Need some advice

[danpop]

We’re getting married this summer; we’re planning to go to South America for our honeymoon, end of August. Since it is our honeymoon, we’re looking for more than skiing. A bit of luxury, a bit of sight seeing, etc. I am thinking Argentina, with a few days in Buenos Aires and then skiing in Andes.

Questions:

1. Would you do it? Is it a good idea (we’re both avid skiers)?
2. Argentina or Chile?
3. If yes, and advice? Where to ski, what to do, etc?
4. Any recommended travel agency?
5. Etc…

Thanks.

 

[DJC]

We’re getting married this summer; we’re planning to go to South America for our honeymoon, end of August. Since it is our honeymoon, we’re looking for more than skiing. A bit of luxury, a bit of sight seeing, etc. I am thinking Argentina, with a few days in Buenos Aires and then skiing in Andes.

Questions:

1. Would you do it? Is it a good idea (we’re both avid skiers)?
2. Argentina or Chile?
3. If yes, and advice? Where to ski, what to do, etc?
4. Any recommended travel agency?
5. Etc…

Thanks.

1. Yes
2. Chile - You can combine a few days skiing with amazing beaches, a fun city (Santiago), and a trip to Patagonia
3. This really depends on what type of skiing you are looking for - great hiking available in Portillo, fancy resort skiing/accomodations in Valle Nevado, etc.
4. Without a doubt - Brian Pearson at Santiago Adventures. Tell him Doug Chambers from New York recommended you speak to him. He runs the company and will cater the trip to whatever you are looking for. He also reps Ski Arpa - cat skiing facility. He does lots of wine tours as well. bpearson@santiagoadventures.com http://santiagoadventures.com/

 

[Geoff]

I have been skiing in Chile quite a few times. I've never been to Argentina. The transfer from Buenos Aires to the ski resorts always scared me away.

Chile is far easier access since there are many non-stop flights from the US to Santiago. The Valle Nevado/La Parva/el Colorado group is within 2 hours of the airport. Portillo is 3 hours from the airport as is Arpa snow cat skiing. Termas de Chillan is a 5 hour train ride from Santiago to Chillan followed by a 90 minute van ride.

If you stay at a resort, your daily charge includes room, breakfast, dinner, and lift ticket. If you pay with a US credit card, there are no taxes. You spend money on tips, bottled water, alcohol, and lunch. You could get by with almost no cash at all charging all the extras and lunch to your room.

The Gran Hotel at Termas de Chillan is the most modern slopeside resort hotel in Chile. The rooms are comparable to a mid-level US business hotel with queen beds. There is one big lounge and one big dining room with theme dinners and dinner entertainment. The dining room has a wing with a separate a la carte menu where you pay cash for your meals. The guests tend to be more wealthy South American families with 3 generations and nannies with a lot less Americans. The mountain is lower elevation... nice for us sea level dwellers since there's some oxygen. There are big cedar trees on the lowest novice part of the mountain and bushes up to almost midmountain. Every other resort in Chile is above the tree line and Termas de Chillan is the only place where you can ski comfortably in flat light. Termas de Chillan has the most vertical in Chile. Like all ski resorts in Chile, the in-bounds terrain is pretty intermediate. If you duck the rope at the top of the rickety Don Otto double and walk 3 minutes, there's some very interesting out of bounds.

Valle Nevado has a 3 hotel complex. I've always stayed on the sunny/uphill side of the middle grade hotel with a room with a balcony. The complex has a half-dozen restaurants. French, Italian, Chilean, Swiss, American, and a pay sushi bar. The beds are twins with a mattress on plywood and that's true even in the highest grade of the 3 hotels. The cheapest hotel doesn't let you eat at most of the restaurants. Valle Nevado has the only high speed quad in Chile. The steepest in-bounds terrain is at the very top off the platter lifts but even that isn't all that challenging. The challenging terrain is out of bounds where you take the T-bar up the back side of el Colorado and drop down a few turns down the Valle Nevado access road. Any sunny day, I suggest you upgrade your ticket at the ticket window to ski La Parva which is off the back side of the high speed quad. The terrain there is a little more challenging. It also has some slopeside restaurants at the bottom that are a good lunch change of pace. I've hit the Swiss/Fondue one several times. La Parva is all condos and it really doesn't cater to Americans very much. el Colorado is more primitive and doesn't have much in the way of lodging options.

I haven't been to Portillo or snow cat skiing at Arpa yet.

You really don't need a travel agent. You can book Valle Nevado through their web site. Be aware that they only book Friday to Friday. In late-August, they also break the week up into 3-day and 4-day chunks but they're inflexible about the days. You can book transportation either through the resort or through http://www.skitotal.cl . Either way, it's the same vans or the same pool of private cars and drivers. I think Valle Nevado requires 50% deposit when you book and the remaining 50% thirty days before you arrive. If you're interested in Termas de Chillan, I've always booked through their International Sales Director and I get a 10% discount. They require a 30% deposit and you pay the rest when you check out. I can get you her email address which is how I've always booked things.

Santiago is worth a day or two on either end of your trip. I've always stayed downtown at the Hotel Plaza San Francisco. It's near the train station and 20 minutes from the airport. You can book over their web site. It's fairly inexpensive and the rooms & food are fine. The premium hotels are in the affluent Los Condes section of town on the way to Valle Nevado. If you're into wine, I have the Robert Parker tasting notes from last year scanned on my web site. You could do a wine tour as an add-on to your ski trip.

For my late-August trip, my arrangements were:
Flight booked on American over Miami with frequent flyer miles
Email exchange with Alejandra at Termas de Chillan to book a room and request ground transportation.
Online reservation at the Hotel Plaza San Francisco for the last 2 nights of my trip. I may day trip to Valle Nevado, Portillo, or Arpa depending on snow and weather.

LAN has a non-stop flight from JFK to Santiago. I think it runs 4 days per week. Other options for east coast people are Delta over Atlanta, American or LAN over Miami, Air Canada over Toronto, or American over Dallas. It's an 8 hour overnight flight from Miami and probably 11 from JFK. When we are on daylight savings, Santiago is in the same time zone. The flights home depart Santiago in the early evening so you can ski on your last day. Beware that Santiago has a massive rush hour. That 2 hour drive can turn into 3 1/2. The Valle Nevado road is 1-way up until 2:00 on weekends and 1-way down after 2:00.

 

[hardline]

everything geoff said is bang on. in my personal experiance i have found that chile is a much friendlier place for americans. while it doesn't have the elavation of las lenas it more than makes up in friendly people.