|
|
| SKI Patagonia: Argentina + Chile |
 |
DATES: August – September
LOCATION: ARGENTINE PATAGONIA, BUENOS AIRES, CHILE
SKI: 7 resort ski days + 2 backcountry snow cat days
RESORTS: Chapelco, Catedral (Argentina) & Valle Nevado, Portillo, La Parva (Chile)
OFF PISTE: Baguales (Arg snow cat) + Ski Arpa (Chile, snow-cat)
COST*: Final Price TBD *Includes lodging, all ground transport starting at hotel in Buenos Aires, breakfast, dinner. Excludes lunch, ski equipment, lift tickets, air transport.
• This is a common ski adventure trip among friends. We all share in the decision making, planning, and expenses, and we all assume our own liability risk. We assume no liability. International health insurance is required. It’s important to make sure you have coverage abroad for a trip like this. We suggest World Nomads (www.worldnomads.com), which offers “explorer” health travel insurance and will cover us in case of any medical emergencies abroad. It costs ~$150 and is purchased easily/quickly on their website.
THE VIBE: Compact 12-day stoke. Strong emphasis on the unique, the full experience: top-class skiing, incredible local food & wine, and cultural patrimony.
OVERVIEW:
This compact, 12-day ski trip through Chile and Argentina is an advanced intermediate/advanced adventure to some of the best resort and backcountry skiing in Latin America. The trip includes 2 full days of snow-cat and snow mobile accessed backcountry descents in two of Chile’s and Patagonia’s
wildest private “refugios” in a truly off-grid, unforgettable experience.
We’ll also have time to see Santiago and Buenos Aires. Additional days can also be added at the end of our trip if more days in Buenos Aires are desired – highly recommended!
ITINERARY:
> DAY 1 & 2: FLY TO BUENOS AIRES (ARRIVE FOLLOWING MORNING)
Arrive late morning and tour the city. Many, many cool neighborhoods to check out. We will also find one of the best restaurants to eat our first meal at together in the evening. Accommodations in the vibrant, trendy Palermo Soho neighborhood.
> DAY 3: FLY TO BARILOCHE
Arrive to Bariloche and drive to San Martin de los Andes in Patagonia by 11:30am. Meet good friends and ski industry master professionals.
Ranked Argentina’s Best Ski Resort by the World Ski Awards, Chapelco offers a great mix of open bowls, easy backcountry access, and fun tree skiing. The dramatic views of the Lanin Volcano and the turquoise Lake Lacar make a spectacular backdrop. Chapelco has about 500 acres of terrain and about 2,300 feet of vertical drop. The upper parts of the ski resort are treeless, which is more typical of skiing in South America. These alpine areas offer off-piste riding amongst large bowls, gullies and rocky outcroppings. For those who want it, steep and gnarly terrain can be found in the side-country where there are chutes and bowls.
We will accomodate in our luxury ski villa, our base for the next two nights. For dinner, we will either explore the small city of San Martin de los Andes, or enjoy a well prepared Argentina meal at our villa.
> Days 4: SKI CHAPELCO
We will enjoy skiing and getting to know the best in-bound and off-piste areas. We hope to enjoy a local lunch with choripan sandwiches and guiso stew one day at Pradera del Puma, a high on-mountain restaurant followed by a top-notch Argentine asado dinner at a local ski legend’s house. We will spend a second final night at our luxury ski villa.
> DAY 5: SKI CHAPELCO / DRIVE THROUGH 7-LAKES REGION TO BARILOCHE
After skiing Chapelco on Day 5, we will drive three hours to Bariloche, passing spectacular scenery along the Route of the Seven Lakes. Bariloche is our next stop in Patagonia, and we will arrive in time for a superb Argentine dinner. Day 5 accommodation at a luxury ski villa in Bariloche.
> DAY 6: SKI CATEDRAL IN BARILOCHE / TRANSFER TO SLEEP AT CAT SKIING IN BAGUALES / SLEEP IN BACKCOUNTRY LODGE AT BAGUALES
After skiing we will be picked up at 5pm and the Patagonia adventure really kicks in! Get ready for a once in a lifetime true cowboy adventure in the Patagonian Andes. With a fleet of 4×4 trucks, Snow CATs, 4 tracks and snowmobiles we’ll head deep into Patagonia, fording rivers, dirt roads and old growth forest to access the remote private backcountry lodge at Barguales.
