ChrisC
Well-known member
Catedral does have poor exposure - especially for its lower slopes.
Skier's right lower down faces due North! Always melts out.
However, the Laguna sector faces due South, which is likely worth the 15 minute hike.
South America 2024
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
Catedral does have poor exposure - especially for its lower slopes.
Skier's right lower down faces due North! Always melts out.
However, the Laguna sector faces due South, which is likely worth the 15 minute hike.
Good plan. This is the exact time frame that Staley went to Las Lenas 3 or 4 times and also when Extremely Canadian went for about a decade.
This is the period of the locally famed "Santa Rosa" storms, named after the first South American saint and celebrated Aug. 30.
I believe these are the last hurrah shot at major dumps, about like late March/early April in the Sierra. But at Las Lenas you want the storms to be over when you are there. Last season with big storms in September was an aberration even by the volatile standards of the Andes.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Of course, nothing makes sense in Argentina:
Not a good day for Marte: closed. But the pistes are ready. They seem happier about the off-piste, rating it a 2/5 and open.
I doubt any of this even matters. I feel like this will be Europe, so go wherever. Except if a lift is closed.
Not a good day for Marte: closed. But the pistes are ready. They seem happier about the off-piste, rating it a 2/5 and open.
I doubt any of this even matters. I feel like this will be Europe, so go wherever. Except if a lift is closed.
Yes but Marte is needed for lift access to half of Las Lenas' vertical, 3/4 of terrain and all of the terrain that motivates ChrisC to go there.
With the favorable snow stability you can hike above Caris, Minerva or Vulcano as Adam did in 2005 with Extremely Canadian's top group.
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Season-to-date: Portillo 256 inches, Valle Nevado 263 inches.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Las Lenas quick update:
Since my arrival last Saturday, I've been batting nearly 100% in Marte's operation. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
A small storm occurred late last week (Thursday/Friday), which dumped 6-12" (base and summit estimates) of snow on top of the 40-120" snow depths. It was a nice refresh, but it did not increase avalanche risk. Las Lenas off-piste is currently at a 2 out of 5 - very safe to go anywhere! Likely a perfect setup for skiing Las Lenas.
Some wind (40km+ @ summit/Bora Bora) on Monday kept Marte on hold most of the day, but otherwise, it's been sunny, stable, and not too warm (40f). Generally packed powder on south-facing terrain, still good up high on E/W aspects, and spring-like on north-facing terrain. Some north-facing areas have been wind-scoured/burned off - especially lower elevations.
Since Saturday afternoon, I have been—like a zombie—doing laps (Venus-Neptune-Marte-Iris) plus any necessary return lifts and hitting the main, obvious 4k ft lines: Mercurio, Paraiso, Eduardo, and Marte liftlines. Phenomenal terrain! I have taken some laps with gringos who are down here, but I realize they are as clueless as I am trying to get into tighter lines/spaces and navigate. Terrain is killer, but slow lifts recharge your batteries between descents.
So today, I stopped my Argentinian gangsta ways of walking around with too many pesos (Buenos Aires US dollar conversions) and hired a guide to take me wherever is 'not obvious.' It was completely worth it!
Anyway, I think my good fortune runs out tomorrow. A dry, windy storm comes through Friday.
After skiing Las Lenas on Saturday afternoon, I extended my stay another two days until Monday (iSat and Mon are typically check-in/check-out days). A storm rolls in on Monday, so I still need to decide whether to try a few more days in Las Lenas, continue on to Bariloche (Catedral, Cerro Bayo), or just go home. The storm looks warm, so Catedral/Bayo should get rain halfway up their mountains (12"+ up high), but I am unsure when it will clear.
If it is just Las Lenas this trip, let it be.
Since my arrival last Saturday, I've been batting nearly 100% in Marte's operation. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
A small storm occurred late last week (Thursday/Friday), which dumped 6-12" (base and summit estimates) of snow on top of the 40-120" snow depths. It was a nice refresh, but it did not increase avalanche risk. Las Lenas off-piste is currently at a 2 out of 5 - very safe to go anywhere! Likely a perfect setup for skiing Las Lenas.
Some wind (40km+ @ summit/Bora Bora) on Monday kept Marte on hold most of the day, but otherwise, it's been sunny, stable, and not too warm (40f). Generally packed powder on south-facing terrain, still good up high on E/W aspects, and spring-like on north-facing terrain. Some north-facing areas have been wind-scoured/burned off - especially lower elevations.
Since Saturday afternoon, I have been—like a zombie—doing laps (Venus-Neptune-Marte-Iris) plus any necessary return lifts and hitting the main, obvious 4k ft lines: Mercurio, Paraiso, Eduardo, and Marte liftlines. Phenomenal terrain! I have taken some laps with gringos who are down here, but I realize they are as clueless as I am trying to get into tighter lines/spaces and navigate. Terrain is killer, but slow lifts recharge your batteries between descents.
So today, I stopped my Argentinian gangsta ways of walking around with too many pesos (Buenos Aires US dollar conversions) and hired a guide to take me wherever is 'not obvious.' It was completely worth it!
