South America 2009 Thread

[apostilleus]

I had the opportunity to ski both South America and New Zeland, and although I went to New Zeland in a bad snow year, I'd say that the skiing in South America is Better.

- Bigger mountains
- reliable snow (not in El Nino years)

- More vertical

-Portillo and Valle Nevado (Chile) and Las Lenas (Argentina) are very High and get dry snow, always above treeline.

Portillo has only one Hotel, and great off-piste.

Valle Nevado is connected with La Parva and El Colorado, making it a very big area.


Going southern you will find one of the best places in South America IMO: Chillan.

The lifts are slow, but they usually get the most snow in the Andes.

If you go even more southern you will find Pucon, Bariloche, Chapelco... but the weather there is more unstable (may rain) and it's not as High as the places above.

Bariloche is big but gets crowded.

Pucon and Chapelco are small but if conditions are good, can be nice.

I'd plan a 2 weeks trip, fly to Santiago and ski Portillo and a couple days in Valle Nevado for the first week or ten days. and if conditions are good, go south for the last week.

[brutah]

Skiing's expensive, and I'm sorry you're butthurt about my source of funds. Thanks for the helpful input though. I've talked to people and spent plenty of time combing through threads here. All I've found so far on the bus is:

-It is only Friday nights
-The schedules are never right
-You can buy a ticket online, but no more than 30 days ahead
-You can't buy a ticket until you're physically at the bus station

So yeah, I've found lots of info, and much of it is conflicting. Hence I'm asking again for more info from anyone who might have an idea. I personally have time to burn waiting around for buses down there, but the guys I'm traveling with have real jobs so they don't.

edit: BTW, flights from LA to BA were down to ~$630 online this week for any maggots still on the bubble.

probably best to catch a bus from BA to mendoza or san refeal then mendoza to malargue, malargue to LL. I'd figure about two days bus time. don't buy a bus ticket till you are physically there and can purchase it from one of the agents.

[tomi25]

For the ones who are planing to go to LL in mid september. I really won't recomend it, the last 3 years snow wasn't good due to high temperatures. I will recomend you to go in mid august, that is usually the best time in the season to go.

[parolin]

hey guys, just wanna know who's gonna be in portillo july 11-18th...

[nachoestrella]

just found this hostel with very good prices on Farellones (the village in between the three valley http://www.chilextremo.com/En/dominicamh.htm looks ok and very cheap (probably you can get a better price for the entire season)

[Helldawg]

You should be thinking Portillo only for this time frame. It will be your most snow reliable choice, and coupled with the logistical simplicity, the only sensible option IMO.

They do ski there some years into October, but mid Sept. is usually the bitter end. You will really be rolling the dice with this trip. Based on how much snow they get from now thru Aug., you could be skiing on 100" base, or on dirt. No way to know when planning this early. Think of it as planning a US ski trip for April to most Western destinations. It's usually pretty good, sometimes awesome, and occasionally a complete waste of time.

Looks like i'll be in Buenos Aires for work Sept 13-18th. Which means i'll have time after this for some turns. It seems by reading the posts it might be a little late in the season but should it sounds like i should stick with LL and Portillo? Thoughts anyone? Is it worth while hitting these resorts after sept.18th?

Also, is it possible to rent some good planks? I'm thinking of traveling without skis but all the rest of the equipment.

i've been dreaming about skiing in SA for a loooong time. I just hope i can get me sum!

Anyone else going to be around at this time?

[Hugh Conway]

Uh oh, time to bump up the meds.

I booked a house through www.livinginpatagonia.com and they robbed me.

[enlosandes]

I booked a house through www.livinginpatagonia.com and they robbed me.

We specialize in robbing maggots with turrets syndrome. Please inquire within for more details.

[divegirl]

Oh man, I have to go back. Please Lord, let me win the lottery.

Go back with us in 2010 or 2011. (we're honeymooning in Europe instead this year...)

[Anxious Mo-Fo]

Well, I managed to get into grad school for the fall, which means I now reward myself by spending my parent's money on a Las Lenas trip.

Does your father know what a douchebag he's raised? I asked him a while back if he was worried that the heli trips, cat skiing, and other junkets would turn you into an entitled little snot. Despite his number-crunching skills, he couldn't put 2 and 2 together.

[Adamantium]

Does your father know what a douchebag he's raised? I asked him a while back if he was worried that the heli trips, cat skiing, and other junkets would turn you into an entitled little snot. Despite his number-crunching skills, he couldn't put 2 and 2 together.

