While your friends back home are sitting in sweltering traffic jams to get to a crowded beach, you could be playing with us in deep, pristine powder under blue southern skies, chasing the endless winter.
Need more convincing? Ski Magazine has given five very good reasons why
snow skiing Chile should be in your sights this summer.
1. It’s summer.
But in Chile, it's snowing. A lot. Need we say more?
“Given that flights into Chile’s capital city of Santiago are affordable and convenient, and that you can be on snow making turns by noon on your arrival day, it’s worth the questioning stares you’ll endure to jump on a plane with skis in tow and head south for a week or two during the hottest time of the year.”
2. The Andes
Towering over the eastern neighborhoods of Santiago, the Andes mountain range is second only to the Himalayas in size. The view of endless white peaks as you fly into
Santiago gives you some idea of the sheer scale of the mountains.
“Best of all, world class ski areas have been built in Chile and Argentina on both sides of the Andes, providing a unique experience to sample these mountains as easily as you’d sample the Rockies.”
Although Chile is a developing country,
Chile ski resorts are world-class and getting better each year. Each offers something different, from Valle Nevado’s high-altitude 7000 acres of cascading bowls and steep gullies, to La Parva’s friendly family atmosphere.
Boutique resort
Portillo lodging limits numbers so guests have the mountain almost to themselves, and just a few hours south of Santiago is Nevados de Chillan (
Ski Termas de Chillan), where you can ski right to the edge of natural hotsprings.
3. Asados
Apres-ski in Chile is a whole new experience. You can’t come south without getting addicted to asados, a unique, unhurried barbeque affair. While you are hanging out waiting for the massive slabs of food to cook, it is standard practice to sample ample amounts of Chilean red wine.
This tradition could also be why you sometimes find you have the whole mountain to yourself if you are on the hill before noon the next day.
4. Tres Valles
The resorts of
Valle Nevado, Colorado and
La Parva make up the The Tres Valles ski area. The terrain is massive, offering more than 25,000 acres of Andean powder. 35 lifts take you to 3670 meters and open up to hikes to rival anything in North America.
“In Colorado, there’s Vail’s Back Bowls. In Utah, there’s the impeccable grooming of Deer Valley and the steeps of Alta/Snowbird. In Jackson, there’s Corbet’s coulior. But what if all of these things existed at one single area, with no lift lines, endless vertical and with as much skiable acreage as Vail, Deer Valley, Alta/Snowbird and Jackson combined? That’s exactly what you get when you end up at Chile’s Tres Valles.”
5. The people
Chileans are known for their good humor and friendly nature, which was broadcast worldwide during the rescue of the 33 trapped miners late last year. Visitors will experience true southern hospitality. People you come across are warm and friendly, from those working at the resorts to locals you ride the chair with.
“Despite hardships and a convoluted history that includes dictatorship, there’s an attractive joy in the Chilean persona. Of course, if you lived in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, with some of the best skiing in the world, you’d probably be pretty happy, too.”
Even with just a week in Chile you can’t help but slow down a little to the rhythm of the locals and appreciate that with great snow, food, wine and company, life is good.