Arriving at dusk, the staff of Baguales will have a feast awaiting us in the rustic dome style backcountry lodge. Enjoy the outdoor hot tub watching the sunset over Patagonia. This is not the typical ski resort experience!
> DAY 7: CAT SKIING - SKI BAGUALES
We will have an epic backcountry free skiing day accessing thousands of acres of untouched snow with use of Baguales’ Snow CATs. This is real, raw Patagonia.
Return at 5pm to the dome’s main living area for apres-ski before returning to our luxury villa at Bariloche. We will explore Bariloche and have the best asado (Argentine barbeque) in town.
> DAY 8: FLY TO SANTIAGO
Fly from Bariloche to Santiago, arriving by 7:30pm. Chile is known for its seafood, and we’ll find the best “mariscos” for dinner. Accommodation in a 4-star boutique hotel situated in the bohemian, trendy Bellavista neighborhood.
> DAY 9: SKI LA PARVA / SLEEP AT POWDER LODGE
We will wake up and drive about 1 hour to one of Chile’s best ski mountains, La Parva. Many consider to La Parva to have the best powder in Chile – and it happens to be one of the closest to Santiago. The best “in the know” local skiiers and Santiago elite tend to favor La Parva. La Parva has good steeps, rip long high speed cruisers, and often untracked powder bowls. La Parva’s northerly facing terrain basks in the sun making for great spring corn skiing conditions and a vibrant deck scene. We will spend the night at the Powder Lodge, a local ski institution.
> DAY 10: SKI VALLE NEVADO / SLEEP IN SANTIAGO
Valle Nevado is about 20 minutes from La Parva and is one of the best ski resorts in Chile and gets an average of 21 feet of snow each year. It has very well-developed skiing infrastructure and is the grandest of Chile’s resorts. Valle Nevado has over 2,500 acres of terrain and a vertical drop of 2,657 feet and is geared mostly to the intermediate skier/rider with a couple of steeper bowls and chutes for advanced skiers. After skiing, we will return to Santiago and enjoy a first-class Chilean dinner and excellent wine.
> DAY 11: REST DAY / CHILEAN LUNCH AND WINE TASTING AT ERRAZURIZ OR FLAHERTY VINEYARDS IN ACONCAGUA VALLEY
On our way north towards Portillo and our next ski CAT adventure, we will take advantage of a well-deserved rest day. We will enjoy a delicious three-course lunch and excellent wine at either the acclaimed Errazuriz vineyard or the top-notch boutique Flaherty winery, about 2.5 hours north of Santiago in the Aconcagua Wine Valley. After lunch, we will continue to the Casa San Regis, an 18th century hacienda with great restaurant serving local Chilean dishes. We will spend the next two nights here and prep for skiing world-renowned Portillo and Ski Arpa (our CAT skiing adventure)
> DAY 12: SKI PORTILLO
We will drive 1.5 hours from the Casa San Regis hacienda to the Portillo ski resort. Portillo is world renowned and was put on the map in 1966 when it became the first South American resort to host the World Skiing Championships. The notoriety further increased when the 200km per hour speed barrier was broken in 1978 at Portillo, and the ski resort continues to be famous amongst expert skiers who visit Portillo for the amazingly steep slopes. Warren Miller loved Portillo so much that the resort has been included in his list of the top 10 ski resorts in the world. Return to sleep at Casa San Regis and rest up for our CAT day to come.
> DAY 13: ARPA CAT SKIING
Considered one of the wildest “ski resorts” in the world, Valle El Arpa, is unique. Climbing out of the Aconcagua Valley past stands of Saguro cacti, the road to Arpa is a 4x4 adventure in itself. In 2011 Arpa earned a spot on the Freeskiing World Tour. Austrian Ski legend “Toni” Sponar spotted this remote valley in search of new ski areas in the Andes. With over 5,000 acres of terrain and 3000 vertical feet, spectacular views of Aconcagua (highest mountain outside of the Himalaya), Arpa promises to be unforgettable. Afterwards, return to Santiago (2-hour drive) and to a spectacular final celebratory seafood dinner.
> Day 14: FLY HOME
VER GALERIA
 SKIMO Traful Safety Clinic
Expedición cabalgata + trekking avión de los uruguayos
Expedición Puna off road 4x4
Paseo en KAYAKS
Cruce a vela Río de la Plata
Multiaventura laguna Las Cargas
|
| |
|
|
|
