CASA Tours Switchboard

Ski Chile: Pirigallo Fingers; Termas de Chillan

Posted on December 10th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

South American Classic: Pirigallo Fingers, Termas de Chillan

Arriving at Termas de Chillan’s upper parking lot, tunnel vision sets in and one is immediately directed to the Pirigallo Fingers. In full display above the cafeteria, the ‘fingers’ beg to be tattooed with tracks. After a fresh Andean storm while riding the Don Otto chairlift one cannot avoid gazing at the chutes thinking; “those need to be tagged” and for first-timers “how do I get there”. Of course many think we are out of our minds, but I am willing to accept that criticism, those of you who “know” want to go.
In my snow junky delusional mind I usually feel the necessity to be the first party to put my mark on them. They are just too aesthetically tempting to not put your turn hieroglyphic on them first. Getting to the Fingers means passing by an abundance of enticing lines and requires a long traverse of Pirigallo Valley’s north face, which is certainly friendlier on skis. On intense sun filled days timing is critical when crossing this north face while other days lapping this terrain is the agenda.
After passing a series of granite spires riders reach the upper west face bench and are presented with 10 distinct fingers with steady 40+ degree pitches and complete with knuckles and other topographically pleasing variables. Time to put on a show for all those kicking back on the deck at Termas’ day lodge, drinking an Escudo and salivating on a beef shish kabob.
Envisioning standing on the backside of the hands just above the knuckles where the fingers roll over, one has an epic view of Pirigallo Valley’s wicked south face, the dense green Las Trancas valley, and the fumarole spewing, exposed mustard yellow and burnt orange stone shoulder separating Pirigallo from Valle Hermoso. The ‘pinky’ chutes offer the mellowest lines with no threat of sending yourself into a jagged rock, steam-venting fumerole. The index finger and thumb chutes offer the most invigorating descents but could become ugly if one took a non-stopping tumble into the fumaroles below. My finger fetish is strong and choosing which digit I want to ski usually absorbs my attention throughout the entire approach. Each phalange chute has its distinctive features, including aspect, steepness, terrain variety, snow quality, and length and I cannot definitively say my favorite. Once through the fingers, the right hand flips over giving riders a bonus 500 vertical foot palm while the left hand dips into a gulley.
Finger riders’ shouts of joy echo from the mountain and reach the sun deck before their faces glowing with adrenalin- laced smiles arrive. Admiring your work from the sun deck many a times is only for a brief moment as getting back to the Don Otto for another lap is the mission. For the next 22 minutes you have plenty of time to relive your run and deliberate which finger will ensue. And other times it is time to après and revel in your glory while basking in the Andean sun, Escudo or Cristal in hand.

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SKi Chile: Aguas Calientes/ Valle Hermoso

Posted on December 10th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

Classic Termas de Chillan Day Tour: Aguas Calientes & Valle Hermoso

Although my legs fall asleep, my back aches, and I get fidgety, riding the Don Otto, South America’s longest and oldest chairlift, accesses one of Chile’s finest day tours. This rickety two-seater that Dopplemeyer made Termas de Chillan take their name off is equipped with individual safety bars and lethargically ascends riders 2200 vertical feet at 100 feet per minute. The ride gives you ample time to apply the sunscreen, eat the breakfast you wrapped in a napkin, and do all the necessary tuning adjustments. In fact the slowness of the Don Otto is a blessing in disguise for us powder sluts as its sloth-like speed results in less skier/snowboarder traffic during the course of the day. But for this epic Andean tour 1 ride is enough and crossing tracks is never an issue.
Directly in front of the off-ramp a backcountry gate leads out to a multitude of off piste adventures. Here is the spot to skin up, split the board, or strap the gear to your pack. Head up alongside the entertaining Pirigallo cornice until you reach a bench below Volcan Viejo, the southern most of 3 gigantic volcanoes rising above Termas de Chillan’s moonscape. After a short ramp down and another short climb one can take a variety of pitches on the west face of the Pirigallo gully before reaching the base of the Pirigallo/Aquas Calientes ridgeline. Backcountry fans can extend their tour with a 2-3 hour climb up Volcan Viejo and drop its south face into Aguas Calientes. Regardless a steep skin or direct boot pack awaits tourers in order to gain the rolling and triangulated crest of Aquas Calientes’ southern exposure.
Options now abound. One can do quick 45-minute yo-yos on this face, or continue further to the peak where Pirigallo, Aguas Calientes and Valle Hermoso all join and descend all sorts of goodness along Aguas Calientes’ east facing wall. Another alluring alternative is to descend all the way to the river and soak in hot springs, although this adds a lengthy retreat back to the Aguas Calientes/Pirigallo ridgeline. At the base of this ridgeline one can bail and ride out the Pirigallo gulley or retrace the skin track or boot pack already set in and up to the peak where the 3 valleys meet. A 360 degree vista presents the perfectly conical Antuco Volcano to the South, the expanse of Termas de Chillan’s and Shangri-la’s lava flows spread out to the North, the volcanoes: Nevado, Nuevo, and Viejo dominate the East, while the Pacific Ocean’s horizon curves around the globe to the West.
Valle Hermoso’s terrain spans an enormous horseshoe offering southern, western and northern exposures and a mosaic of topographical features. From the summit it is a 2800 vertical foot playground to the hot pools. From snaking, steep couloirs to wide-open bowls, noses, and gullies, Hermoso is a backcountry paradise providing challenges for all levels.
From the hot pools, an obvious landmark down valley and the easiest exit back to the ski center, climb out of the valley to a ridge just below a huge steam vent and the source of Termas’ famous hot water. The last pitch gets late sun before heading into a forest of bamboo and coigue trees. The tour ends just above the water slide and riders must cross the bridge and jump the fence to wind up in the upper parking lot.