If you know my father then you ought to know me better than that.

edit: This post pisses me off more now that I've thought about it. You make it sound like you're a friend of his, yet you take a shot at him in this post as well. My father doesn't post here because he prefers not to wade through unnecessary bullshit on the internet. So call me out all you want, but leave him out of it.

[nickwm21]

when I graduate from college (may 2010) my parents are buying me a plane ticket anywhere. I want to go to SA and ski, obviously, who wouldnt.

I want to spend like 2 weeks to a month in SA skiing, staying in various places for a week or so.. What places have cheaper accomadations like hostels. Obviously LL and portillo would be hard to do but what about bariloche?

[llyon]

Maybe using the search function is too much to ask, but honestly, just read the first post of the thread. Did you really manage to find this thread and then not bother to actually read it?

[Hugh Conway]

We specialize in

ALL NATURAL VIAGRA at www.livinginpatagonia.com

[Anxious Mo-Fo]

You make it sound like you're a friend of his, yet you take a shot at him in this post as well. My father doesn't post here because he prefers not to wade through unnecessary bullshit on the internet. So call me out all you want, but leave him out of it.

You can spin this any way you want... my comment wasn't aimed at anyone's father. I'm saying that it's bad form to be spoonfed an overseas trip (and I certainly wouldn't refuse it), and then go on a website and brag about "rewarding myself by spending his money." Yeah, that's cool. It's one thing to ski all over the world on your parent's dime; it's another to be a disrespectful brat about it.

You and Phish should start a support group of misunderstood Richie Riches.

[bennettc14]

I will be in Chile prob the first week in August. Will be skiing Portillo most likely and trying out Arpa CAT skiing operation right outside Santiago (only ~$200 a day). I think I'm going to be bouncing around a little bit, my aunt is trying to send me to all these vineyards she works with. Pumped to get my Lhasas on a CAT trip. First trip to SA, bummer I only understand French and German.

[Patches]

Word to the wise, kid... most of us didn't get trips to SA paid for by our parents. For us, its a big deal to get the time and money to make a trip down, so posts like yours don't go over so great. No biggie... absorb the criticism and move on. And have fun in SA.

[Adamantium]

Word to the wise, kid... most of us didn't get trips to SA paid for by our parents. For us, its a big deal to get the time and money to make a trip down, so posts like yours don't go over so great. No biggie... absorb the criticism and move on. And have fun in SA.

Oh I get that, and it was a dumb thing to say obviously. (clearly the humor didn't go over as I intended.) It wasn't meant to be bragging and I'm sorry it came off that way.

I'm more annoyed by Anxious MoFo's post because he implies that he's met my father and knows who I am by association, then makes a subtle jab at the end. I guess I think it's poor form to call out people online when you know their identity while your own remains unknown to them, but I'll accept that I'm not in a good position to comment on what's poor form in this thread.

Regardless, I hope I can ski with some of you down there this summer. The handful of maggots I've met so far have been awesome people.

[Maker]

has anyone gone to Chris Davenport's Ski Camp in Portillo (August)? worthwhile? total waste of money? anyone?

I am probably opening myself up for some serious flaming by asking this but I will anyway.

[hoarhey]

I recommend you spend some time with the search function and the elusive word "davenport"
Buena suerte amigo jong!

[Patches]

Oh I get that, and it was a dumb thing to say obviously. (clearly the humor didn't go over as I intended.) It wasn't meant to be bragging and I'm sorry it came off that way.

No worries, don't get upset over the interwebs. Its just a bunch of pipes after all.

[enlosandes]

ALL NATURAL VIAGRA at www.livinginpatagonia.com

Carl, funny you should mention that. The herbal extasy is a great enhancer for a fun evening out, highly recommended!

[Hugh Conway]

Adamantium. you'd still be a retard if you paid for the trip yourself.

I rec'd your mom have the abortion. Cunt said no.

Carl, funny you should mention that. The herbal extasy is a great enhancer for a fun evening out, highly recommended!

ENHANCE YOUR PENIS AT www.livinginpatagonia.com

[enlosandes]

Adamantium. you'd still be a retard if you paid for the trip yourself.

I rec'd your mom have the abortion. Cunt said no.



ENHANCE YOUR PENIS AT www.livinginpatagonia.com

Your mom really enjoyed the new enhanced size, please tell her hello.

[Snowbird Commuter]

Now of course you can feel free to whine about people on the interwebs getting personal about your family....

That having been said, it does sound like Hugh and enlosandes do know your mom...