South America's Top Skiing Destinations
Chapelco (Argentina)
Chapelco is an intermediate ski area that has sprouted horns. It started life in 1978,
but like Gran Catedral, Bariloche, its more famous neighbour 75 miles to the south, it
could not guarantee good snow.
Skiers from Buenos Aires who once knew Chapelco for its gentle, tree-lined runs are now
confused by Chapelco's more machismo image. They complain that while money is poured into
the thrilling terrain on the upper slopes, they lack good snow below the tree-line at
4,921ft. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Chapelco's slopes face north (the
"wrong" way for a southern hemisphere resort). Chapelco is a substantial ski
area: it has 10 lifts and 35 runs.
El Colorado (Chile)
With 16 lifts and 25 trails, El Colorado is Chile's biggest and arguably most popular
ski area, at least at weekends, when day trippers flock here from Santiago, the capital
which - pollution allowing - is at times visible in the valley below.
E1 Colorado's coneshaped peak, with southfacing slopes, has good cruising with excellent
off-piste below the cliffs on the south-eastern edge of the resort. A guide is advisable
and a pick-up vehicle essential.
Gran Catedral,
Bariloche (Argentina)
There is much to like about this cosmopolitan resort on the banks of Lake Nahuel Huapi:
but two things let it down. It has an unpredictable snow record, for which it can hardly
be blamed, and it is not well organised.
Indifferent organisation is often the fate of ski resorts which have lifts run by
different companies. Bariloche is no exception.
One manifestation is poor piste marking. In fresh snow, it is hard to tell poles
indicating rocks from those marking the way down. That is a serious problem in a resort
with 32 lifts, 50 trails, and a vertical drop of 3,280ft.
Heini Kempel, director of the Gran Catedral ski school and formerly of Argentina's
demonstration ski team, believes one day soon Bariloche - with its excellent cruising runs
on the upper slopes, its chutes and bowls below Punta Nevada, and the Carlitos and La Hoya
mogul runs - will live up to its reputation as South America's best ski resort.
La Parva (Chile)
La Parva may have the edge over Portillo as the best single ski area in Chile. Portillo
has more dramatic terrain and scenery, but La Parva has more choice.
It has the biggest vertical drop: 3,150ft. Such is the variety of skiing options and
scenery that days on the mountain rush by.
The problem with La Parva is that it is more a glorified ski club village than a resort.
It has no big hotel. La Parva has 13 lifts, most of them going to interesting places,
especially the new Barros Hegros chair reputedly the longest quad in South America.
There are 20 listed runs, but much off-piste skiing opens up after a good snowfall.
Las Lenas (Argentina)
While Bariloche would like to think it has the most important skiing in Argentina, that
honour probably belongs to Las Lenas.
No other resort in South America has such an extraordinary choice of chutes, gulleys and
other off-piste delights.
Las Lenas has an unusual history: almost 20 years ago the then owners of the land (two
brothers who ran a food and manufacturing company) were kidnapped by guerrillas who
demanded a ransom of US$60m. Released unharmed, the brothers sold to the present owners,
who opened the resort in 1983.
Many of lifts and hotels have astrological themes: Piscis is the best hotel, Geminis the
smallest. Venus is a beginner chair, and Neptune accesses the most exciting and important
lift in the resort, Marte (Mars).
Portillo (Chile)
Owned by the American Purcell brothers, this is probably the best-run ski resort in the
continent and among the most spectacular, in a steep sided valley.
It has introduced snowmaking on a realistic level its pistes are wellgroomed and
signposted, and it has expert avalanche control. The resort is dominated by the
colonial-style Hotel Portillo, the emphasis on old-fashioned style, comfort, and values.
The skiing is exotic and slightly eccentric. It is possible to ski to the lake, and to be
rowed back or to ski back on the ice. The steep avalanche chutes are a big attraction: two
are served by unique Va et Vient lifts. These have no lift towers, but drag skiers up on
high-speed platters suspended in mid-air.
The run kept open at almost all costs is the mile-long plateau run; a perfect pitch for
most skiers, a classic cruising run with no awkward moments.
Termas de Chillan (Chile)
There are several volcano ski areas in Chile's Lake District: most have exciting
scenery but their skiing is compromised, either by wet or windy conditions.
Termas de Chillan is perhaps the only one that manages to maintain reasonably good skiing
conditions. The resort is 50 miles from Chillan the birthplace of Bernardo O'Higgins,
Chile's great revolutionary hero and first president.
Its Don Otto chairlift, at 1.5 miles, is the longest in South America.
From the top, skiers have a choice of some exquisite off-piste gulleys and ravines.
Valle Nevado (Chile)
Valle Nevado is pure deja vu: a French purpose-built ski area rising straight out of
the Andes below the awe-inspiring peak of El Plomo (17,800ft). It was built and is owned
by Spie Batignolles, one of France's biggest construction companies.
Valle Nevado was completed in 1988 in the image of what international skiers might expect
from a modern European resort.