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Ski Chile: Volcan Nevado de Chillan

Posted on December 10th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

BEST LINES IN SOUTH AMERICA: NEVADO CHILLAN

One of 3 volcanoes rising above the lifts of Termas de Chillan, Nevado Chillan is the furthest north and the most massive. With a glaciated West face and rolling snow dunes leading to its approach, Nevado Chillan provides many unique descents.
At 3900 meters (12800ft) and 360 degrees of opportunity, it is hard to keep from ogling at its presence, especially its’ southern exposure “moon dish”, while riding Termas de Chillan’s upper lifts. From the Las Trancas valley the iron-like Pyramid face beckons persistently to off piste enthusiasts.
The first time I skied Nevado was in 2003 with 4 friends from Montana. My buddy Wolf’s fritschi broke an hour into the approach, yet he refused to turn back and later be tortured listening to our snow tales. So with 1 skied strapped to his backpack he labored on, shifting between bootpacking and skinning on 1 ski. At the time we did not know the most efficient approach and continuously gained and lost elevation while navigating the rolling snow dunes of lava flow. We reached the volcano’s summit and were greeted with a ferocious wind as we stared into the elongated Argentine Andes. The upper snowfield was wind hammered with strastugi, and amazingly Wolf, ski on back looking like a bow-hunter, descended through the cardboardesque ripples without issue. Our goal was the “moon dish” and as we gathered at the drop-in, a 48-degree slope, with a curling, corniced lined ridge, alpen glow illuminated Volcan Nuevo to the south in a dense violet. Mars was already glowing in the Andean night sky and an immense moon made its rise. Team Montana; Alex ‘Obi-Juan’ Jacobi, ‘Sweet’ James Guild, Ryan ‘Cornice Boy’ Kapes, Wolf (newly nicknamed Lane Meyer-see “Better Off Dead”) Von Lindenau, and myself ‘Gomez’one by one entered the perfectly concave face. The 335meter (1100ft), wind groomed and styrofoamy-dished slope offered us all the opportunity to tag our individual signatures on its wall. We all watched in admiration as ‘Lane Meyer’ proceeded to rip it. Headlamps on we toured back to the resort as the vast South American sky, freckled in stars, filled our world. We got fresh corduroy turns all the way to the parking lot, passing the groomers making their final rounds. This has always been one of most memorable ski descents and as I continued to return to Chillan memories and strong vibes of the ‘Lane Meyer day’ would embrace me.
I waited 4 seasons for another Nevado Chillan descent. Either I was guiding and could not take the time to earn this descent or as in 2006 when I witnessed one of the largest crowns I’d ever seen and justified it would be irrationally sketchy, Nevado Chillan stood there waiting, constantly enticing me to return and explore it more. Not only that but after 6 seasons riding at Termas de Chillan I’d always drooled over the Pyramid Face, just north of Nevado’s glacier and crevassed covered West face.
September 23rd, 2007- I just finished my last CASA Tour 2 days prior and decided to hang around Termas de Chillan with my snowbuddy, Kim Ross. Kim was celebrating her 95th consecutive month on skis and spent the last 2 weeks on our Endless Winter Tour. We tore it up pretty hard the night before, drinking 45-degree piscolas at our friend Hans’ bar, Olivas. My ride up the 22 -minute Don Otto lift was pretty rough, I need not go into the details, but am glad there were no skiers under my chair. Then up the Fresco t-bar to the highest lift accessed point on the mountain. My friend Phil lined me up with a more efficient approach. His main directive, “don’t gain any elevation and curl around the backside of the snow covered lava flows, then you can make the ‘moon face’ in 2 1/2 hours.” Granted Phil is Canadian and runs an avalanche center there so 2 1/2 hours, especially after a night of pisco, is to be interpreted differently. However somehow I seemed to get possessed and skinned with an intent focus.
I reached the steepest part of the wave-like ‘moonface’ ridgeline in the prescribed time and switched over to my crampons. I checked on Kim’s progress and kick-stepped the remaining 150 or so meters to my desired entrance. As I was de-skinning and making my descent preparations, a Scotsman and Frenchman came out of nowhere to join me. They had been kite-skiing on the lower lava flows and ascended by weaving in and out of the western glaciated face. Crazy Chamonioxites! Happy to have eyes on my back, I dropped off the cornice and onto the steep flank. The top turns were chalky and turned into more wind-buffed powder before changing into rippled wind waves, typical of Andean big mountain conditions, variable. My ski compadres followed, ripping tele turns down the skier’s left curl of the bowl.
Skins back on we pursued Kim who was making her way up the ridge. We all were keen to reach Nevado’s summit and descend the pyramid face. Crampons now on, we spread out on the final snowfield, the same strastrugi encrusted slope Wolf miraculously managed to ride through. Our extended gigantic shadows projected themselves on the afternoon sun’s glistening whiteness. This time the wind was not blowing us off the mountain and we had time to revel in the wild Andean expanse.
We decided our best entrance to the pyramid would be to curl around the northwest flanks of the Nevado. We skied the upper pitch above the glacier and traversed around this face. Talk about opportunity, the northwest exposure of Nevado is huge and has a ridiculous amount of potential lines, however, it is a long way to anywhere once on its lower flows. We continued to contour the volcano until reaching the entrance of the ‘pyramid’s’ colossal fall line and about 50 meters from its triangular peak. Ready to make turns and knowing we had close to 2000 meters (6200 feet) of vertical below we plunged in, taking the first 1000 meters (3000feet) non-stop. With a fantastically consistent angle ‘the pyramid’ is a skigasm.
The lava flows of the Shangri-La valley oozed out in front of us and after this steep anvilesque descent we still had 1000 meters of lava tongues filled with half pipes to ride in the waning deep blue light. In all my years coming to Termas, I’d never exited through Shangri-la and was blown away with the terrain possibilities. We finally reached tree line and skied alongside massive cliffs vegetated with dense stands of coique trees. Waterfalls poured down its sides and inspirations of other backcountry adventures filled our thoughts. We dodged through the forest and made our way to the valley road, touring through summer cabin retreats until we reached the MI Lodge and cold beer, 1885 vertical meters from the Nevado summit.

