Long Awaited SA Update

**Mach Looney** · 08-20-2005, 11:25 AM

I haven´t found the time to share some ski stoke, being too busy skiing or dealing with shitty computers or, ahem, running from the carabineros. But here I sit in Santiago, getting ready to head to Las Lenas pretty soon, so I have to give you something from Chile.

When I arrived in Santiago three weeks ago at 2 AM I had zero plan, no place to stay, no idea where I was going. I consulted the snow forecast and headed to Termas de Chillan. When I got there it was pissing rain. When I left the next afternoon it was pissing rain. Off to Portillo.

When I got there on Sunday, I quickly learned that they hadn´t had snow in at least three weeks. Super hardpack off of Roca Jack, which was as thrilling a ride UP the mountain I´ve ever had, and only a small bit of soft snow off of the other pama, Condor. Forecast called for clouds the next day. I deliberated over a Carmenere, decided I was sick of travelling, and chose to stay.

The next day...

52 cm total over night. What a decision. For an hour during lunch I had the double on the left side of the hill all to myself. Only a few hundred feet of vertical, but the snow was skiing almost knee deep. There was zero visibilty so it was total Jedi-skiing - seeing doesn´t matter much in that kind of snow.

By the time it was done snowing on Tuesday I think there was over 80 cm. And wow was there avalanche danger. I saw ski patrol trigger about half a dozen slides in and above the ski area. Here´s what it looks like when a massive avalanche hits the lake.

Turns out that an avalanche took out the Roca Jack lift for the third or fourth time this season (they plan for these things), and they didn´t find, unbury, and reassemble all the pieces for the whole week (they take their time with these things).

I had to content myself with traversing off of Condor going further and further skiers left to get fresh tracks. Rock on.

On Tuesday the snow was wetter and skiing more like 6 inches in most places. But they opened Plateau earlier and there was plenty of fresh to be had. They still weren´t opening Gargantua...

...or any of the chutes under Plateau.

Notice the nice slab that had already triggered.

Tueday night it rained a bit and ruined most of the snow, but hitting the mountain at 9:15, it was just me and a ski patroller hitting Condor (the discotheque stays open until 4 am, but I ain´t no punk bitch). I decided to head skiers right and go just outside the ropes where it looked like no one had skied yet. I found a nice stach of 8 in deep snow and hit that for a couple hours - until the previous night´s drinking caught up to me and I took the rest of the day off.

Can anyone guess what happened Wednesday night? More snow. This time they opened up Plateau earlier and it seemed like the endless day of skiing. Also open was some of the section underneath the Plateau chutes where there was now knee deep powder. That afternoon the sun finally started to peek out for the first time all week.

Friday was bluebird and myself and a couple of my new snowboarding buddies decided to hit the stash. All day.

Some pictures.

My track skiers right.

We just kept heading right and getting fresh.

Here´s one of the crazy Aussie Johno.

I left on Saturday after six straight days of skiing, five of them freaking fantastic. I love Portillo in the snow. I just wish they would have opened Roca Jack back up.

Sorry if the pictures are too big. I don´t really have control of the picture size (maybe biglines does it automatically?), but hopefully you can read this OK.

I´ve also hit Pucon, Termas de Chillan, and Valle Nevado/Colorado, but that´s for another installment. Skiing in August rules. Cheers.

**daPig** · 08-20-2005, 11:40 AM

beats the hell out of my week!

**Vets** · 08-20-2005, 12:10 PM

Looks great.
Enjoy and keep going at it.

**Shin-to-Win** · 08-20-2005, 07:40 PM

Nice TR Mach. Looks like fun but did you find any good downclimbs?

**Trackhead** · 08-20-2005, 07:46 PM

Nice to see winter pics.

Twitching BAD!

**iskibc** · 08-20-2005, 10:48 PM

Ahhhhh, winter

**cj001f** · 08-20-2005, 11:44 PM

Seething with jealousy.

Z · 08-20-2005, 11:45 PM

**Squirrel99** · 08-22-2005, 08:44 AM

real 'live' winter

bumpin' for the SA stoke. Sounds like you made the right call to Portillo

went hiking up at alpental yesterday to satisfy the urge, only made it worse!
10 days.....ugh, 10 days...

