Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel99
Which resorts then are better "controlled"? I heard that the Farrellones resorts and Portillo are good. Catedral, Chapelco, Termas too. Others??
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel99
Which resorts then are better "controlled"? I heard that the Farrellones resorts and Portillo are good. Catedral, Chapelco, Termas too. Others??
Light dusting this morning at lake level here in Bariloche!
woot! :)
jay, i am not sure it is a good idea to rely on anything being "controlled".
He is right that you mostly can count on in-bounds to be controlled at Valle Nevado, Portillo, and even LL.Quote:
Originally Posted by klar
The issue is that in-bounds (in this case) excludes almost all the terrain worth skiing and there being a lifetime's worth of spectacular terrain just a few steps outside LL's boundaries (for example).
Klar, that might be the understatement of the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by klar
It's kind of like Europe. Avy control work is done in certain locations to protect infrastructure (lodging/lifts, etc..) but not all skiable terrain is covered. For example, Lenas does extensive work in some areas (El Collar above Neptuno, East faces above the village) but very little in other parts (some of the south facing Marte chutes & the entire North Face, areas outside Volcano, etc...). I would also suspect that Catedral does very little, if any, control work in the Laguna region.Quote:
Originally Posted by 801 jav
If you venture off-piste, it's a good idea to have a beacon, probe, shovel with you and know how to use them. Many people will ski these areas without them, but I wouldn't advise it.
Catedral seemed to be well handled when the Santa Rosa rolled in a couple of years ago. I'll let Yoss and the Rev chime in more since they may have noticed things I missed at the time. But lift openings and bc access appeared to be handled well. Also, it came in like a classic Sierra dump; so I'm sure that helped.
He's not necessarily talking about getting a mountain guide, he's talking about having a travel coordinator. It's a damn good idea. Having had shit go wrong down there, I can say it's really nice to have a knowledgeable, well connected person on your side.Quote:
Originally Posted by cj001f
too each their ownQuote:
Originally Posted by Arty50
afaik, they do nothing in laguna, segundo lomo or la palmera, which are the main easy access offpiste runs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel99
what they did control and on occasion "close" was the nubes area right in the middle of the resort. i understand they have got the nubes chair working this season so i assume some of the less interesting terrain accessed from that ridge will now be groomed. should still be some nice bits there though, even if they will get tracked much faster with the new chair.
oh, and what arty says about catedral lift openings: i may be wrong but i got the distinct impression that they are not at all dictated by control work but mainly due to strong winds and snowed in or broken lifts. ofcourse dangerous snow conditions and stormy "we can't run the chairs" weather often coincide...
When I was there Laguna was officially BC. So no control there. I have no idea where the other two are since I don't even know all the names on my home mountain. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by klar
Good point. In fact they may have even been closed due to lack of lifties. No idea. Oh and please don't mention Catedral and broken lifts in the same sentence. *Shudder*Quote:
oh, and what arty says about catedral lift openings: i may be wrong but i got the distinct impression that they are not at all dictated by control work but mainly due to strong winds and snowed in or broken lifts. ofcourse dangerous snow conditions and stormy "we can't run the chairs" weather often coincide...
Hi! So I read your blurb indicating that Octagon was better than Inca, and Tres Puentas was great as well. I only have a week to spend there at the end of July, and I'm trying to decide which resort I want to stay at. Which do you recommend for a better snowboarding experience? My friends and I are a mix of intermediate to advanced snowboarders. We dislike the traverses, but will take them if they lead to untracked powder. Any description/comparison/further recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
mh yeah, i don't really get all the bc/ob/inbounds but not groomed stuff, my simplistic european viewpoint is that if it's not a groomed piste it's your own problem. if laguna is on the lookers left end of the resort, lomo and palmera are on the right, down in or near the trees and bushwhack back to the base. i just know what the runs are called because i like offhandedly telling people how i skied totally sick shit in some place with an exotic name :biggrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by Arty50
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arty50
It's hard to really appreciate the A-Factor until it really screws up your plans. When you're on a long trip, it might not affect you too much, but for people with only a couple of weeks to spare it definitely swings the argument in favor of an organized/guided trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by cj001f
In SA, if it's not groomed, you can't assume it's controlled or safe.
It's like Euro-rules, only more so. Assume nothing, and take care of yourself.
Regarding Catedral, Laguna was def not controlled when we were there, and I doubt it is now that it is officially "inbounds." Same for the other areas. Of course, these areas DO get traffic anyway, and people will go out there after storms with no avy gear whatsoever, but for me personally, I'll always be beeping + shovel/probe + partners out there.
Dropping off the back to Refugio Frei is known to be particularly slide prone. Grab a local guide for the day to do that.
And yes, I concur, lift openings have to do with lifties, wind, weather, and so on, not snow safety.
Gotta love it there! Can't wait to get back. (Seriously!) :)
EnLos, Split, and you others, definitely keep us posted on conditions!!
Since we are talking about controlled/not controlled in bounds, I have to repost this slide I set off ski cutting Exocet last year at Las Leñas. The crown was about 18 inches and several hundred feet wide. This is very lift served and in full view, but ski patrol doesn't control the south side because the terrain is too rad for them to ski:rolleyes:
Nice pic Enlos, that would raise some concern if you saw that happen inbounds often here in the states.
Concern? How about a lawsuit?Quote:
Originally Posted by 801 jav
Is your group interested in hiking for the goods? Paying extra for snowcat/heli access? Will you enjoy one of these on your board?Quote:
Originally Posted by greensandmerlot
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k1...7/sa067371.jpg
If the answer is no, Portillo is not for you. It's very small.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zimmer
That would be some costly insurance against the A-Factor as the total price of one of these tours is unreal. Add up tour cost, airfare, plus travel insurance... how's $4200.00 for 1 week, or $600.00 a day!! Who can afford to do these trips??
Jav... not Jay.
try $2000 for two weeks + airfare. look harder...
What's the best way to keep your stuff safe in SA when your on the hill? I've heard of some problems... but then again shit gets stolen everywhere.
Hey Greensndmerlot, if snowboarders skip Portillo for sure, 3 Valleys is
better and has a half pipe and awesome out of b road shots from
El Colorado to the road and hitch back to Valle Nevado. Only
thing is it is the last week of holidays so pretty busy. I was on
the phone today calling every placeat Valle Nevado, Termas
and Farellones and El Colorado and there is nothing July 21-28
at all.
Go to 3 Valleys and save money and cool vibe at one of these 2 places
http://www.southamericaski.com/view.asp?p=572
Or Termas de Chillan which is very cool for snowboarders, and can take
a cool train there
http://www.southamericaski.com/view.asp?p=535
Best of luck