Anyway, I think my good fortune runs out tomorrow. A dry, windy storm comes through Friday.
After skiing Las Lenas on Saturday afternoon, I extended my stay another two days until Monday (iSat and Mon are typically check-in/check-out days). A storm rolls in on Monday, so I still need to decide whether to try a few more days in Las Lenas, continue on to Bariloche (Catedral, Cerro Bayo), or just go home. The storm looks warm, so Catedral/Bayo should get rain halfway up their mountains (12"+ up high), but I am unsure when it will clear.
If it is just Las Lenas this trip, let it be.
Marte is open 40% of days long term; that's from the horse's mouth, a Kirkwood snow safety person who worked at Las Lenas for a few seasons.
So
are in order. The TR will be worth waiting for, I'm sure.Open Snow narrative today says next storm at Cathedral starts with rain/snow mix but all snow Sunday night, 11 inches new by end of day Monday.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Well, Las Lenas's Marte operational record is reverting to the mean. After being 100% available for 5 days (3 full days and 2 half days), this low-moisture storm has closed it for the last 2 days.
Early yesterday, it was partly cloudy, but decent winds kept upper lifts closed. Yesterday afternoon and today, there are just low clouds and 2" new.
It should be a sunny, warmer weekend of spring skiing. The avalanche rating is now only 1 out of 5, so go anywhere!
Bariloche/Catedral/Bayo - It's looking stormy for most of next week with almost no sun forecast. Although great skiing up high, I'm not sure about lift operations - especially Bayo. Most of the reason for a visit is the scenery of Patagonia. I'm leaning towards skipping it and just going back to Buenos Aires and home after 9 days at Las Lenas (hopefully 7 out of 9 with Marte opened).
Early yesterday, it was partly cloudy, but decent winds kept upper lifts closed. Yesterday afternoon and today, there are just low clouds and 2" new.
It should be a sunny, warmer weekend of spring skiing. The avalanche rating is now only 1 out of 5, so go anywhere!
Bariloche/Catedral/Bayo - It's looking stormy for most of next week with almost no sun forecast. Although great skiing up high, I'm not sure about lift operations - especially Bayo. Most of the reason for a visit is the scenery of Patagonia. I'm leaning towards skipping it and just going back to Buenos Aires and home after 9 days at Las Lenas (hopefully 7 out of 9 with Marte opened).
On both ski areas' websites, those numbers are the same today. Is 2024 yet another season with Portillo below its 1971-2007 average of 270 inches?
ChrisC
Well-known member
Saturday and Sunday (August 31 and September 1) were mostly sunny, but there was still some lingering wind. Marte managed to open for half a day. The skiing was okay but not as good as earlier in the week—mostly chalk on north faces, some wind sift in certain areas, and frozen in others. There was softening over the weekend due to warmer temperatures.
So my overall record was Marte about 100% open on August 24, 25, 27, 28, <50% open on August 26, 31, and closed on August 29, 30, and September 1st.
Another low-moisture wind storm was coming in for week 2 in Las Lenas, while Patagonia forecasted lots of snow, so I traveled to Bariloche on Monday.
Skied Catedral had some partial openings on Tuesday, September 3, and a total opening on Wednesday, September 4; the storm total was 10-16 inches on the upper 3/4 of the mountain.
I skied Bayo on Thursday, September 5th. It was very good for the first couple of runs, with up to 20" of new snow from the summit gondola. However, the summit gondola (and lower gondola) became overwhelmed with crowds - especially sightseers. By noon, the upper Gondola lift line was 1 hour+. It's a new lift with very few gondola cabins - it must have less than 1000 p/h capacity. The other upper chairlifts, Lagos and Lenga, served smaller footprints and were skied out. Great skiing, high quality, scenic, but frustrating - got maybe 4 runs after 11:00 am. In general, the lower mountain was a mess of crowds.
Finally able to download iPhone photos to MS Surface after a Windows software update gone wrong. Will get a report up.
So my overall record was Marte about 100% open on August 24, 25, 27, 28, <50% open on August 26, 31, and closed on August 29, 30, and September 1st.
Another low-moisture wind storm was coming in for week 2 in Las Lenas, while Patagonia forecasted lots of snow, so I traveled to Bariloche on Monday.
Skied Catedral had some partial openings on Tuesday, September 3, and a total opening on Wednesday, September 4; the storm total was 10-16 inches on the upper 3/4 of the mountain.
I skied Bayo on Thursday, September 5th. It was very good for the first couple of runs, with up to 20" of new snow from the summit gondola. However, the summit gondola (and lower gondola) became overwhelmed with crowds - especially sightseers. By noon, the upper Gondola lift line was 1 hour+. It's a new lift with very few gondola cabins - it must have less than 1000 p/h capacity. The other upper chairlifts, Lagos and Lenga, served smaller footprints and were skied out. Great skiing, high quality, scenic, but frustrating - got maybe 4 runs after 11:00 am. In general, the lower mountain was a mess of crowds.
Finally able to download iPhone photos to MS Surface after a Windows software update gone wrong. Will get a report up.
Likely final totals for 2024: Portillo 261 (still below 1971-2007 average), Valle Nevado 273 inches.