CHILE POWDER ADVENTURES
  • Exploration
  • Information

info about skiing in chile

A Better Choice for your Guide

4/29/2015

0 Comments

 
My previous blog post was about why you would want to ski with a guide in Chile.  After that I ran across a few advertisements from U.S.-based guides, offering trips to ski in Chile.  Looking into these trips I see that they've done some homework – but not quite enough.  The itineraries look good.  For example, while I typically aim to ski three volcanoes in a week, some visiting guides have squeezed four volcanoes into their plans.  That would be better.  Never mind that the weather in southern Chile is far from perfect everyday and having some flexibility is critical.  I saw one trip offered to a volcano which is presently erupting.  I wouldn't recommend that.  Some guides offer great prices.  Cutting corners is never a good idea.  Good food, comfortable lodging and safe vehicles with enough space are not cheap in Chile.  So I am not sure where it's best to cut costs.  

I guess I'd like to add to my previous post.  Not all ski guides and trips to Chile are equal.

Read More
0 Comments

Go For Adventure

7/8/2014

0 Comments

 
If you live in the U.S., would you go to Mexico for a hamburger?  If you live in Mexico, would you go to France for a margarita?  If you live in France, would you go to England for the wine?  I could go on forever; but I think you get my drift.  If you live in a place full of highly-refined ski resorts, (Europe, the U.S., Canada) why would you go to South America to ski in a resort?  
Picture
Tyler Cohen and I exploring a place unknown to winter travelers in 2012. Photo: Fred Marmsater
Before I go any further, let me say, I don't have anything against South American ski resorts.  They serve the same purpose in Chile and Argentina as they do in the rest of the world.  They allow families to ski together and people of all ages to learn to slide on snow and enjoy the mountains in the winter.  This is a good thing.

What if you are an accomplished skier?  Is going to a South American resort really what you're looking for?  If you've skied in places like Jackson Hole, Lake Tahoe, Chamonix, Whistler-Blackcomb, is going to a tiny area with slow lifts and variable conditions really satisfying?  Sure, it's better than NOT skiing, which is your option in the northern hemisphere in August and September; and I think a lot of people rationalize it this way.  

Why not go to Chile to do something you can't do in the northern winter?  Ski into a crater of a volcano (and come back out); ride a horse through a forest to get to the snow; make a first descent; tree ski through 3000-year old trees; totally escape the modern world; follow a dirt road past the markings on a map.  These are the experiences that bring me to Chile year after year, and these are the experiences that I live to share with others.  

I think a lot of people say, "I want to ski in Chile."  Then they look at the time and financial commitment and they realize, "Jeez, US$4000-plus per person for a week at a resort (including airfare), without a guide or wine.  That's as much as... a week in Japan; a season in Colorado; a good amount of heli-skiing; a month in Europe..."  And to this I say, "yup."  If you compare apples to apples, resort experience to resort experience, it's, well... August.  

Don't go to Chile looking for the experience you know and love at home.  Go for something new.  Go to do something you've never done before.  It is this opportunity that makes this place so special.
0 Comments

Onda

1/3/2014

0 Comments

 
¿Qué onda?  A common greeting in Chile.  Understanding and using the word onda will definitely help you fit in in Chile.  

Read More
0 Comments

Huevón!

12/20/2013

0 Comments

 
This Friday's "Chilenismo": Huevón.  Without a doubt, this is the most important word in Chilean Spanish and is unique to Chile.  Say it to a person from Spain and they will have no clue what you are talking about.

Read More
0 Comments

Po!

12/13/2013

0 Comments

 
Last week we explored the question, "Cachái?"  To which, a perfectly good response may be, "Ya, Po!"  What the hell is 'Po!'? ...

Read More
0 Comments

Speaking English in Chile

12/9/2013

1 Comment

 
For those of us from English speaking nations, we are fortunate that many other people also speak a little of our language.  It's important to remember we have Hollywood to thank, not some intellectual superiority. 

Read More
1 Comment

¿Cachái?

12/6/2013

0 Comments

 
Skiing in Chile is about more than skiing.  Chilean culture is endearing and the language exemplifies this perfectly.  Every Friday I will share "dichos" or expressions that make Chile one of the most colorful, fun nations in the world.  

Read More
0 Comments

FAQ: Language in Chile?

12/2/2013

3 Comments

 
What language do they speak in Chile?  Spanish?  Is English commonly spoken?  These are questions I get all the time.  Language in Chile is definitely an interesting topic...

Read More
3 Comments

    Chile 
    Powder Adventures Blog

    Stories from, and thoughts about, ski experiences in Chile.  Sharing the culture, the adventure and, of course, the skiing in a wild place.  This is the info you want to make your trip to Chile that much better!

    PHotos!

    Picture
    Click on the photo above to open a gallery of moments throughout the years

    Archives

    December 2016
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    December 2012


    Categories

    All
    Avalanches
    Culture
    Faqs
    Invernada
    Language
    Skiing
    Travel
    Volcanoes
    Weather


    RSS Feed

Exploration

Invernada
Classic Volcanoes
Southern Volcanoes
Antarctica
Inspiration

Photos
Reviews
Information

​Guide / Owner
FAQ's
Pricing, Payment and Cancellation Policy


Donny Roth
donny@chile-powder-adventures.com
+1-970-497-4132

Ski Mentor Services dba:
Chile Powder Adventures
83 Rocky River Lane
Gunnison, CO 81230