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“The Needles” La Hoya, Argentina

Posted on December 10th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

The Needles: La Hoya, Argentina

August 24th, 2007:
Observing the weather from the Plaza Hotel in Esquel it appeared it was going to be a nasty day. After experiencing the mountain in a full fury of wind and snow the day before, today looked as if the mountain would be shut down. Thick clouds blanketed the valley and strong, gusty Patagonian winds swirled dust and paper in the streets. Although I am not one to shy away from weather, skiing by brail in milk jug conditions is a not my idea of a good time. Fortunately my guests Jim Cherry, Michael Mack, and Fernando Pereria were just the group of folks who wanted to go have a ‘look’ regardless of the ongoing unpleasantness in town.
We packed the van with a carefree, ‘hope it works out’ attitude and headed up the 13 clicks to La Hoya. Soon after climbing the steep switchbacks, we broke out of the clouds and realized we were about to be treated to a bluebird day. The wind was not whipping the flags at the base area much and yesterdays storm deposited a fresh covering of miniature-sized lottery balls of dry Andean powder. La Hoya receives some of the lightest and driest powder in all the Andes and with the right wind grooming can deposit copious amounts of snow in its protected couloirs.
Giggling with anticipated excitement the 4 of us rode the lift together scouting the conditions in the ‘needles’ chutes, the area I particularly wanted to guide them to. Getting to spend time with a guy like Jim Cherry is inspirational and exemplifies why skiing/snowboarding is a lifetime sport. Jim is 77 and owned a pair of skis for 72 years. His drive to keep it going is infectious and we all marvel in his ability to charge. Last year with skis on his back he ascended the 4 hours to Chile’s Volcan Villarica and preceded to carve up the 3000 vertical feet below. Jim may be exceptional but he shows us skiing is a sport enjoyed at different levels for a lifetime.
Michael and Fernando are pretty impressive themselves. Both in great shape and full of ski energy, they embody the saying that today’s 50 year olds are like the last generations’ 40 year olds, in fact I would put these two up against many of my 30 year old friends. Like Jim, their spirit for being on the mountain is contagious.
Sitting on the chair together with approximately a combined 222 years on this planet we acted in delight as if we had 22 by what was unraveling before our goggled eyes. Town was still shrouded over in a thick grayness and La Hoya was carpeted in fresh powder, beneath azul skies, and nearly empty.
The ride to the top of La Hoya involves 3 lifts and a short sidestep to its extended bowl ridgeline. From this traverse there are options galore. We had one mission in mind and that involved our group getting first tracks down the ‘needle’ couloirs. So we cruised along the ridgeline and eventually contoured into the ‘needles’ entrance. Due to their southerly aspect and general protection from blasting winds, the ‘needles’ collects, holds and preserves snow exceptionally. In combination with this vital aspect location the ‘needles’ are aesthetically gorgeous. With piercing jagged shark’s teeth poking out the snow and a continuous 37 to 42 degree pitch stretching a good 800 meters below, the ‘needles’ are stunning to the eye. With 3 main couloirs and a plethora of other nooks and cranies to poke into the terrain options are incredibly engaging.
I dropped in to make a ski cut and position myself to capture the guys on video. Without hesitation Jim followed and steadily made his turns down the steepest part of the line. Michael Mack dove in next and took the line all the way down. Skiing with Michael over the last couple of years it was awesome to see him so fluid and taking his fall line in one continuous gulp. Fernando then leap frogged with Jim, both making solid turns throughout the chute and around the piercing rocks.
Stoked watching these guys lay down fresh tracks and feeling the vibe, I decided to poke into a narrow corridor with a nice straight line. Screaming with speed out of the hallway and hollering in full-blown excitement, I came into the open pitch making gigantic rooster tails in my wake. We gathered at the base of the ‘needles’ looking up to admire our doings. Filled with a wild energy and an age irrelevant feeling of stokage there was no uncertainty on where our next run would be. We still had more fresh ‘needles’ to attack. With big shit eating grins we rallied to the base lift, rode up laughing, our minds’ video players replaying our lines and envisioning which needle to get after next.
Our second helpings were just as pleasurable. We skied the skiers’ left side of the ‘needles’ and were gifted with virgin tracks as latecomers riding the base lift watched with jealousy. Forever this day will be a gift I shared with Jim, Michael, and Fernando. One of those days that brings you together in a shared experience and provides a lifetime memory.

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Small Ski Areas That Rock: La Hoya: Patagonia, Argentina

Posted on August 11th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Recent Posts, Best Lines in South America, From the Guides.

