TR: Two Weeks in Lenas from a First-Timer

[Daywalker]

Backstories aren't any fun so I'll keep it brief: Skiing in the Southern Hemisphere in the summer sounded like fun and it looked like I would be able to pull it off this year. Stroupskier was coerced into tagging along. We picked a day to meet at EZE (Buenos Aires airport). Plans from there involved, "getting to Las Lenas", "skiing", "drinking red wine", and "maybe going somewhere else". Sweet.

I realized on the plane that I didn't bring a dictionary and hadn't brushed up, spoke, or thought about spanish in ~6 years. Stroup apparently knew 5-6 words of French. They wouldn't help. C'est la vie.

I landed in BA, got my bags, and waited for the big hairy ape known as Stroupskier. Eventually he showed up and we headed into town to hopefully purchase a bus ticket to Lenas and waste away the day. 700 pesos, a number of confused looks, and a sweet game of Gestures later we had two bus tickets to San Rafael and a piece of paper that apparently said we had paid for a shuttle from San Rafael to Las Lenas. I was in high spirits after the exchange. It even ended up working the right way...

Buenos Aires has big buildings and hippy buses



It also has confusing, amusing statues with pirates riding horses. I'm not sure this one was historically accurate.



I didn't think this magazine would sell well in the US. Sidenote: Parents, don't name your (destined to be porn star) daughters Floppy



The Buenos Aires police thought they spotted the missing link in human evolution. They called in the riot police to restrain it. Luckily, Stroup was able to hide himself.



Anyway, after touring BA for the day and eating some killer empanadas we jumped on a bus and eventually got to Lenas. We got hooked up by the second bus driver and ended up talking to a guy named Manual who lives in Cirrus 909. He had a line on beds in rental apartments in Cirrus that ended up costing us 150 pesos/night/person (~$35). It seemed like a pretty good deal after talking to other folks considering the rooms were of decent size, never full, and had unlimited hot water for showers. If I track down his email I'll add it to the South America thread.

Marte was running when we got there and no new snow had fallen so we immediately started hiking. It was a bit crazy to go from the summertime bike riding to skiing steep lines. I had to think through the first few turns"



Entre Rios and Torecillas dominate the immediate backcountry






Stroup was stoked to get up top on Entre Rios



The skiing through the chutes was pretty rough though, and I was just happy to come out in one piece. BC etiquette meant no good pics of that one.



We ran into a few of the unofficialandes crew on the top of that one and they FLASHED their lines. Ralph and Mattias can rip. Stroup and I prayed that the filmer across the valley did not get our hack efforts. As we were chilling on the deck of the cafe near Marte, we heard a, "Change for a nickel?" and ended up meeting Skis. He plus another 'merican tagged along for the next day and Torrecillas.

Stroup, Skis, and Max near the end of the hike to Torrecillas. They may have been a bit pissed at my route-finding decisions (which added 30 minutes of scree field to the usual route) but that shit was WINDY!



Max rips up Torrecillas



We then got a BIG storm. 2 metres + at the base over a few days. We all think snow is good and get excited for it, but down there you only want so much. What would have been a few days of sweet storm skiing in CO or UT was actually a massive waiting game down there. We did what we could to kill time.

We watched it snow



We ate



We ate some more (como se dice, "Type 2 Diabetes?")



Stroup had issues after eating his 3rd Lomo of the night



We tried skiing teh ticketline gnar



We boozed, played cards, boozed and played cards, poached treadmills, poached wi-fi, poached eggs, beat Time Crisis 2 (repeatedly) etc. etc. Finally, after a few days of snowing and a few more of just the lower ropetows running, they got the real lifts running!

Stroup made the most of the half day they finally started running things.



The next day it dawned bluebird... Oh hell yeah!



Rusty is excited



Stroupskier turns



Skis skis



I'm in there somewhere



Stroup gets all slutty



In the ensuing days of frenzy, the crew blows past Team Oakley in search of the goods



Spirits are high



Adamantium gets it done



Daywalker makes a visible turn



We waited with baited breath those last few days for Marte, but alas it was not to be. We couldn't complain with the snow we could ski, but the face that was staring down at us haunted us all. Just knowing what was an easy hike out the back made it worse. I had to bail shortly after our powder pillaging, else there would have been some skinning straight up the groomers to the deliciousness out back.

Final Summary: Argentina kicks some serious A. There is also some serious A-factor. There's no question in my mind that I'll be back next year. It was that much fun, even with Marte only running 3 of 14 days. Next year some other areas may need to be explored though.

Sidenote to the other South America newbs: Going down there half-cocked with no plan was fun and I kind of recommend it. However, do a bit of research and figure out what you should/should not bring and maybe get a bit more info than we did. For instance, you cannot change money in Lenas, Argentinians don't have real coffee (or peanut butter!), and bring some activities for those gosh-darned down days.

[enlosandes]

Great post! Glad you enjoyed yourselves!

[skibum93]

Amazing TR!

[Angel]

Way to bring the stoke! Damn I can't wait for snow.

[AKbruin]

Boo-yah!

[beaterdit]

Shit, looks awesome!

[noparking]

awesome pictures thanks for sharing

[cliffhucker]

Very nice, thank you for sharing, and may I comment on how lucky you are. It sounds like I arrived the same time period, 2 or 3 days before that big storm, unfortunatly we had to leave before it opened up again and we never got to ride the Marte. I wish I could have extended my time there.... At least sombody got to enjoy it though. Thanks again for sharing.

[LightRanger]

Sweeeeeeeeeeet.

[bostonjohn]

noooooooiiiice work!!!!!!!!!!

[Xover]

this is, without a doubt, your best post ever N; hand f'ing down!!!

thanks and very fun to read, see your pix and hear your voice in my head as i read.

super stoked for you to make it down there at a "young enough age" to enjoy + have/make plans for next year.

get me sum

[PearlJam09]

Sweet Pics - What camera setup where you using?

[PowderJ]

Great pics and a very nice write up! Lomo, Vino, Storm days and Marte, looks like you guys had it all in your two weeks in LL. When I first saw the title I thought my thread [ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133480"](Two Weeks in Las Lenas:A Jong's First TR)[/ame] from last year got bumped again.

[Mofro261]

Get a haircut ya hippies.



nice work.

[slaymore_sessions]

Must. Ski. Now.






Nicely done.

[Dug]

YEAH!

[the vor]

Looks like you killed it your first time down there. Adventure, good food, and good skiing. Nice write-up.

[Daywalker]

Sweet Pics - What camera setup where you using?

Canon Rebel XTi with a Sigma 18-135mm lens. Since I'm a complete hack and the camera is smarter than I, most everything was shot on the Action Sports setting.

super stoked for you to make it down there at a "young enough age" to enjoy + have/make plans for next year.

get me sum

You can come next year...

[skier666]

Oh hell yes!

[khakis]

Sick sick sick! Great TR. Hope to be tagging along next year.

[eastvailhucker]

So i take it the tounges worked out?

[teosickrider]

It must have been pretty fun eh

[hutash]

FKNA, that looked like fun. Sure beats the hell out of summer here.

[splat]

Way to go, guys. Were they catting you out for the hike up Torrecillas?

Now that Stroup has gotten his SA jollies, he'll be chained in the factory for the next four months making everyone else's skis. Glad he got that out of his system.
Thanks for hookin up with the non-espanol speaking Bro builder, Nick.

[snowful]

Awesome, Nick! Great shots and an awesome looking trip!

I hate you. Suck the sweat off my balls.