven days, and you can see the forecast is looking like lots more is on the way. They claim to have a two meter base at the "Gato con Botas" restaurant (1,500m). The hotel further down also has a lot of snow around it, so this means the snowline is abnormally low. Further south still, in Antillanca, they report 2.5 meters at the top and 1m at the bottom, which is also very good. From the recent pictures of Antuco by Kamtron, there appears to be lots of snow there too. I understand even the south-central backcountry places, like Laguna del Maule, also recovered their snowpack to near normal levels. Chillan has also shaped up with the recent snowfalls.

So, in spite of the shortage of snowpack in the northern areas, things look pretty good overall for skiing in Chile. The thing about the snowfall forecasts for the central zone, is that it is often hard to predict exactly how far north the storms will get. Although low pressure fronts rotate clockwise (wind from the north), they generally move from south to north as far as the gigantic South Pacific high pressure system lets them (it sits off the coast of Peru and Northern Chile, and normally weakens only in the winter). So for example, this year, they didn´t quite make it to Portillo, giving the 3 Valleys a slightly better base, even though Portillo normally gets more snow from being up on the continental divide rather than the front range like the 3 Valleys.

Watch the snow forecast dynamic weather map for the central zone (Santiago) to see how the storms progress north. In this view, the lowest dot is Las Leñas, and the upper ones are Arpa and Portillo. http://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/dynamic/santiago

A screenshot for late tomorrow

[Casey E]

I am in the preliminary planning stage of a ski tour in September, and would like to know if there's interest in joining in. This would be oriented to resort and sidecountry but open to the full range of skiing possibilities, and older folks, like myself and my wife, that enjoy a bit of comfort as well as adrenaline.

So the deal is -

Full flexibility and few advance reservations, with the weather and snow conditions dictating the final itinerary, as well as the interests of the group. This is low season, so reservations are in general unnecessary and last minute deals should be had. Initial destinations to be considered:

Portillo
3 Valleys
Chillan
Antuco
Corralco
Las Araucarias (Llaima)
Villarrica
Mocho Choshuenco (Huilo Huilo)
Antillanca
Osorno
Backcountry where possible

Length - about 10 days. Interested parties could join for all or part of the trip.

Start date - Sometime in the first 2 weeks of September, flexible depending on the interested parties dates.

This will be informal, and everyone pays their own way and is responsible for their antics. I expect me and my wife's lodging and skiing expenses to be paid by the group (if the group is big enough, otherwise we would have to work something else out). Initially, we will be looking for the best lodging available, as close to the skiing as possible, without unnecessary luxury or expense.

No age or gender restrictions, but note we are not cheapos or all night partiers.

I will make every effort possible to point people in the right direction for the best slopes and snow, depending on their interests and abilities. The only thing I rule out is dangerous extreme nutty stuff. With consensus and $, cat or sled accessed skiing is possible.

I will coordinate lodging, special interest stops (like hot springs, viewpoints, shopping etc.), down day activities, visits to local eateries, lift ticket purchases, and transport if necessary (a good vehicle rental is best, we have a 4Runner and can carry two additional skiers). For those interested in getting off the beaten track, I will propose back road options. We will get the maximum discounts obtainable on lodging, meals, and lift tickets for all joining in (via our Chilean telco and credit card deals, and local knowledge). Chilean lore, anecdotes and translations will be provided liberally.
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This is the first time I do this, so suggestions are welcome. If interested, PM me with your thoughts.

[kamtron]

Hey peeps, we took yesterday to explore the area around Curacautin including a walk around the araucarias of Reserva Malalcahuello (Corralco ski resort). Snow level is below the park boundary and maybe 40-80 cm at the hotel where we walked to the araucaria milenaria nearby. Corralco looks like a very cool little resort and zone for ski touring. It is very far from Santiago- we are spending today driving up that way.

It has been pouring on us all day, so seems like the mountains are getting a good refresh and there appears to be another storm coming next week.

If you are coming in September for ski touring I would skip the resorts, rent a 4x4 vehicle if it's in your budget, and head for the hills. My guess is the volcanoes need a while before they get a consolidated snowpack. Powder hunting until then.


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[kamtron]

Lonquimay and Corralco






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[klar]

Chopo Diaz and another guy apparently skied Sierra Velluda east face, in what looks like good conditions.

[byates1]

This is the first time I do this, so suggestions are welcome. If interested, PM me with your thoughts.

what is life without great joy and great suffering.

and if you can experience it at once, that is living.

will pm w my thoughts. thank you.

[Norseman]

Chopo Diaz and another guy apparently skied Sierra Velluda east face, in what looks like good conditions.

Holy shit, that looks prime.

[kamtron]

Saw some people touring that way and another on a sled on Tuesday while we headed halfway up Antuco. Nice powder on the sheltered part of our volcano, imagine they got it real good


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[ZebraHead]

About 2 feet fresh and light up top at Las Lenas overnight. Another 2 feet due Wednesday.

Needed to replace the 5 feet that fell this month but was then blown away by a week of consistent, very strong winds

[kamtron]

Woke up this morning to 13 cm of blower in Baños Morales and no winds down low. Seeing plumes high, above 4 k but winds probably still not too strong.






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