By M. David Johnson

Located deep in the heart of the Patagonian Andes, La Hoya Ski Center is a gem especially for off piste enthusiasts. Situated above the town of Esquel, in the Chabut province of Southern Argentina, La Hoya reminds me of Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin.
It receives some of the driest Andean powder in all of South America and its upper lifts bring skiers and snowboarders to an enormous cirque where all types of terrain can be accessed via short traverses along the bowl’s ridgeline.
Couloirs with jagged teeth piercing through the snow are some of the most dramatic aesthetics of this ski area. Large open bowls with various cornice drops to enter provide plenty of hucking potential. And the off piste potential reachable within 45 minute walks are limitless.
The base of the ski area is simple; a small parking lot, the mate bar, a ticket booth and a four-seater taking riders past large couloirs and wind swept ridgelines. Mornings are chilly, as the base does not receive much sun due to its southern exposure and ridgelines, which block the sun. However as you climb up into La Hoya’s (The Hole) namesake bowl the morning sun lights up the surrounding terrain.
After taking the quad, you reach a mid station where there is the ski school, a beginners surface lift, an on hill mountain restaurant, a t-bar, and a 2 seater, which brings riders to a poma lift and another 2 seater and La Hoya’s prime terrain. The lift system at La Hoya is pretty impressive for such an off the beaten path South American ski resort. The top poma lift drops riders just below La Hoya’s distinct ridgeline and a 3-minute sidestep/ hike accesses this traverse and an enormous amount of riding potential. This first traverse allows riders to drop into several bowl like features as well as airing off a cornice with 5 feet to 25 feet options. Keep traversing around and one can access a distinct couloir with massive rock walls or several chutes with jagged pinnacles jutting out of the snow or snaking hallways with little pointers to get the juices flowing. Because of the exposure this particular face receives little sun and preserves powder excellently, not to mention it is not easily seen from the mountain so attracts little ski traffic.
From this main traverse, off piste enthusiasts can continue on to a series of summits which lead riders into more open bowls and steeper chutes. To reach these summits take the skis or boards off and hike 5-30 minutes for a variety of lines and adventure.
The patrol at La Hoya has a very liberal off-piste policy. They are very helpful with questions about conditions and routes. For some excellent adventure skiing/snowboarding, climb to the 3 furthest peak on the ridgeline, where riders can drop into massive bowls, billygoat around and get into some very aesthetic couloirs and wind up about 1.5 kilometers down the La Hoya access road, where hitchhiking is relatively easy. I was very impressed with the backcountry potential La Hoya offered and with a few more meters of base you could see opportunities galore. La Hoya maintains snow late into the South American winter and its snow quality is consistently some of the driest in all the Andes. La Hoya’s one downfall is it does receive a lot of strong winds and the resort can close down because of this. No worries though as the town of Esquel offers travelers many other sightseeing opportunities such as excursions into Los Alerces national park, taking a train ride on the narrow gauged Old Patagonian Express called the Trochita, visiting the Welsh influenced town of Trevelin, or checking out the impressive hydro-electric dam at the headwaters of the Futalafu River, one of South America’s biggest river rafting destinations.
Be sure to finish your day at the Mate Bar with some cold and delicious Aracaunia beers. These handcrafted microbrews will replenish the calories from a full day of riding. For dinner head to Esquel and Don Chiquino for excellent hand-made pastas and a magical Patagonian atmosphere, Patagonian Winds for tasty pizzas, calzones, and smoked picadas, or get your meat on at the parrilla La Espanola. Esquel is located 300 kilometers south of Bariloche along the incredibly scenic Ruta 40.

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Adrenalina-Valle de Las Leñas

Posted on August 1st, 2007 by soulskier.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

Every real skier at Las Leñas can’t help but notice Adrenalina towering across the valley on a clear day. Arguably, one of the great faces in the ski world, Cerro Yesera, as it is called, is 4,000 meters above sea level. The valley floor is at 2,240 meter, making the peak about 1,760 meters or well over a mile of vertical relief. Adrenalina is the obvious large southwest face from just below the summit.

If you believe mother nature was a skier when she made Las Leñas, then mighty Adrenalina is her showpiece. The climb is  perfect low angle skinning about 90% of the way around the back, up a route called “El Ripio”. In parts of El Ripio there are sections with potential for rock fall, keeping you moving alertly through the bowling alleys. From the summit, there are comanding views of the big Andes, including Cerro Sosneado, the southern most 5,000 meter peak in the world. There is a short down climb to a nice launching pad to refresh and switch over to descent mode.

The top of Adrenalina faces southwest, is in the mid 40’s for a bit, and generally holds classic Las Leñas chalk. After the throat, which is surprising wide, you can traverse right to ski a more west facing lower slope if you are late or follow the naturally falline to the valley floor.  

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Ski Chile: July 22nd – 26th, 2007: CASA Tours

Posted on July 31st, 2007 by aaron.
Categories: Recent Posts, Best Lines in South America, From the Guides.

Ski Chile: July 22nd – 26th, 2007: CASA Tours
By M. David Johnson
Another huge Andean storm has pounded Chile.  The CASA team had an epic powder day at Ski Arpa on July 22nd with bluebird skies and little wind.  Amazing.

July 22nd
Myself, CASA guide Aaron Bilotta, and his friend Matt Klene headed down to Los Andes that evening with the intention of skiing Portillo the following day.  Exhausted after a big day at Arpa and a big night out in Santiago, we settled into our hotel room.  Crashed out, I heard my phone ring.  It was my good friend Hans calling from Termas de Chillan.
“Gomez get down here, it is dumping by the meter and Tuesday (the 24th) is going to be the day!!!”

July 23rd
We woke up the next morning and attempted to drive to Portillo only to be shut down at the bottom of the pass.  The carabineros, Chile’s police force, had closed down the pass and told me there was at least a meter and a half of snow up at Portillo.

We decided to b-line it for Chillan.  The reports coming from the South were very favorable and Termas de Chillan is our favorite resort in Chile.  We stopped in Santiago, got our shiznat together and made the 6 -hour drive south.
While barreling up the road to Las Trancas at 1 in the morning, we could not believe how much snow had fallen as low as it did.  The pueblo of Pinto even had snow on its streets and there were banks of snow as low as the pueblo of Recinto.  When we rolled into Las Trancas, our base for skiing Termas de Chillan, we were giddy with excitement to see literally meters of snow at our cabanas Los Andes.  Everyone we talked to has never seen snow like this before.  Dean, who runs Cabanas Los Andes, was in shock with how much snow had fallen.  Banks of snow were covering his first floor windows and curling off the roofs.  It was quite a site.