**lph** · 08-22-2005, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by Squirrel99

went hiking up at alpental yesterday to satisfy the urge, only made it worse!
10 days.....ugh, 10 days...

holeee shit! I had no idea it was 10 days away. i gotta tune some skis and get some shit together for this trip.

hey squirrel what skis do i bring? i was thinking a fat and a really fat? Are you bringing a touring set up?

**Foggy_Goggles** · 08-22-2005, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by lph

hey squirrel what skis do i bring? i was thinking a fat and a really fat? Are you bringing a touring set up?

Yes on the tour rig!!! Do it.

I bring the Axiom/997 - Gotoma/Freeride quiver.

**skier666** · 08-22-2005, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Squirrel99

real 'live' winter

bumpin' for the SA stoke. Sounds like you made the right call to Portillo

went hiking up at alpental yesterday to satisfy the urge, only made it worse!
10 days.....ugh, 10 days...

I feel like you've been talking about this trip for years man....I'm on a plane to the land of sheep in 4.5 days...

**Tresckow** · 08-22-2005, 10:55 AM

Hell, we are so excited to leave that we forgot that we do not own any luggage! Backcountry.com comes through again.

**lph** · 08-22-2005, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles

Yes on the tour rig!!! Do it.

I bring the Axiom/997 - Gotoma/Freeride quiver.

Got it!

It will either the spats or axioms and Reverends with freerides.

**Arty50** · 08-22-2005, 02:49 PM

You're all a bunch of slack jawed faggots.

These thing's will make you a sexual Tyyyyyranosaurus...

...just like me.

**PhishingME** · 08-22-2005, 04:07 PM

Over here in Las Lenas they could use a few inches to freshen things up. Guess it was really warm then froze solid. Anything down low or gets direct sun is pretty hardpack or breakable crust when it warms. The Marte was open yestrerday for the first time in 8 days. Nice wind buff.. The second to last tower on the Volcano lift was bent by an avalanche last thursday. Some say it may open next week or never. Tomorrow looks good. Light snow tonight and light winds tomorrow.

**enlosandes** · 08-22-2005, 04:17 PM

Actually Marte opened on Friday and has been open on and off each day. Today I think it went down about 1030 am. Plenty of snow, but as the phishhead said, it warmed up and then got colder again. South faces are best where windboard reigns supreme.

On a side note, the Marte line is becoming quite the euro vibe, lots of jockeying for position. Yesterday, we had some total gaper chick elbow her way in front of us at 4:30, only to ski the groomer, go figure. Anyways, hopefully peeps will mellow and we can all get along.

**ak_powder_monkey** · 08-22-2005, 04:27 PM

I hate summer

**BakerBoy** · 08-22-2005, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey

I hate summer

But it's not summer down there...

**hop** · 08-22-2005, 07:25 PM

Originally Posted by lph

holeee shit! I had no idea it was 10 days away. i gotta tune some skis and get some shit together for this trip.

hey squirrel what skis do i bring? i was thinking a fat and a really fat? Are you bringing a touring set up?

I had this very conversation with Squirrel last night!

I'm thinking the stiffy 189 Made'n Stinx and the 181 Anti Piste. 108 and 98mm waists should do the trick, seeing how there's no park to speak of and even if there is I shouldn't be there anyways. However, maybe the 179 Piste Pipes could be fun for touring? Bring them along? Or just slog along on the AP's.... yeah, travel light.

**shamrockpow** · 08-22-2005, 10:07 PM

If you can handle the slog, bring the big sticks - you won't regret it.

ML: sweet Portillo pics!

**Tresckow** · 08-22-2005, 10:23 PM

I think it's the Gotoma/freeride set-up for me. Fuck dragging those damn Spatulas and Gotomas through the airports. Of course, I suppose it could be a bummer to not have another pair for 2 weeks of skiing, but what the hell.

Life is one big crapshoot anyway.

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 08-22-2005, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Tresckow

Life is one big crapshoot anyway.

Amen to that.

Anyway, stiff Bro Model's mounted Alpine for my daily resort crushing. And Stockli DP's w/Freerides for BC crushing for me.

Thought about mounting up the Spats for the trip...but fugg it, I might bring along a demo pair of Bro's for peeps to try as well.