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| Bienvenidos!
First Tracks in Chile, South America. |
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After
your arrival at Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez
International Airport, you will be welcomed by one of our
guides who will be travelling along with you through the
entire trip.
Some of our guests may decide to arrive one day early in
order to get some rest after their international flight.
We will take care of your transportation and pick-up service
at your arrival as well as your hotel reservations in Santiago.
Once we've met each other we will start our adventure with
a short but picturesque drive (2 hours) along the Mapocho
River, heading east deep into the Chilean Andes. After enjoying
this breathtaking mountain road views we arrive at Valle
Nevado at 3,025 mts. (9,860 ft). This world-class resort,
with the largest skiable area in South America, will be
home for the next four nights.
Get ready, today the fun begins! Don't worry about checking-in
on time or having your luggage sent to your room. We will
take care of it. Your main concern now is to have your skis
and snowboards ready for your first powder day in the Andes!
Today we will explore the fun slopes of Valle Nevado and
its famous powder. Here, with the summit elevation at 3,670
meters (12,040 ft.) the quality of snow is simply excellent.
After this active day we will enjoy an après ski
snack at our cozy slope side hotel. Remember, breakfast,
a quick lunch and dinner are included with our stay.
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| Buenos
Días! Skiing and Riding day in Valle Nevado, Chile. |
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You
might haven't thought about this, but you've just woke up
at 9860 ft. in the heart of the massive Cordillera de los
Andes! Today we ski and ride the pristine powder of Valle
Nevado.
After
an early breakfast we hit the slopes of this major ski resort
in Chile. With lifts quickly climbing from the Base Prado
at 2,860 mts. (9,384 ft.) to Cerro Tres Puntas, at 3,670 mts.
(12,040 ft.), this all above tree line resort offers a variety
of runs and fun slopes, wide open bowls, steeps and chutes.
In almost all of our Powder Dreams tours our guests decided
to go heli-skiing. Reaching the surrounding high peaks of
the Andes at 4,600 mts. (13,780 ft.)! is an unforgettable
experience for those who want to ski and ride the deep and
untouched powder of the Southern Hemisphere.
After a great day in the mountains, it's time to indulge.
The hotels here offer a heated pool, sauna, weight room and
massage... Enjoy the après ski activities and choose
one of the five different restaurants. From Chilean to Italian,
from Swiss to American, the cuisine is delicious. Still have
strength? Pubs and live music are waiting for you! |
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| Focus
On: La Parva Ski Resort, Chile. |
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Today
we explore La Parva. This resort is reminiscent of a small
village in the European Alps. Even when you won't find as
many tourist services as in Valle Nevado, La Parva is called
the Aspen of Chile.
With a vertical drop of 960 mts. (3,150 ft.), this uncrowded
resort offers free riding for all levels, long and steep GS-style
groomed runs, and tons of snow. And for those looking for
more challenging terrain you can explore the lift-served off
piste, with deep powder bowls and cornices, or hike to access
the thrilling steep chutes of this area, such as "La
Chimenea" and "La Cara".
La
Parva features 75% of sunny days during the winter season.
On any of these blue bird sky days you can't miss the views
of the Andes and the city of Santiago. Now it's time to go
back to our hotel and relax. Once again the tough call is
yours. Chilean or International cuisine? Red or white wine?…
Enjoy! |
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| Explore
the Largest Skiable Area in South America! |
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Good
morning! After a good night's sleep we hit the slopes of Valle
Nevado and its great powder. Today we will focus on fun skiing
and snowboarding at the largest South American ski resort.
Thanks to the lift link between La Parva, El Colorado and
Valle Nevado, the skiable area here is huge.
And as we provide you with a 3-mountain lift ticket you'll
be free to decide where you want to ski without being limited
to one ski area only. If you want to push your limits parasailing,
snowmobiling and heli-skiing are available. This unique adventure
lets you experience the magic of the Andes. Discover glaciers,
slopes covered with eternal snow and spectacular descents
through untouched powder. After skiing fun continues. Let's
enjoy dinner in Valle Nevado for the last time - this year
- and get ready to party with locals and other skiers and
snowboarders from all over the world! |
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| Get
ready! We have an active day ahead of us! Based on the morning
snow conditions we will either continue skiing and snowboarding
the powder and steeps of Valle Nevado or start our drive to
Jahuel, our base for the next two days of snowcat skiing.