July 24th

Pumped up, we got a few hours of rest and chomped down Dean’s southern style all you can eat breakfast.  Dean is a real trip.  He hails from Alabama, but has spent most of his adult life in South America.  He started a business in Paraguay, importing the first soft serve ice cream machines into the country.  The ice cream business was very good to Dean and he eventually moved to Chile to start another business.  One day while traveling up to Las Trancas he decided there was not enough cabanas, bought property and built 9 cabanas and a main lodge.  Dean’s breakfasts are legendary and he strolls around the eating area hounding folks to eat more pancakes and waffles.  Needless to say our stomachs were taken care of and we were fueled up to head to the mountain.

It was definitely no joke.  2 meters of snow had blanketed Termas de Chillan’s terrain.  We drove up in Grover, our rented ride for the week, past all the guys renting chains, and up to the main parking lot.  Most people could only make it to the lower lot and we were in place to have dibs on the goods.

The Don Otto, South America’s oldest and longest chairlift, was being dug out when we arrived so we headed for the triple and then the poma, so we could hit Elephante, a stellar off piste run completely lift accessible.  We skied the ramp down to the Elephante ridgeline Canadian style (all at once) singing Michael Franti’s “Oh my God” chorus in harmony.
We had picked our line and wanted to be careful the avalanche conditions were stable before dropping into this line that has a significant terrain trap.

