Volcano Puyehue
Skiing into the Crater

Season: August - October
Duration: 5 Days (possible extension for more days)
Level: : Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert Backcountry Skiers

The experience of skiing into the crater of a Patagonian volcano is like no other!  Volcano Puyehue stands tall in the Patagonian Andes of Chile at 2,236 m (7,336 ft) and its cone hosts a 2.4 km (1 mile) wide crater.  A crater full of snow!   For skiers, this means 360 degrees of options with the aspects.  There are Alaskan style spines and lots of steeps.  This magical ski spot is WAY off the beaten track, and it is an adventure that our mountain guides would like to share with expert backcountry skiers who want to experience something special and totally different. 

In September of 2009, we guided with the film crew Rocky Mountains Sherpas and Nate Nash (cameraman for Matchstick Production for 10 + years). We had a blast organizing logistics, guiding, and helping with the filming of the crater of Volcano Puyehue in Chile as it was skied by world-class athletes from Salomon, Helly Hansen, and 4frnt Skis:  Mark Abma, Eric Hjorleifson and Chris Rubens.  They shot footage to create an environmental film, “ALL.I.CAN”, and a TV show for Salomon Freeski TV.  Due to our success from this ski film, we had the opportunity to repeat the adventure in 2010 with The North Face athletes for a snowboarding film and article in Transworld Snowboarding Magazine. Check our page “In the News” for more info.

Day 1:
Your mountain guide will meet  you in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina or Osorno, Chile. Drive to the base of Volcano Puyehue arriving in the afternoon or evening. Dinner at a small restaurant on a ranch owned by a traditional Chilean gaucho family. Night in the cabin.


Day 2:
Start the morning by organizing our ski gear and loading it onto the pack horses. Approximately 4 hour horseback ride to get up to the mountain hut at 1400 meters. Here your guide will set up what will be our rustic, yet cozy, home for the next few days. Night in the mountain hut.


Day 3:
Early in the morning, we start ski touring to the summit of Volcan Puyehue. From the top the view of the Patagonian Andes is spectacular! You can see other volcanoes in Argentina and Chile along the same fault line as Puyehue: Lanin, Osorno, Puntiagudo, and Tronador. According to conditions, we can ski from the summit into the crater of the volcano. Skin/boot pack out of the crater, choose another line, and ski down again! The lines we ski, and the number of runs we ski is dependent on skiers' skill level and endurance. Long day on the volcano and then ski back to the hut. Night in the mountain hut.


Day 4:
Repeat Day 3. Skin from the hut to the rim of the volcano and then ski down new lines. We can circumnavigate the rim of the crater, backcountry skiing terrain according to conditions. Option to ski down to hot springs and then traverse back to the hut. Night in the mountain hut.


Day 5:
Ski and hike down to the gaucho's ranch and dinner in a restaurant to celebrate. Option to go to different hot springs on the way back to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina or Osorno, Chile. Drop off at hotel or airport. End of guiding services.

Rates:min. 2 persons

includes:
Private transportation from Bariloche or Osorno- Airport pick up and drop off UIAGM IFMGA Mountain Guide Assistant when with 5 or more people All meals in the mountains Lodging on day 1, 4, and 5 Welcome dinner and breakfast Goodbye Celebration dinner One horse per person (ascent only) One packhorse horse per 2 people (ascent only) Avy gear (beacon, shovel, & probe)

Price does not include:
International and domestic airfares, Ski gear (possible to rent) Meals in towns, Extra drinks, meals in cities , towns, etc.

Season: September to mid -November
Duration: eleven days
Level: Moderate to advanced skiers and physical level (4 to 7 Hs ascent average)
Scheduled date: October 1st to 12th 2012

This adventure ski trip is the ultimate skiing - mountaineering adventure across the Andes, choosing the highest and nicest volcanoes of the area around the Lake District and Northern Patagonia area. Ascending them with skis and then skiing down hill in alpine style. Some afternoons we visit the spectacular and relaxing hot springs. Sleeping in hotels or mountain huts. There are many different volcanos along the Andes, we can customize your trip visiting the ones that you will love to climb up. Ski guide for touring skiing at Lonquimay, Llaima, Copahue and Caviahue area, Villarica, Choshuenco, Casa Blanca and and Osorno are some of the Volcanoes that we offer to you.

Day 1: Arrival in Bariloche, Osorno or Pto Montt according to clients flight destination, we will pick you up in either of the 3 airports. We recommend to fly into Bariloche to enjoy a bit of Argentina, the drive across the Andes is totally worth it
Drive to Refugio Osorno and spend the night at this cozy mountain hut at 1400 meters, with beautiful view of Lago LLanquihue.