Our ride descends back to Santiago de Chile where we will
stop for lunch - courtesy of Andes Ski Tours - and for some
last minute shopping or ATM access. Keep in mind there are
no ATM´s in Jahuel or Portillo. After having lunch in
Santiago we start a 2 ½ hour drive, first heading north
to the city of Los Andes at 822 mts. (2,983 ft.) and then
northeast to Jahuel where the Termas de Jahuel Hotel &
Spa is located. We will spend 3 nights here and will be amazed
by the surrounding scenery, the fantastic cuisine and some
of the best hot springs and spa treatments in Chile! |
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After
spending our first night at the Termas de Jahuel hot springs
we head east driving our 4WD trucks through vinyards and fruit
plantations quickly accessing the high mountain valleys and
the Ski Arpa terrain. The views from this panoramic road are
trully amazing. The remote location of this operation makes
it hard to access using regular cars which means the 4,000+
acres will be opened just for a few skiers at a time. Depending
on the day there may be only one or two of the cats running.
Imagine a place bigger than Snowmass just for you and your
friends... That´s what Arpa is all about!
We will hit different faces of this mountain but the southeastern
slopes will be our target as they hold the best conditions.
Ski Arpa has it all from wide open bowls to steep chutes.
A short hike to "Alto del Arpa" will give us the
chance to drop into some of the best runs here: "Le Cirque"
and "Avalanchas".
After a full day ripping powder at Ski Arpa - which included
luch at the top of the mountain overlooking the Jahuel valleys
to the East and the Cerro Aconcagua to the West - we head
back to Termas de Jahuel for a relaxing massage, a bath at
one of the thermal swimming pools or for just a quick nap
before dinner. |
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Early
in the morning we leave Termas de Jahuel and head east to
one of the best ski areas in Chile: Portillo Ski Resort. The
road with amazing vistas of the Andes quickly climbs to Portillo
located at 2,850mts. (9,350 ft.). Arriving
at South America's best-known ski resort is simply invigorating.
Prepare not only for skiing and riding, but for socializing,
relaxing and restoring the mind and body in a natural environment
nothing less than spectacular.
Because of the altitude and location, the snow here is extremely
dry and temperatures are low. Since it is surrounded by the
high Andes peaks, including the Cerro Aconcagua across the
Argentinean border - the highest mountain in the continent
- the panorama is spectacular!
We will focus on the famous steeps and chutes of Portillo.
Roca Jack and its numerous possibilities traversing south
are the choice for locals and experts as well. On the other
side, Condor provides a slightly longer vertical drop, drier
snow and greater variety. Hiking in the chutes above the Va
et Vient lifts will give us the chance to experience the lake
descents to the frozen surface of the legendary Laguna del
Inca.
Thinking about lunch? Tio Bob's restaurant is the locals´
recommendation. Nestled right above the La Garganta chute,
it has such unbelievable views of the Andes and the Laguna
del Inca that it is usual to spend several hours up there.
After a full day on the slopes we head back to Santiago for
our last night in Chile. Tomorrow we have a trully unique
day already in Argentina! |
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After
we leave the city of Mendoza and on our way to Las Lenas,
we will visit one of the best wineries in the Argentinean
Wine Country, giving our guests a whole new perspective of
what life is like this side of the world! Here we will have
a traditional local "Asado" (bbq) for lunch and
will taste the finest wines in Argentina. We are positive
this visit will enhance your travel experience.
After lunch we will start our ride to the Las Lenas ski resort
driving through deserts and alpine mountain valleys. We plan
to arrive in Las Lenas in the afternoon. As soon as we reach
the base at 2,240 mts. (7,349 ft.) the unique experience of
Las Lenas begins! We will have enough time to settle and relax
before dinner time. Here we will spend the next five nights
in our deluxe, ski-in ski-out hotel, where breakfast and gourmet
dinner are included.