Bilotta was first.  He dropped in, made a few cautious turns to check the stability, and then proceeded to rip it through the trees poking out of the snow and into the Elephante gully.  Spraying up incredibly dry Andean powder we watched in glee as Bilotta shredded his line.  Next was Matt Klene, Bilotta’s longtime friend from New Hampshire and Jackson Hole.  I cannot tell you how lucky Matt was to hit a day like this, his first at Termas de Chillan ever.  The whole day he was speechless.  A long time skier who bailed on the ski bum life to get a “real job” in Boston, Klene was blessed with seeing Termas at its absolute best, 2 meters of fresh, bluebird skies, and very stable snow.  He followed Bilotta’s line into Elephante, tearing through the trees and leaving rooster tails of powder in his wake.  Travis “Taco” Toelkes was next.  The only boarder in the group, Taco, sprayed up some impressive clouds of Andean cold smoke.  The three yeeeeeeehawing while I filmed them higher up on the ridgeline.  It was so cool to see my friends having so much fun and filled with a contagious sense of pure happiness.  I followed, choosing a line further up the ridgeline.  The terrain in Elephante has so many variations to pick from and leads into a luge like gulley before exiting into the lower woods and bamboo forest.
With smiles ear to ear we got back on the chairlift with plans to hike over to Pirigallo before the Don Otto was dug out.  Once we got to the top though plans had changed.  Bilotta and Klene could not get the Elephante cliffs off their minds and it was a let’s get it done now scenario.  The two wanted to send it big and could not spend any more time thinking about it.  So we headed back to the Elephante ridgeline and each of us scoped out our respective lines and airs.  For a desk jockey, Klene has not missed a beat on his skis. Bilotta and Klene hucked themselves off 30 foot precipices.  Let us just say this stokage made Klene’s trip.  I had asked him earlier if he was keen on big air, his response was very hesitant, but the bomb holes spoke for themselves and these guys went huge.
Getting that out of their systems we were free to go lap the Pirigallo Valley.  The Don Otto was still being worked on but the chairs were moving.  We made the short hike/traverse from the upper double lift to the top of the Don Otto and then the 5-minute hike up to drop into Pirigallo.
Again we were the first group to drop into Pirigallo.  Klene and Bilotta choose to launch the massive cornice, while Travis and I choose a sweet chute to enter the Valley.  We reconvened for the middle pitch, took some video, and proceeded to one of my favorite lines in the valley, a steep, Southern exposure face with about 1000 feet of vertical.  The four of us all had an epic, totally untouched run in front of us.  I dived in first and put my signature on the face, made my way to the northern facing part of the valley and watched as each of them picked their own lines and left their mark on this slope.  Michael Franti’s “Oh my, Oh my God” became our mantra for the day and we admired our lines before exiting the valley and heading directly to the Don Otto, which was now loading skiers.
The 22-minute, archaic Don Otto is one of South America’s legendary lifts.  Dopplemeyer made Termas de Chillan take its name off the lift.  However for us powder seekers it is perfect.  Not only do you get a bit of a rest, the slowness of the lift deters many other riders and the accessibility to the backcountry from this lift is equivalent to heli skiing.  We made our way back to the enormous cornice about a 5-minute jaunt from the top of the lift station.  This cornice is a classic air and you can go as big as you want off it.  Taco found out just how big you could go and sent it huge off the cornice, much to his surprise.  Both Bilotta and Taco launched themselves a solid 30 feet off this feature.  Taco ostriched himself a bit and you could hear him exclaiming, “oh shit!!!” while in mid air.  Again, the stoke was felt by all and we continued on to the next pitch in the valley.  We worked on the south face before crossing the gulley and milking more turns on the North West face.  Nothing but freshies!!!!
On the chair ride up, I got a call from my friend’s younger sister who is relatively new to snowboarding but wanted to follow her sister into the Pirigallo.  Unfortunately she got stuck on a small patch of ice and became terrified.  So our crew went to her rescue, helped her off the small patch of ice and led her down through the valley.  We encountered Alejandro, a Termas de Chillan patroller, who with Mike Taylor and Aaron Bilotta saved a gentleman from an avalanche in bounds a few years earlier.  The skier they saved was a Canadian who happened to be worth millions of dollars.  In gratitude this Canadian brought 3 patrollers from Termas de Chillan as well as 2 CASA guides to Whistler for an all expense paid vacation.  When the Chillan patrollers showed up without any ski gear, the man outfitted them with all their equipment.  It goes to show, although the Andean snow pack is generally more stable than the snow we ride in the Northern Rockies, it does have the potential to slide and riders must respect the conditions and the hazards of massive avalanches.
As we rode the Don Otto up for our final run, the clouds rolled in and completely socked in the Pirigallo Valley.  Just like that the mountain was enveloped in a thick cloud layer.  This can be the other danger of riding in the Andes.  Because 98% of the terrain is above tree line, when the clouds roll in like this there is absolutely no definition and a serious sense of vertigo is created.  We choose to head north toward Tres Marias, where the clouds were not as thick.  The Fresco t-bar was running.  The Fresco brings skiers and snowboarders to the highest lift accessed point on the mountain and is the prime access for ascending the volcanic peaks Nevados de Chillan, Volcan Nuevo, and Volcan Viejo.  It also offers the highest and best access to Tres Marias, one of the longest runs in South America.  Skiing in Tres Marias’ terrain is what I would imagine skiing on the moon would be like.  The lunaresque features of Tres Marias make for otherworldly skiing opportunities.  Although not super steep, the terrain has endless knobs to get on top of and ski down from.  We kept fairly close to the bamboo markers due to the poor visibility.  It is fairly easy to get really confused in this terrain and if you are unfortunate you can drop into a number of holes with no other option than having to walk out of them.
We arrived at the bottom of the Tata lift and caught the 5 o’clock closing lift.  Filled with tons of buena onda (good vibes) and sonrisas grandisimas, we took one last run through the bamboo forest.  Both Bilotta and myself have had many powder days at Chillan but today was something really special.  For Klene and Taco, they were introduced to a mountain that is like no other on a day like today.  We piled into Grover, made our way back to Las Trancas and Dean’s cabanas and proceeded to celebrate like kings.  Our conversation did not stray from how amazing our day was and we imbibed in the dirty water, Jack Daniels, and cans of Escudo, one of Chile’s most popular cervezas.  We continued to celebrate through the night, visiting our good friend Hans’ restaurant Oliva’s to thank him for the heads up and share our incredible day with him.
Even though we had a big night and a huge day of skiing we were up early the next morning, cured the hangover with Dean’s breakfast and coffee, loaded up Grover and barreled up the mountain road.  Our mission today was to tag the Pirigallo Fingers.  To my knowledge the fingers had yet to be skied this season and they were screaming out to us to put our mark on them.  The Pirigallo Fingers or los dedos de Pirigallo are the most prominent feature on the mountain.  The fingers rise above the main day lodge but are accessed by a significant traverse across the north face of the Pirigallo Valley.  We rode up the Don Otto, put in a longer boot pack up past the Pirigallo cornice we had hucked the day before and toward the west face of the Pirigallo Valley.  We skied a nice pitch into the valley before beginning our traverse.  The consistency of the snow on the west face was excellent.  Because these Andean dumps have a more maritime snow characteristic the snow tends to be bouncier and one does not submerge into it as much as one does in the Northern Rockies.  We then put a track across the north face of Pirigallo.  Because the sun was extremely strong today it was very important we crossed this slope early in the day, otherwise the potential of a serious wet slide is ever present.  As it was the north face was already seeing roller balls piling up on its terrain.  Remember we are in the Southern Hemisphere so the exposure to the sun is opposite than the northern hemisphere and the north facing slopes are the ones which receive the most solar radiation.
Los Dedos de Pirigallo is a west-facing slope with 8-9 couloirs to choose from.  We each choose our own line and spread out on the tips of the fingers.  I dropped into my favorite finger first, a half pipe like couloirs that pops you out just above a large femoral, a giant heat vent.  Termas is famous for its sulfuric fumaroles and the fingers are the main source for these heat vents.  All I can say is incredible!!!!!  The snow was choice and I raced ahead of the sluff I was creating and into the palm of the fingers.  Cranked with adrenalin my shouts of happiness echoed throughout the valley.  I then positioned myself in a safe zone and directed the other riders into their respective lines so I could video them.   One at a time they proceeded to tag the face with large arching turns, riding the banks of the couloir’s walls and into the palm-like slope below.  Unfreakin Believable!!!  We arrived at the day lodge to many admirers and our shit eating grins could not be wiped off our faces.
Next task was more untracked lines in Elephante.  However once we got to the bottom, the crowds from the Chilean holiday clogged up the lift line so I felt it was time to break from the group and head out to one of my favorite off piste destinations at Termas, a combination of Aquas Calientes and Valle Hermoso.  To reach these areas it is about a 45-minute skin to Aguas Calientes and an hour skin to the Valle Hermoso summit.  Again I am pretty sure no tracks had been put in either of these valleys this season, then again there were probably no more than 25 tracks put in Aguas Calientes during the entire 2006 season.  These areas would be tore up if they were located at a North American resort, not here though where off piste skiing is still relatively uncommon.
I climbed up to the shark’s fin on the Aguas Calientes-Pirigallo ridgeline.  This prominent feature is all rock on its north face and looks very steep from a distance.  However its south face into Aguas Calientes is a perfect snow covered ramp providing and excellent entrance into Aguas Calientes.  Although not a very long pitch, about 800 vertical, this line into this valley preserves snow very well and the skin out and back up to the ridge only takes a half hour.  I center punched my line, laying down a sole track into the valley that I admired with great pride.
Skins on I made my way back to the ridgeline, past the sharks fin and onto the Valle Hermoso summit.  I was standing on the summit at 4:20 in the afternoon, the sun lighting up the west face of Valle Hermoso and the 2800 feet of vertical I was about to ski.  With stunning views of the perfectly conical Volcan Antuco to the south, the entire terrain of Termas de Chillan spread out to the north, Chillan’s 3 volcanoes to the east, and the Pacific coastal horizon to the west I was in my element.  I took my time appreciating my surroundings and the feelings of returning to one of my favorite places on the planet.
Although it is against backcountry protocol to ski alone, there are sometimes when I really savor solitude like this and the opportunity to lay a sole track in an incredibly vast valley.  The feeling of being so small compared to your surroundings yet feeling so big in spirit is sensational.  Riding down in the waning sun, thousands of feet of powder at my disposal fills my soul with an incredible energy I cannot quite explain with words.  I guess I can best express it with one of my signature howls, YEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!!!!!!
I climbed the few minutes out of Valle Hermoso to the main source of the fumaroles and skied my last pitch of the day, a beautiful slope above the hot spring pools and waterslide.  Once down through the bamboo forest, over a rickety bridge and an easy hop over a fence I am back in the upper parking lot.  Que Bueno!!!!!  I skied down to the lower parking lot to meet up with Bilotta and Klene, who had just arrived from spending the afternoon lapping new lines in Elephante.  Once again, exhausted, filled with the kind of soul only a powder day can deliver, we talked about our afternoons.
Back at Dean’s we cooked ourselves up a hamburger feast, drank a few Escudos and some Carmenere, Chile’s distinct wine that comes from a grape only found in Chile, and crashed out early.
July 26th.
Today our mission was to be more of a touring day.  Again using the Don Otto for our initial access we got an early start and headed back out to the Pirigallo Valley.  Today was a bit more overcast than the prior 2 and windier.  This left the north face of Pirigallo with a sun baked wind crust.  No worries because all the other aspects were skiing excellently and I had a line in mind I wanted to show Bilotta, Klene and Travis.  We would head out to the west face of Pirigallo, ski the same short pitch from the day before and then head back up into the valley to set a high traverse on the north face of Pirigallo.  The skinning across the face was a bit more challenging today but we did not encounter any treacherous ice patches.  We climbed to the proper summit of the Pirigallo Fingers, but instead of dropping into the North or West slopes, we went into Valle Hermoso’s south face.  After a couple of glorious pow turns we banked hard right and I led my friends to one of my favorite couloirs, a very aesthetic, snaking line, with large rock walls forming a beautiful hallway to ski.  These couloirs really preserve snow well from the sun and wind and almost nobody goes to ski it.  Again I got the privilege to drop in first being the one to show these guys a new line and once again I was treated to 1800 vertical feet of virgin yeahyo.  We proceeded to shred the couloir and headed down to exit Valle Hermoso back to the parking lot and up the Don Otto.
22 minutes later we gained 2700 vertical feet and were out of bounds again.  This time we continued further to Aguas Calientes.  About 45 minutes later Bilotta and Travis were standing on top of the Shark’s fin, while I was ready to capture their turns on video lower down the ridge, in position to ski a line I had scoped the day before.  More pow turns for us all and we put our skins on climbed out of valley Aguas Calientes back to the ridgeline and dropped it again.  I mean how could you not, it was just begging to be tagged again and we were all happy to oblige, so we yo-yoed Aguas Calientes.  We skinned up again and made our way to the summit of Valle Hermoso.  Bilotta, Klene, and Travis headed for the line I skied the day before while I choose a variation further to the north.  Again the afternoon Andean sun beamed on this west-facing slope.  On the middle pitch, Klene must have made 60 turns in soft sun baked powder.  We all left our distinct signatures on this amazing slope, relishing every moment, and admiring our work at the bottom of the valley.  We just had 3 of the most perfect days a skier could imagine at any resort.  I think it is going to be hard for Klene to concentrate on his work once he returns to Boston knowing the kinds of ski opportunities the Andes present.  I cannot believe how fortunate he was to absolutely nail his visit with a 2-meter dump and bluebird skies.  For me, the opportunity to return to these beautiful valleys and be treated with conditions like these is precious.  I cannot describe in words how fortunate I feel to have experiences like these and to make my living doing so.  The Andes have given me a passion that is deep in my soul and the opportunity to share it with a group of rippers like Bilotta, Klene and Travis is phenomenal.

