Summer Skiing in S.A.

[JimG.]

The knee thats my ACL has been "fixed" in a few times couldn't handle it. I figured I'd rather rip on alpine than work my tender knee over trying to get experience teleing...

Speaking of. Does anyone know where you can find the Salomon E2 boot. It is an alpine boot that has a walk mode and thus can be used for AT. I'm looking into the Garmont Adrenelines but am not sure I'll like them as an everyday boot.

-Porter

I've used my Adrenalins for 2 seasons as my everyday boot...they're perfect for me, and I'm not small (6'2", 190 lbs); I use them for everything including bumps. The only issue with them I had to get used to is the extreme lightness. Felt like I was wearing street shoes for the first few runs, but that's turned out to be one of the features I like best about them. With the thermoformable liners and my custom footbeds, they are without any doubt the best fitting ski boots I've ever owned.

Garmont is coming out with a new AT boot called the Endorphin; my sources tell me it's even stiffer than the Adrenalin. Probably even more expensive too.

 

[atkinson]

The Adrenalin is a great boot and the Endorphin will be a stiffer version of it, without much weight penalty. For those of us coming back to alpine from tele and snowboarding, the boots feel a little heavy, but nothing you can't hike in. The walk mode surely helps this too. I went with Adrenalins because my Ener-G's wouldn't fit in a true alpine binding and they are too soft to drive the Motherships all day long.

Back on topic, don't forget about the really Southern Andes, Bariloche and Ushuaia. Ushuaia tends to have a very stable snowpack too, in case you want to spend some time earning your turns. The Andes are 5000 miles long, limiting yourself to Portillo, Las Lenas and Valle Nevado is a crime.

John

 

[NYDrew]

I was told by a visiting ski instructor from Chile that they are desperate for real instructors down there. As I am told even a level 1 will make this vaction extremely profitable (pays for flight, living expenses and a solid month or two of doing nothing back in the states).

Just a little info for any one else that happens to be an instructor. I am considering it for next season.

 

[kingslug]

So what does the total trip cost?

 

[ozzy]

no one mentioned Termas de Chillan. I was there in aug.'04 it was powderific and bluebird then powderific then again bluebird.

 

[skiadikt]

just made our reservations for valle nevado, chile yesterday. last week of august. pretty psyched. we'll be hooking up with some folks from the basin ski shop.

 

[saabski]

Chile 2006

I just bit the bullet for the last week of August also at Valle Nevado! Portillo 2005 was such a great way to break up the long, snowless summer, I just had to go again. Picked Valle Nevado because for some random reason they have "value season" rates for the last week in August, which knocks the prices down a LOT! good to know there will other New Englanders there at the same time......

 

[skiadikt]

I just bit the bullet for the last week of August also at Valle Nevado! Portillo 2005 was such a great way to break up the long, snowless summer, I just had to go again. Picked Valle Nevado because for some random reason they have "value season" rates for the last week in August, which knocks the prices down a LOT! good to know there will other New Englanders there at the same time......

yup those value season rates are one of the reasons we picked it.

 

[Marc]

good to know there will other New Englanders there at the same time......

Yeah, it appears to be the skiers' Florida.

I hope to take a trip there in summer of one of the upcoming couple years. Make sure to write good and detailed trip reports.

 

[nycskier]

bump......

I figured since East coast season is winding down I would bump up this thread and add to it a link to a New York Times article about skiing in Argentina:

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/07/...ml?n=Top/Features/Travel/Destinations/Central and South America


And in case you were wondering, I am the writer's old college buddy that got to tag along for the trip!

 

[ckofer]

I am officially 110% jealous.

 

[Ski Hick]

chile

First time as a member to make a comment ...If you can go ..go! Would suggest a a 2 week trip.
I have made multipe trips south during our summer ...NZ & OZ very long flight ..Chile is the fastest to get to ..but always plan for delays (local) ..hire local transportation before you get there, Plan site seeing before or after ski part of trip. Once in the mountains its is very hard to get around (party of the adventure).. the trip up from Santiago to is quite amazing. Central and Northern resorts are all above timber line..resorts in southern Chile are lower in height and have tree lines... I would check out the Three Valleys (Valle Nevado, El Colorado and La Prava) Would suggest stay at Valle Nevado (the MD of the resort is form Manchestr VT) .. but the other two place are interconected. Massive in size...August is the best time to go. July high season for locals ..and mucher prices .. AA flys from NYC , Miami and Dallas Non Stop

The Sun to Storm ratio is quite high ...that is when the sun is out its out..bring lot of Sun block...your complete trip could be 100% SOL (sun)...or 100% Storm / snow and when it snows, its hard and storms can last for days...which could casue problems in getting or leaving the resorts (part of the adventure) ..road closing happen quite offten during storms

Here are some pictures I took my last trip a couple years
Pete
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[nycskier]

Ski hick, Thanks! Awesome pics. I haven't been to Chile yet but am thinking about taking a trip there this summer. Either that or back to Bariloche while Argentina is still cheap!

 

[skiadikt]

we loved valle nevado last year even though it wasn't the best of snow years. blue skies & sunshine virtually everyday. we could still find untracked for days. and on a pow day since the locals can't get there, you have the place to yourselves. our routine was make tracks, take lift and just go a little further out on the ridge next time and make more tracks. repeat. almost like heli-skiing except it was at a ski area.

a short video of my g/f & i last summer:

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=108481

 

[nycskier]

Que Fuerte! Awesome video skiadikt!

When I was in Las Lenas last year there was fresh snow everywhere and it was so warm during the day we all skied in tee shirts!