Ski South America… NOW!
Jonny – always wanted to ski the Andes – Richards is just back from Chile’s highest and largest resort, Valle Nevado. Here are his tips on how and why you need to visit.
Best Autumn Skiing
Yes, you can get lucky once a decade with a crazy September storm like Austria had earlier this month (with claims of up to 2m of powder). Or take you pick from the handful of European glaciers open (with 9% of the Saas Fee mountain operating, or 4% of Zermatt). But the smart money at this time of year always heads for South America, as it’s a whole lot closer, and cheaper than that other banker New Zealand. Chile (and Valle Nevado) is our pick, thanks to direct flights from London (more on that below) and a not-awful current time-difference of four hours (versus a body-clock slaying GMT+12 for NZ). Because Valle Nevado’s so high – with even the base at 3000m – you’ll also almost always have enough altitude to secure decent skiing, even in a poor season, which this one most definitely is not – with a shade under seven metres of snow so far.
Don’t Stop
The British Airways straight-shot into Santiago (just 75km from Valle Nevado) departs LHR four times a week. It’s long at 14 hours (well this the Andes rather than Alps) but on the plus side fares are not awful, starting at £777 return. BA do however charge for skis/luggage on top (which adds an extra £50 each way). But book-smart and you can still remain in the £800s. Just. Something I had in the bag last summer (before missing out due to a faffing friend) and secured late-on again this time, albeit by having to route Manchester-Atlanta-Santiago with Delta. For those rolling their eyes at the expense, yes, it is a good dollop, but you’re flying over 7000 miles! Each way! While for any bright sparks wondering ‘why no Argentina here?’ well, that’s even more costly, as you need a regional flight to the likes of Bariloche once you reach Buenos Aires; whereas for Valle Nevado it’s straight into a 90-minute private transfer (expect to pay £80-£120) from Arturo Merino Benitez airport to resort.
Long And Late
Chile has over a dozen resorts, but Vallee Nevado (often shortened to VN) has to be the one due to its superior size (2400 skiable acres), height (the Tres Puntas top-lift is 3670m), and infrastructure. Think the country’s only ski gondola versus the usual back-in-time mix of Pomas/T-bars, and due to all that altitude a season that usually stretches from mid-June to the start of October. This time around, the aforementioned excellent conditions have pushed those dates still further, ensuring both an early start, and late finish (scheduled to be 20 October, at the time of writing). Yes, yes, exciting! You’ve still got time! And because the majority of VN is south facing (which remember is good here due to the hemisphere) you don’t need to worry about things becoming a total slush-fest. In fact, for us, in early September it was European corduroy in the morning, giving way to enjoyable North American style Spring corn in the afternoon.
Views And Vallees
Yet to draw my pension, I rarely ski for the scenery. But however hard of heart you may be, it’s difficult not to be affected by the place that literally translates as ‘snowy valley’ with its stellar views of Santiago. In fact, of the 200-odd resorts I’ve skied, I think only Sapporo Teine (imagine waves crashing in against Japan’s fifth largest city) and Le Massif (with the mighty, brooding St Laurence river below) can match it for drama. Particularly when the lifts stop turning at 5pm and many miles (and hairpins) beneath you, the five-million-strong city begins to light up. Fabulous. Which is not necessarily something many will say about VN’s base (although I actually quite like it). Heavily influenced by Les Arcs, it was built by a French/Chilean consortium in the late 1980s, and features the sort of huge, modernist accommodation blocks you may well be familiar with from various Euro trips. “Very Avoriaz” girlfriend Em and I both (incorrectly as it turned out) chorused on first sight of the three large resort-owned hotels, plus various giant apartment buildings. Inspired by architect Charlotte Perriand (who styled much of Les Arcs), you might not agree with the bold, almost brutal structures, but you can’t argue with the underlying ethos: skiing for all, with everyone equal on the mountain – hence you all get a similar room/view/situation.
Three Style
Oh come on, you know you want to brag to your friends about skiing here! Because (alongside Japan) it’s pretty much the ultimate collectors’ item, as so few Brits make it this far. Plus, unlike other Chilean resorts, Valle Nevado’s just about big enough to keep even a decent skier happy for the week (think 12 lifts, 44 trails and masses of easy-to-access sidecountry). However, once you add in neighbouring/connected La Parva, and El Colorado (which gives you a total of 7000-acres to explore) things really get fun. We skied all three resorts, with the only issue being that they’re not on one universal lift ticket. Yes, you can get interconnect days thrown in with various global mega-passes, but walk up to the window to try and buy one in resort and they’ll look at you like you’re from the moon. Potentially, that may soon change with Colorado-based MCP (Mountain Capital Partners) now owning both VN and La Parva (and in talks to buy El Colorado if the regulator allows it). But for now, let’s just says the Andes’ Tres Vallees does not operate quite as seamlessly as its European counterpart! Still, prices are fine (we paid between £40-£55 for a day pass, usually including a hefty discount for using Visa or Mastercard, who appear to be taking it in turns to sponsor each of the mountains), plus there’s always the option to hitchhike and begin your day in a neighbouring resort (as we did) to avoid paying for a double lift ticket.
For further details on Jonny’s Chile trip, keep an eye on this season’s print magazines.
