Patrick
Well-known member
Yes, I have. Aware of the great start in the Andes and slow start in NZ/Oz.
South America 2024
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
ChrisC
Well-known member
Las Lenas, Valle Nevado, and Portillo are open on 1-3 meter bases. However, the steeper terrain is not yet open: Portillo - Roca Jack, Las Lenas - Marte, Minerva and Valle Nevado - Ancla, Valle del Inca, and most Tres Puntas. Assume snow should stabilize.
Interestingly, you can get to Portillo from Chile, but Argentina has still not dug out their side.
Interestingly, you can get to Portillo from Chile, but Argentina has still not dug out their side.
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Patrick
Well-known member
The road from Portillo to Mendoza is pretty long with side mountain stretches. On the Chilean side, besides the crazy switchbacks before Portillo the road is less exposed.
Update today on season-to-date snowfalls: Portillo 224 inches, Valle Nevado 211. That means essentially zero since I last checked June 25. Las Lenas page shows Marte not open, likely due to visibility and wind gusts to 40km/hr.
What's that word you use? Volatility!
Patrick
Well-known member
I checked a few days ago and Marte was open.
Meanwhile Australia is being dumped on.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Correct. There has been practically no new snow for the month of July. And the future for Chile is not looking amazing:
Las Lenas is currently getting a decent stom 6-24" or so, but no much new in the near forecast for Chile.
I have not really committed yet, just some international flights reservations, but no domestic flights or lodging. With South America, it's always a wait and see.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Marte has been open pretty consistently since early July. Today is a storm day, you can see from the webcams.
I've booked flights to NZ for the first time in more than a decade.............early September though so there's time.
If Oz is looking good in a few weeks I'll do a short last minute trip to get my Mountain Collective days at Buller.
I'd be cautious about that. All reports I've seen say a very lean season so far in NZ. Sbooker complains about high airfares to NZ. Maybe consider Santiago?
That's good news. I'm sure ChrisC knows you want clear and calm weather for Las Lenas. You're there for the terrain more than for powder, assuming the base is adequate, as it should be for at least another month.
We’ll be limited on time so South America won’t work.
I won’t book any lodging in Queenstown or Wanaka. If there’s no snow we’ll go check out the west coast glaciers that we’ve never seen. Plenty of decent hikes in the general southern lakes district too.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Agree. I just want to make sure surface conditions are not complete trash before undertaking such a journey. Assume a snowstorm of a foot would knock Marte out for 2-4 days (storm and recovery).
It's looking good there this morning.
That's hard to figure out. Soulskier says Las Lenas winds make Mammoth look benign. I did not see big cornice buildups at Las Lenas, which reinforces Soulskier's comments that the winds are not consistent in direction. So you don't really know whether you will get smooth windbuff, sastrugi or crust after a storm or wind event. Staley recommends bringing very wide skis for the range of conditions. Early September corn can be outstanding, as I also saw in Portillo in 2007.
ChrisC has the skills to handle varied snow conditions. He should bring touring gear for El Collar and perhaps Entre Rios and and Toricellas which are beyond my pay grade. I encourage this trip due to the best coverage in at least 15 years. 4,000 vertical runs to the valley floor will be skiable this year when they are less so in shallower snowpacks. The key is to maximize days that Marte is open. For most of us that means spending 2 weeks to increase the odds. ChrisC went to the Dolomites on short notice. That may be more of a challenge with Las Lenas.
Patrick
Well-known member
July in the Andes = stay clear if you going to use a lift.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I do have touring gear, but I do not use it much due to my urban location. Also, the hard boundaries of Palisades Tahoe do not encourage leaving the resort for nearby terrain.
Also, those Las Lenas names are still Greek to me. Still have not been able to find a guidebook.
Las Lenas is perhaps the biggest travel-challenged resort I have seen. Cannot believe it got built.
The snow - and lack thereof most years - is the only reason I am considering it.
Patrick
Well-known member
There is a series of maps/route that were made. First edition were rough drawings (don’t remember who lent it to me) and second edition which came out around 2009. Bought one which was stolen with all my gear after my trip once I arrived in Buenos Aires. Soulskier bought me another copy when he was still living in Argentina.
Off piste chart on wall of restaurant in Las Lenas 2015:
Red is lift accessible. Green means you're hiking. It's a full res pic so you can click on it and read the captions more clearly.
Red is lift accessible. Green means you're hiking. It's a full res pic so you can click on it and read the captions more clearly.
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