Ski Chile 2024 sputter sputter

[byates1]

Nice. Yeah I always dream of coming down but probably not this year. One year older

[Casey E]

After




Still dumping in Portillo

[Casey E]

La Parva is rumored to be opening June 1, not sure Valle Nevado.

So if progress means a ski area opens when there is enough snow and closes when there isn’t, the 3 Valleys have regressed.

In 1986, another early season, La Parva opened early May, the day after a big dump, and I skied knee deep that month. Opening early was not so unusual, and neither was staying open in October. Maybe if there are more consistent snowfalls in the future, they will gear up early and be prepared. Financial difficulties, the plague, low snow and late years means no staff until there is snow now.

[Casey E]

What a day for a day dream.

Although the warnings were ominous,



And there were people putting chains on before the first (of 40) switchbacks.

But I made it to La Parva with no chains, and no hurry. Lots of time to take photos.



Pulling up to the police checkpoint, at about 1,000m. Zipped right thru



The crews were working hard, helped by the melting snow.





Things got tougher getting to Farellones



Where a non-skier mass of vans, selfie snappers, and yet more chain trouble impeded progress.



I took the liberty of drawing the lines we did in 1977 on the “Falso Embudo”.







The ski bums were on the prowl

[Casey E]

I did get out in time for a brief ski up
and down, however it was too deep to get any speed to turn. 110cm is what they said, or



Had to follow the cat track up



Barros Negros was getting prepped.



Yup, 115cm in what is normally a windy ridge. Colorado and Farellones in the background

[boltonoutlaw]

^^^ Does that dot dash line second from right in 7th photo indicate mandatory air sections? Bravo

[hoarhey]

Wow 1977. Awesome. 47 years ago


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[hoarhey]

I’ll never forget my two months there in late 2002 mid-Aug to mid-Oct.

Portillo didn’t close until the first week in October

La Parva just gets better and better when deeper snowpack opens more of the terrain skiers right on the “resort”


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[Casey E]

Looks like next to nothing will fall over the next week. But May is already a record month for rain, and probably snow.

Some explicative charts (Tobalaba station)





Already more than halfway to the annual total.




So, if the next 3 months (the 3 rainiest) get just half of normal snowfall, it should still be a great ski season.

[Casey E]

Public service notice





Mayo 31 looks like big bang day.

[Casey E]

May 31 it is, but only Alpha, and only the weekend. Big bang will be June 7 I believe, when both Valle and La Parva open.

[Casey E]

[Casey E]

Advantage of being on the divide.

[Casey E]

Just in from El Colorado.



Seems the wind hardened things up a bit.



Slava, of course.

[Casey E]

While a month may go by before another snowfall, it would appear that the windless snowfall that blanketed the central Andes may stick on all faces. That is, it is settling and getting wet, so it probably won’t blow off the north faces, which bodes well for the skiable terrain available, especially for the next 60 days, the coldest of the year.

[Casey E]

Just to keep the ball rolling on my stated objective of attracting people to the wonders of Chile, here is one I visited this year - Cordón Caulle.



Volcan Puyehue is just one of dozens of volcanic craters of differing ages, right smack on the N-S Liquiñe Ofqui fault line. It is a fissure volcano about 50 km long, and doesn´t look like much, until you get closer and can appreciate the dynamism of this landscape. The months-long eruption of the Cordón in 2011 produced much disruption, mainly in Argentina, and a haunting lunar landscape, which steams, erodes, and crumbles so that no trail lasts long. That map, tho, is pre-2011. For context, some photos of the eruption:



I scored a local geologist as a guide, thru https://www.geoturismocontrafuerte.cl/ and did an 8 hour trek around the recent crater, leaving at dawn in the dead forest







The cone and one of many lava branches



We had to head towards Puyehue first, to be able to cross a deep ravine. The north face of the Puyehue crater, which is 2km wide



He figures this is the way

[Casey E]

All this, in a place that gets 2 meters of rain a year. So, lots of erosion and steam.







The black in the back is from a prior eruption 70 years ago or so

[Mike Pow]

Magnificent

[Casey E]

More on Caulle later.

Portillo breaks the ice and sez

“Se adelantará la apertura del hotel para pasajeros a el día 20 de junio, esto por la nieve acumulada durante los últimos días, mientras que el centro de ski estará abierto a esquiadores y a un precio increíble durante los fines de semana de 1 y 2, 8 y 9 y también el 15 y 16 de junio.

Para esos días los tickets día se podrán comprar en la boletería del hotel y los precios durante estos fines de semana serán de:

$30.000 desde los 18 años
$15.000 hasta los 17 años”

[Casey E]

So we skirted the inner cone and lava flow where the crumbling pumice meets the settled lava source, perhaps 3km total walking with warm to hot ground and steam oozing in random spots.