Day 2: We climb Volcano Osorno as a first volcano in Chile. Takes app ox5 hs to skin up this volcano, approx. 1400 meters of elevation gain. In general is possible to skin up most of it. Just the last part we will wear crampons to get to the summit. Ski down back to the hut and spend the night there enjoying a nice meal with an awesome view and its magic sunsets.Chile can be described as: Green, Volcanoes, Seafood and beautiful sunsets!
They offer Hot tab service

Day 3: Drive to Pucon, Chile. Long travel day. This drive goes across the Andes enjoying monkey puzzle forest and the landscape of the Patagonian steppe and the mountains. Night in hotel in Pucon.

Day 4: Climb up Villarica volcano (2840 mts). Afternoon in the local hot springs. Relax, visiting the nice town of Pucon. Night in hotel

Day 5: Drive to Caracautín or Malacahuelo, base town of Volcan Lonquimay (2890 mts) and Volcan Llaima (3125 mts) Volcanoes. Night in Hosteria.

Day 6: Climb up Volcano Llaima (3125 mts). Ski downhill, Optional visit to hot springs. Night in Hosteria.

Day 7: Climb up to Volcano Lonquimay (2890 mts) and ski down. Hot springs. Night in hosteria.

Day 8: Spare day for bad weather to be used in the best place. Rest day or ski day to the Sierra Nevada near Malacahuelo- Optional Hot springs

Day 9: Drive back to Bariloche or San Martin. Also, Temuco is a good option to combine flights in Chile where we could finish our services.Temuco is a good place for air travel connection to Santiago de Chile. Night in Hotel

Day 10: Flight back home.

Rates:min. 4 persons includes: Professional UIAGM-IFMGA Mountain Guide, ski guide Patagonia, private transportation during whole trip. Sightseeing in towns, cities. All meals in the mountains, Lodging in hotels during all trip *** , Medical Insurance


Price does not include: International and domestic airfares, Hot springs fee Sleeping bags, therma rests, warm clothes, Ski touring gear (you can rent skies and bindings, boots are hard to find) Extra drinks, meals in cities , towns, etc.

Bariloche Mountain huts backcountry ski trip I

Season:July to beginning of November
Duration:nine days
Level: medium level skiers

Since Bariloche has a big European influence, the pioneers of the area built a logistic of Mountain huts, that allow skiers and trekkers to move across the ridges of Nahuel Huapi National Park
This is an adventure for skiers who want to backcountry ski (ski touring) from hut to hut, spending few days in each hut skiing the goods of each valley ( chutes, bowls and -or steeps) in the Andes of Patagonia, Bariloche, Argentina with skilled local ski guides .

This backcountry ski (ski randonneé) or ski touring trip in Patagonia, Argentina is a perfect option for fanatic ski tourers who want to avoid the crowds of the resorts. The Southern Andes offers gentle domes, tree skiing, the option of glacier skiing, steep and medium chutes surrounded by frozen lakes and granite spires. Many times we have deep powder for days and days in the south faces. This guided ski trip to Patagonia, Argentina offers the option to use a hut as a base to run different chutes in the same valley or we can travel from hut to hut enjoying the different valleys and views."

Day 1:
We will pick you up at the airport with our bus, showing you Bariloche surroundings and its lakes. Visit to downtown and drive to the hotel.


Day 2:
We will take you to the ski resort with our professional Mountain Guides (UIAGM) and they will ski with you and show you the highlights and hidden places of Cerro Catedral Ski resort.
Having nice short hikes to the ridges, enjoying the view of the Andes, Cerro Tronador and the closer lakes. In the afternoon, we'll drive you to the hotel again and pack our gear to go for ski touring on next day.
Does not include lunch, we have lunch at the ski resort.
Night in Bariloche town


Day 3:
We drive in 4WD for 25 km to Chall Huaco hut area or its surroundings according to weather and snow conditions. Pack our gear, fit our ski mountaineering bindings and start to ski up through the lenga´s forest to the summit of Chall Huaco. It is a 3 hs ski touring trip to the top of it. Then, in the summit we take the skins off, have a snack and ski down hill to the hut.
Back to the hotel Bariloche


Day 4:
Easy day to pack our gear for our long ski touring trip on next day.


Day 5:
We will take the ski lift to the ridge of Cerro Catedral and we start our trip to Frey hut.
We will ski down to the Van Titter valley and the skin up with our ski touring gear, getting to the Frey hut.
It is little bit steep and challenging, but the reward will be a nice Swiss style fondue with wine waiting for us in the hut.
We spend the night at the hut.
.

Day 6:
Depending on the weather we will ski in Frey surroundings or we will go to Jakob hut. We wake up very early in the morning and after a wonderful breakfast we start our trip to Jakob´s hut.
(7 Hs)
After skiing up and down through Cerro Catedral, we will go along the Rucaco valley to Cerro Brecha Negra, we ski it up and then we will arrive to Jakob hut. We will spend the night there.