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Do Yourself a Favor, Ride a Volcano

Posted on April 18th, 2007 by gomez.
Categories: Recent Posts, Best Lines in South America, From the Guides.

By Aaron Bilotta

Couloirs, chutes, trees, bowls and…volcanoes?

I was initiated early to the tight and wondrous world of tree skiing. Above tree line chutes were a two hour hike above the valley floor. I was educated by a Jackson Hole legend as to why, “Bowls are for smokin’ and couloirs are for skiing”. Couloirs, chutes and bowls were the topography that made up my ski world. The geographical playground that is Chile contains over 2000 volcanoes, 55 of which are still active.
An eerie red glow looms from a crater above a peaceful Chilean town as we pack the car in anticipation of the next mornings’ tour. A short trip on Ruta 5 finds a small and winding dirt road that snakes under groves of Araucaria trees. The “monkey puzzles” bend, twist and arch giving an other-worldly sense, from the pages of Dr. Suess perhaps. The araucarias’ limbs spread way to a perfectly framed view of the most symmetrically conical peak and it’s begging for ski tracks. The cone dwarfs the small scattering of lifts at the base of the volcano. The hike up inspires and awes. Araucarias fan the valleys for miles as the next snow-laden volcano erupts from the earth. The summit is an open crater, venting thermal fumorals that heat the outside air. A 360 degree view displays lush green with piercing white cones in all directions.
Strapped in and giddy. The cone rolls out 5000 feet from your skis like plush white carpet to the valley below. Couloirs, chutes, trees and bowls. Do yourself a favor and add a volcano to the list.

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The Best Lines in South America - The Santa Teresa

Posted on March 17th, 2007 by abearc.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

by Sarah Weinberg - CASA North America Manager

It is hard to choose a favorite in Chile, as there are so many classic lines around. I suppose one of my great favorites is what’s called the Santa Teresita. ‘ita’ put onto the end of a word in Spanish means something like, ‘little one’. That is the great sarcastic humor kicking in with the Teresita as it’s anything but little! I remember the first time I found my way out there with some local friends I couldn’t believe what was in front of me. I felt like I had just been dropped off at a heli LZ and was staring at some of the vastest terrain I had ever skied. I was no spring chicken, even at that time, but the immense possibility of line variation that lay before my eyes send a twitter in my stomach and a hunger in my soul for Chile.