Better know where to head





The last lava flows, and where it started to look good to ski (many meters fall here)







And finally the eroded ash has allowed colonizing plants (chilca, nalca, etc) to expand up the mountain



And hot water sprouts out of the lava terminus, forming pools

The hidromasaje pool





You can camp nearby





A few km down from the camp, more colonizing species are sprouting (cola de zorro, colihue, coigue etc)



and a bit further, the temperate rain forest is lush and thriving, here on the Cascada Contrafuerte trail





In places the riverbed is choked with massive logs. A view of about half of the Cordón Caulle and the Nilahue river, where the road gets rougher



Approximate trekking route

[garyfromterrace]

Thanks for posting Casey. I have to admit, this morning is likely the first time I've checked out this thread. It's because I literally dreamed of heading down there last night... So is a month the least amount of time you'd suggest for a ski trip? Ballpark, how much USD/day would you need. I like eating well and I'm too old to totally dirt bag it as far as accommodations. My dream has me Chile curious.

[kamtron]

Thanks for posting Casey. I have to admit, this morning is likely the first time I've checked out this thread. It's because I literally dreamed of heading down there last night... So is a month the least amount of time you'd suggest for a ski trip? Ballpark, how much USD/day would you need. I like eating well and I'm too old to totally dirt bag it as far as accommodations. My dream has me Chile curious.

It depends a lot on where you go. Lift tickets can run 20-60 USD per day. Lodging is very expensive in Farrellones, but can be cheap anywhere far from Santiago. I would budget about 80% what you'd budget for a cheaper North American ski holiday and you'll definitely live well.

Income inequality in Chile is definitely more noticeable than many places. So you could spend $5 on lunch or $100 on it depending on where you go.

[SpeLunker]

It depends a lot on where you go. Lift tickets can run 20-60 USD per day. Lodging is very expensive in Farrellones, but can be cheap anywhere far from Santiago. I would budget about 80% what you'd budget for a cheaper North American ski holiday and you'll definitely live well.

Income inequality in Chile is definitely more noticeable than many places. So you could spend $5 on lunch or $100 on it depending on where you go.

How easy is it to get from Santiago to the mountains? What about other parts of the country? Wondering if renting a vehicle is worth the cost over using public transport.

I just put my two weeks in a work yesterday so I HAVE to go now.

[SpeLunker]

It depends a lot on where you go. Lift tickets can run 20-60 USD per day. Lodging is very expensive in Farrellones, but can be cheap anywhere far from Santiago. I would budget about 80% what you'd budget for a cheaper North American ski holiday and you'll definitely live well.

Income inequality in Chile is definitely more noticeable than many places. So you could spend $5 on lunch or $100 on it depending on where you go.

How easy is it to get from Santiago to the mountains? What about other parts of the country? Wondering if renting a vehicle is worth the cost over using public transport.

I just put my two weeks in a work yesterday so I HAVE to go now.

[Casey E]

I haven't done a budget for a ski trip in a long time.

A quick look at lift tickets, for "mid/low season", excluding weekends and holidays and sometimes more, we have US$ 60 for La Parva ($82 high), $51 for Portillo ($68 high), Corralco ditto, and Antillanca $33 ($39 high). Discounts can be had for "cuponeras of 5 or 10 tickets, or often for weekday specials with certain credit cards, Telco promos, or "2 for 1" specials. Pricing at the moment seems to be unstable, some don´t have prices published, nobody has promos. I figure I get an average of 30% discount skiing weekdays, but I have the bank cards, Telco plans, and intel.

I bought a seasons pass for La Parva last week, first time ever, understanding it would be for La Parva, with perhaps some deal for a Valle Nevado ticket, given the fusion news. Yesterday they confirmed it was good for both ski areas, same price. Yeah! opening day Friday.

As for lodging, Portillo is prohibitive unless you stay in the Gallinero, or chicken coup, also known as The Inca Lodge, which is about US$1,500 for 3 nights, all inclusive, for 2 beds in a shared 2 bunkbed room and common bathroom. Or the classy lake view double costs $4,800 for the same.

The 3 Valleys have a multitude of lodging possibilities from cheapo Farellones airbnb nowhere near a lift to upper scale La Parva with only one "hotel", just apartments, and rarely more than a block to walk to ski. Look on google, booking.com and airbnb. A fun place in Farellones, which has a special place in my heart (met the mrs there) is the El Alemán De Farellones, now renovated. From there you can walk to the Embudo lift (when there is snow) to connect to the rest of El Colorado.

Whenever you are away from a ski area, lodging is very cheap, and eating can be as well. This applies to backcountry destinations (like Maule, Paso Vergara, Antuco, Lonquimay, etc).
Las Trancas (Chillan), and Malalcahuello (Corralco) are other ski towns with multiple lodging opportunities, but there you definitely need a car.