Live Las Lenas. This is an incredible place to ski, to make
new friends and to have a lot of fun! |
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| Ski
Las Lenas, Argentina: The Dream Comes True! |
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Welcome
to Paradise! You are just about to explore some of the best
powder on the planet! Besides the 64 km of groomers, Las Lenas
has the largest lift-serviced skiable area - more than 200,000
acres of off-piste skiing and snowboarding - in the western
hemisphere, and with a vertical drop of 1,230 mts. (4,034
ft!) you will find enough challenging terrain to keep you
busy almost forever!
Even when this resort has 13 lifts there is one that shadows
the rest: Marte! This is the chairlift of every skier's dream.
Reaching 3,400 mts. (11,155 ft.) and featuring a vertical
drop of 2,579 ft., hundreds of chutes and couloirs are accessed
from here. Explore the steep chutes of Marte and its wide
open bowl right underneath the chairlift, Las Vegas, Eduardo's
couloir, Mercurio… the backcountry here is endless! With
a compassful of exposures, every condition is always available
somewhere.
After a great day exploring, we will enjoy après ski
at our slope side hotel. You can taste some of the best Argentinean
wines at the Wine Point, relax at the heated pool or hang
out at the hotel bar.
Nightlife is a really important chapter of the local culture!
Begin with a 9 pm dinner (forget about making reservations
at 6:30!). Right after that, you can go to the casino or have
a drink at one of the many local pubs. Finally, dancing will
keep you awake until five in the morning... But there's no
hurry. This is just the second night at this amazing resort! |
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We
will spend the next three days skiing and riding powder, exploring
the steeps, chutes and bowls, making new friends and having
a blast in Las Lenas…
This place is fabulous, and may even rival the famous resort
of Jackson Hole, WY. There is no other place on the planet
that offers such easily accessible off-piste skiing.
Once you've reached the summit, at 11,253 ft. you will be
amazed by the incredible views of the surrounding snow capped
peaks and the huge treeless valley. From the challenging terrain
of Marte to the long and wide cruising runs down the face
of the mountain, Las Lenas is the place to be in South America!
When it comes to more challenging options our guides will
show you some incredible hikes that can take from 30 minutes
to 2 hours accessing awesome lines. Also Las Lenas has been
offering snowcat skiing and boarding tours during the last
two years. The terrain explored is pretty amazing and the
views are incredible. This will definitely be a big plus for
this trip! |
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| Adiós
Las Lenas… See You Next Year! |
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It
is time to leave Las Lenas. After having breakfast and doing
some last minute shopping we'll start our drive to the Mendoza
airport. Half way - at the city of San Rafael - we will stop
for lunch.
By 5.30 pm we will be arriving at the airport with enough
time to check in and get ready for the flight. It's here where
our guides will say good bye until next year! If you have
a night departure you will have plenty of time to catch your
international flight. And if you are planning to stay longer
in Santiago - or would like to extend your trip to any destination
in Chile or Argentina - we would be pleased to assist you
with your reservations. |
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Hasta
Pronto Amigos! We believe you enjoyed this adventure as we did, and
that
you will be coming back soon. There are more amazing skiing and snowboarding
adventures waiting
for you in Chile and Argentina, in the Andes of South America!!!
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POWDER
DREAMS - Average Tour Stats! |
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Total Vertical: 251,357 ft. |
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Average
Vertical per day: 20,946 |
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Best
Vertical day: 32,495 ft. |
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Days
on off piste terrain: 10 Days |
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Days
on the slopes: 12 Days |
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Video
shooting day: Aug 12th |
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Best
Powder day: Aug 6th
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Heli/snowcat
skiing days: Aug 8,11,12 |
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ANDES
SKI TOURS Headquarters
1387 Esteban Adrogue St. - 2nd Floor - Suite 20
Adrogue - B1846FHG - Buenos Aires - Argentina |
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Toll Free US & Canada: 1.866.265.1906 |
| Toll
Free United Kingdom: 0.800.032.9002 |
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| E-mail:
info@andesskitours.com |
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