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?
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.
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.
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