I head for the lifts at the little known resort of El Colorado. This is a family mountain squished in-between the much more popular and demanding resorts of Valle Nevado and La Parva. As I head up first the poma and then a t-bar I am amazed at the shape of this place. A classic volcanic sputter cone nestled amongst huge peaks. I can see a 20,000 Ft. peak just above the ski area that looks like you could take a little stroll over there in a couple of hours, in reality the peak of El Plomo is at least two days away and another upon return.

I ski down the un-descript blue groomer towards a little brown shack. It’s an outhouse really and I love to refer to the adjacent line as shitter chute. I duct under the ropes and ignore the out-of-bounds signs, the avalanche danger signs and the cliff markings. A any diligent backcountry skier I have already drooled at these lines from the Valle Nevado access road and chosen my land marks to look for. I check my beacon and that of my partner. All good. We edge towards the ridgeline, peeking over the other side and what appears before my eyes is a whole new world. It’s a world of wide-open spaces, untracked powder, cliffs, funnels and benches. I look directly below the outhouse at shitter chute and even though I can’t see how it goes through to the road, I know it does from previous experience. There is so much to choose from though we decide to glide down the ridge a little and see what else there is available. We pass the sharks’ fin, a knife-edge fin of rock that rises from the smooth treeless slope and offers some gnarly and rocky goat pickings through into the lower powder fields. I want to keep going though as I have a little something in mind.

We drop onto the far side of the sharks’ fin and ski side hill a little ways down. The snow is fantastic and I have my eyes narrowed, looking for a little something of local ledged. There I see it, a small bonsai tree. It is the only tree within a 2000’ vertical decent and many miles around. An anomaly that marks the entrance to, what the locals call, bonsai run. I am so excited as I had heard of this place, this tree for a few seasons but hadn’t had the chance to come and seek it out.

I have a look and make a plan. The chute is narrow in the choke but still wide enough to make turns, it dog legs around a corner so that I cannot fully see to the bottom, adding just a little angst in my throat. I see the left flank looks loaded with snow and drains steeply into the choke. I decide on a risky ski cut up the left flank and then a shot for the main guts. As I gather speed and try to glide lightly across the loaded slope I look for my escape route just in case. All my luck though as nothing moves and the snow feels good underfoot. I snap in a couple of turns, shoot into the guts, carve a big one through the narrows and out into the lower fan I go. Once into the lower open fan I drop into a rhythm of glee and dance out some powder turns to leave my glorious mark all the way to the road.

Of course its over way to fast and as I look back up the lower half of the chute I am happy to have skied another challenging line that I found myself, assessed myself and gained the glory of the ride. I look up and down the ridge line and sense endless possibility with this ‘little one’.

The best part comes next as we hop down onto the road, stick out our thumbs for a hitch up to Valle Nevado to do it all over again.

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The Super C

Posted on March 17th, 2007 by abearc.
Categories: Best Lines in South America.

This article written by CASA guide Mike Taylor was featured on Big Lines. props to them for publishing it.

I’ve skied the Super C once before, two years ago, led by a couple of Portillo locals. Since that day I’ve referred to it as the most spectacular couloir I’ve ever skied. It’s a solid 1000 m vert., on a slope of 35-47 degrees, and 15-30m wide. The granite walls are 20m and higher on both sides; very aesthetic indeed.

Sept. 6/06 started with a 6 am alarm, a couple stiff espresso’s off the gas stove in CASA Tours’ apt. downtown Santiago, and Mike Mariash and I drove north of the city just ahead of the morning rush-hour chaos. An hour and a half later we picked up Gary Newman from San Esteban, who works as a guide at Valle El Arpa cat skiing, and we continued up the pass to Portillo. We were the fourth vehicle in the parking lot, one being a military Mercedes Unimog with a dozen teenage soldiers in full camo, gearing up for their day of alpine carnage/training, always a treat to watch.

At 10:40 we dismounted the Roca Jack lift and started the 3 hour boot-pack with a light snowfall that was forecast to accumulate to 1 cm. Variable surface conditions made for a relatively quick climb up to the crux, which is a 50 m traverse on a 45 degree slope, from which losing your purchase is definitely not an option. It was at this point where the 1cm had accumulated to 5 or 6. Loose snow sloughs from the rocky bluffs overhead were becoming more frequent, and group positioning more relevant…

The last 100 vertical m was completely out of overhead hazard, but the powder was preserved at this elevation from the previous storm, making for crotch deep trail-breaking for the last hour.

One of the big attractions of this run for me is that the descent is only visible from the access road well below the resort. Cresting the break-over at 4000m, and looking down beyond the first roll-over of this couloir is breathtaking. With limited vis, continuing steady snowfall, and wet to the bone, we hopped in as soon as we could free up our frozen buckles to crank them down.

The snow in the chute was preserved, dry, and between boot top to waist deep. The steady rumbling sound of loose snow sluffing down on us was unnerving, and added a real ingredient to the adrenaline mix. We spent an hour skiing from the top of the couloir out to the base of the resort. We were in complete whiteout conditions for the last 500 vertical m out of the couloir, with a minefield of frozen avi debris hidden under the powdery surface.

Funny, no matter how cold and soaking wet you are, a good cerveza always tastes great. Five days later I guided a couple guests of CASA Tours (along with another Arpa guide) into the couloir, and we were awarded with a sunny day, although the snow conditions were a mixed bag of wind crust, breakable only at times. We enjoyed a decadent soak in the outdoor jacuzzi afterwards at the Hotel Puerta del Sol.

The Super C remains my favorite.

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