Ski Chile 2024 sputter sputter

The hoards hit today, as the upper mountain opened. Las Vegas lift opened for the first time this year, but no new runs were packed. So still a partial opening, with 2 chairs untouched.

No avalanche hazard in sight, and everything was getting skied

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Still lots of room at 11 am

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Manantiales upper bowl is in great shape

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One of the few avalanches at the top, from all the blasting yesterday

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The rest of the run

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Then it clouded a bit

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++++

Hell yeah Casey, looks awesome.

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...8&d=1718489665

Wanna

Yup, sweet

The beat goes on, as Las Tórtolas opens

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Spot the skier

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Prepping for this short hoot

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Those stubborn cornices

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Looking south at what was mostly bare 4 days ago.

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Got to ski with my grandson, who is learning the ropes fast

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A bit off topic, but a notable mini-documentary about local young women learning to kayak on the remote Futalefu River, in Aysen region.

https://youtu.be/ZehvO8suy0o?si=jZgpNblLbm2vXXQ-

For fanatics, the “Fu”.

Public service

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Seems like the snow just doesn't stop in the Andes in this early season

Skied over to Valle Nevado today, taking the 3km cat track from Las Tórtolas in LP, across the upper mountain of VN to the base of the Andes Express. None of the 5 upper lifts was open. It begged to be shredded.

Alas the weathering obliterated the prior days powder tracks

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Looking south east from Del Inca, Tres Puntas on the far left, and Andes Express top on the right

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From the cat track north, Del Inca on the left, Tres Puntas on the right

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El Plomo under the coming storm

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Shit happens

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Nice lines off the top of Andes Express

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Extreme weathering at the top

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The local shamans heading into town

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Andes Express right, LP left with Tortolas and Falso Parva

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Goings on in the Cerro La Parva bowl

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Snowing now

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and more incoming

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There you have it, two high pressure systems funneling the fronts through to the central zone.

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Gotta love those "plegamientos de la tropopausa parecen ser la causa más importante de la ciclogénesis sinóptica y, debido a que están asociados a una fuerte vorticidad ciclónica en los niveles superiores, pueden modificar el campo de temperatura cerca de la superficie terrestre y conducir al desarrollo de una perturbación sinóptica en latitudes medias."

I also like "frente frio y corriente en choro ", and the perennial favorite "inestabilidad" .

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Nice satellite pic.

Piling up and moving north

Corralco

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Chillan

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Maule

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Solstice shots from yesterday, 30-40cm of blow

Where to?

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Blasting (or lack thereof) kept us from Manantiales area, but there was plenty of room elsewhere

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Las Aguilas chair was slow to get going, from snow and wind, so Piuquenes it was...

Seven days difference, has to be plowed out now

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Then the chair fired up and the smoking game was afoot, with Slavas new camera getting pulled out

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Slava finds his sweet spot

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Las Aguilas base

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We then ventured into the basin of the rarely running Fabres chair.

here a look at the knot of 6 of the 10 highest lifts in the LP/NV combo.

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Worth the hike

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Ghost chair run

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The long haul out

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Staring the old farts clubbers Slava, Rafa and yours truly

Well Done Sir!!!

Road to Portillo still closed

“Ante el sistema frontal en la zona centro y sur, el Paso Los Libertadores permanecerá cerrado por los próximos días debido al riesgo de avalanchas en el sector de "El Japonés" en la Ruta CH60, según los pronósticos de intensas nevadas para este viernes.”

https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacion...s-cerrado.html

As though it had been open much in June anyway…

Next shot at a border crossing is also closed

“Pasos Fronterizos. @UPFronterizos
21h
Complejo Fronterizo Pino Hachado NO HABILITADO. Tránsito suspendido por nevadas. #UPFinforma
@DPPMalleco
@DPRLaAraucania”

https://x.com/hashtag/upfinforma?src=hashtag_click

Snowing low everywhere

From my son touring near Punta Arenas, with a Magellan sea view

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Further south in Puerto Williams

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Cerro Castillo, Coyaique
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Lonquimay area

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Closer to home

Road to Baños Morales and Valle Arenas a few days ago, worse now

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Getting blasted. Nice!

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Hard to find any mountain road open in Chile and Argentina at the moment.

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Caught in an avalanche, apparently, ruta g21 Farellones

Valle Nevado says 5 meters to date

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As does Portillo

"Se informa durante temporada de ski 2024
Nieve a caída a la Fecha: 496 cm
Nieve a caída últimos 7 días: 171 cm "

Not sure how much across the border

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The road to Las Leñas is closed until at least tuesday, with avalanches.

https://www.powder.com/news/too-much-snow-south-america

No no no, not a day for border crossings

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Punta Arenas has good weather (thank you Antarctic high pressure system, for storm front sent north), ski to the sea…


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Tarn mountain near Fuerte Bulnes

Whole lotta shoveling goin’ on

La Parva

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My Caribbean guests opted out of their rental, due to road conditions. Should open today tho

As hard as it is for some, at times like these, it is best to obey the authorities. There is enough trouble out there without provoking more, by not evacuating an avalanche zone.

“Emergencia en Baños Morales: Rescate desafiante tras incidente de personas escondidas durante evacuación por avalancha.

Hace unos días se informó sobre la evacuación total de Baños Morales por el peligro inminente de avalancha. Recientemente, recibimos la noticia de que aproximadamente 9 personas se escondieron durante la evacuación inicial y también durante la segunda evacuación, que fue con la Armada. Ahora dieron señales y se supo de ellos y que necesitan ayuda para ser evacuados. Este es un momento difícil, ya que los rescates y las órdenes de evacuación no se emiten sin razón. Este incidente cambia completamente la dinámica para todos los involucrados, pues la amenaza de una avalancha es inminente y es crucial actuar (Avalancha si no se genera de forma natural es necesaria activarla para controlar el peligro). Ahora se está evaluando cómo evacuar a estas personas sin poner en peligro más vidas humanas. Es por esto que se insta a seguir las indicaciones. Esperemos que todo salga bien y que situaciones como esta no se repitan. Estaremos informando.”

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Damn, what a years start.

Argentine tow truck

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Chile, and points south, seem to be sputtering pretty well.

At it again

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Volcanos popped out, first time in a while, going north:

Chaitén looking 2 coned

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Last night

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Oops, a bit too far north

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Can any one of you retired dentists send me to Las Leñas for a week or two in August or September? I'll pimp your brand from the depths (and heights) of those world-famous lines.

Damn, Casey. Looking hawt. Thanks for all the constant updates.

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Just realized that monte Tarn is so named for when Darwin and Beagle’s surgen Dr Tarn hiked it a century and a half ago.

Some more shots from my son

Sunrise beach ski

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Wow sick! Unique.

Chubut, Argentina

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