Day 7:
Visit Los Tempanos lagoon from Jakob mountain hut. Then hike down to Casa de Piedra valley and after 4 Hs, we will arrive to the place where our transportation is waiting for us.
Drive to the hotel.


Day 8:
Spare day in case of bad weather or one day access ski trip.


Day 9:
Flight back home


Optional:
For moderate skiers we can arrange a trip that fits to them, like going to Mt. Tronador (3354 mts) where the slopes are moderate and the ski is less challenging.

Optional 1:
We can combine this with ski mountaineering- alpine touring trip to Volcano Villarica, Volcano Lonquimay, Volcano LLaima, Volcano Osorno, Mount Tronador.

Optional 2: Accommodation in town can be arranged according to client’s request
We can book you in a hostel, 3 star hotel , 4 and 5 star hotel.

Rates:min. 4 persons includes:

All transportation, UIAGM Mountain guide Argentina & Chile
One ski ticket in the ski resort per person.
One ski ticket access to Frey hut
All meals during the ski trip
Accommodation in Mountain huts.
Beacon, shovel and probe
Emergency kit- VHF-
Emergency stove.

Not included:
Air tickets
Meals in town
Accommodation in town
Ski touring gear (ski boots, skis, skins)

Ski touring Hut to Hut in Patagonia II - Variation

Season:July to beginning of November
Scheduled date: September 6th to 16th 2010
Duration: ten days
Level: experienced level skiers

Day 1:
Ski day at the resort with our professional Mountain Guides (UIAGM) . Skiing hidden places of Cerro Catedral Ski resort. Having a nice short hike to the ridges, enjoying the view of the Andes, Cerro Tronador and the nearby lakes.
In the afternoon, we'll drive you to the hotel again and pack our gear to go for ski touring on next day.

Day 2:
Drive to Villa La Angostura 80 km.
We need ski pass to access to good ski terrains.
Daily ski trip to Cerro Bayo. Excellent touring skiing terrain with options for beginners and experts.
We have the option of going to ski to Chall Huaco as well, but we strongly recommend Cerro Bayo or Cerro Lopez.
(Explore daily ski touring options at in Bariloche, here)



Day 3:
We will take the ski lift to the ridge of Cerro Catedral where we start our hike to Frey mountain hut.
We ski down to the Van Titter valley and then ski up with our ski touring gear, getting to the Frey hut.
We can do one more run if your conditions/fitness is good.
We spend the night at the hut.



Day 4:
Ski touring across the nearby valleys of Frey area Andes, picking the route according to the level of participants-
Open bowls, chutes, tour in between valleys of nearby peaks
Night in Frey hut


Day 5:
Trek to Jakob mountain hut. (6- 7hs trekking in one day)
We will go over Cerro Catedral ridge. 700 mts downhill skiing and then some valley crossing skinning up gradually to the top of Brecha Negra.
Night at Jakob mountain hut.


Day 6:
According to weather and snow conditions, we will ski Cuernos del Diablo (Devil´s Horn), which is the highlight of the area.
Perfect mountain to ski.
If conditions do not help we ski Cerro Cella or other nearby moutains.
Jakob offer chutes and mellow terrain.
Night in the Jakob mountain hut.


Day 7:
Leisure day- Weather day
Will be taken in the best day to do it according to weather- fitness of participants


Day 8:
Ski or hike out the mountain. If there are ivy conditions the hike out can take 7 hs.
We pick the easiest way according to conditions
.

Day 9:
Leisure day… We all will need it! If you are still fit for more skiing you may go to Catedral ski Resort without guide.
Optional extension to Volcanoes


Day 10:
Flight out from Barilochee back home


Optional:
For moderate skiers we can arrange a ski trip that fits to them, like going to Mt. Tronador (3354 mts) where the slopes are moderate and the ski is less challenging.

Optional 1:
We can combine this with ski mountaineering- alpine touring trip to Volcano Villarica, Volcano Lonquimay, Volcano LLaima, Volcano Osorno, Mount Tronador.

Optional 2: Accommodation in town can be arranged according to client’s request
We can book you in a hostel, 3 star hotel , 4 and 5 star hotel.

Rates:min. 3 persons includes:

Included:
All transportation, UIAGM Mountain guide
One ski ticket in the ski resort per person.
One ski ticket access to Frey hut
All meals during the ski trip
Accommodation in Mountain huts.
Beacon, shovel and probe
Emergency kit- VHF-
Emergency stove.

Not included:
Air tickets
Meals in town
Accommodation in town
Ski touring gear (ski boots, skis, skins)
Ski ticket on day 9 if you go skiing at resort

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