We went ski touring in Chile ?for the third year in a row over the past ten days. True to our style we went with a small group of clients (four) and one guide. Over the years, we’ve found a mall groups provide the best client experience.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1Standing on the summit of LonquimayAfter meeting the group at the Araucaniá airport (ZCO), we headed to Malalcahuello on the 25th of September. Mid-September-mid October generally provides the best conditions for skiing volcanoes; the weather is more stable and the snowpack has had time to settle out. Treeline at this latitude is relatively low~1700-1800m, thus storm skiing is challenging on the volcanoes with reduced visibility.
The weather looked good for our first couple of days in Malalcahuello, so we headed for the summit of Lonquimay on day one. Moderate temperatures and moderate ridge top winds made for a great summit day and ski descent down the east face.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1Lonquimay ski descentThe group was keen to harvest some of the fabled Chilean corn, so the next day we headed into the Reserva Bíosfera Araucarias to chase some sheltered corn runs. We filled our boots with 600-700m corn cruisers while soaking in leisurely transitions amidst araucaria groves.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C775&ssl=1A significant low was bearing down on us so we skied two big days at the start of the trip. The third day we headed east to an old ski area that is now run by local Mapuche people (the largest indigenous nation in Chile) as a backcountry ski area. We made the most of challenging conditions and the approaching low and got a some skiing in before the weather deteriorated too much. The highlight of the day was hanging with Pedro (a local guy who runs the ski area) in the “ruka” (Mapuche for house) by a fire.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1With two days of precipitation ahead of us, we made a break for Pucón the following day and visited a hot spring along the way. The riverside thermal pools made for an incredible soak on a rainy day.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1After the soak, we stopped into a local feria for a steaming hot bowl of cazuela de carne.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1The skies cleared for the second half of the trip and provided optimal conditions for skiing the volcanoes around Pucón. Some companies choose to jump from one volcano to another, which is an awesome, but unsettled trip format.
Personally, I prefer to auger into a couple of different zones and explore them more extensively. IMO, it makes for a more relaxed pace and the chance to get to know a couple of zones better than skimming through numerous zones in a short period of time. Thus we settled into our accommodations on an estancia outside of Pucón and skied four days on Quetrupillán and Rukapillán.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1The low exited Pucón cold making for a breezy and glazed day on Rukapillán. The low pressure had come with significant winds, thus we had to seek out sheltered east and northeast aspects to find soft and smooth snow. Unfortunately, the summit was closed due to recent volcanic activity this year and we had to stop our ascents at 2600m. That still left 1400m to ski, so there was no shortage of fall line.
[IMG]file:///private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/76AE4C8F-2DC0-4E4F-AEE0-320BABABD270/tmp/org.automattic.MediaImageServiceSymlinks/thumbnail-bbc3ddaf-bcfa-48a4-84f1-d09bcfc7599a-1365x1024.jpeg[/IMG]https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1Lomo vetado for the winQuetrupillán is one of my favourite tours in the area as it’s an incredibly varied adventure. The sinuous dirt road up the valley is just the beginning. It’s not a short day, but the juice is worth the squeeze as a hike through old growth coihue trees leads up to expansive views, summit and incredible ski descent.
https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...3%2C1030&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/arctosguides.com/w...30%2C773&ssl=1We spent the last two days of our trip exploring the expansive flanks of Rukapillán. The massive volcano offers 360 degrees of skiing, some glaciated and all of it is outstanding. The classic approach is great, but busy. If you’re willing to go off the beaten path, there are plenty of fresh and engaging lines to explore.
