Final Thoughts about South America 2011 Trip

It has been 3 days since my return home. I dearly miss my argentinean friends, their laid back attitude, the 7 PM Coffee or Mate or beer at Las Leñas - Parador, and the every 3-4 days "high Protein" Asado. But mostly, their thorough and relax enjoyment of LIFE and each other.

This is my third year migrating to South America. It is humbling how much I learn from my trips. Life and friendships feel so genuine, and it requires a lot from me to adjust to the less human centered USA lifestyle. It will be a long wait until August 2012. Thankfully the upcoming SouthWestern Idaho and northeastern Oregon POW season will assit me in the long wait to my annual migration to South America.

I would like the opportunity to recognize the folks that made my trips to South America possible. Erik and Julian, the owners of SnowProject, are the soul and passion of our yearly efforts to evangelize Avalanche Safety in Argentina and Chile. I am incredibly fortunate to be their friend, and avalanche eduction associate. Erik and Julian, thanks for your Amistad!

Photo: Erik and Julian - Founders of SnowProject

The support from Las Leñas and Chapelco ski resorts have been incredible. Gabriel Chiguy and Eddie "the Doc" from Las Leñas Ski Patrol have become friends and ardent supporters of our avalanche education mission. But, Miguel Rigetti from Chapelco Ski Patrol have been a key enabler of Avalanche Eduction in San Martin local ski resort. I am glad and proud to share with them the red coat with the white cross!

Photo: Las Leñas Ski Patrol during ECT/PST Workshop. Shark fin peak in the background is  Las Leñas Peak.

Claudio Margaride, with his insatiable thirst to provide the best education and professional development to his ski guides and ski instructors, as well as his vision of providing ski clients with the best snow experience possible. His support to SnowProject in Las Leñas is at the heart of our success to avalanche education.

Photo: Chago and Claudio Margaride in yellow Coats,  ready to ski Valle Hermoso.

Photo: Julian, Erik, Tali - Extreme Expedition SnowCat

Photo: Chago & Tali

Photo: El Martin Peak in the background. Snowcats passing each other as we head to the top of Cerri Fosil.

It will be unthinkable not to mention Tali, a ski guide and local musician. I am proud to be student of Tali's wise attitude to life, and his contagious mellow and peaceful attitude. I am also glad to call him a friend. It was a pleasure to visit his Family at San Rafael during our transfer from Las Leñas to San Martin de Loas Andes. His father and mother are some of the nicest folks a person can get ever get acquainted with!

Photo: Tali, snowboarding ski guide at LAs Leñas.

Jose, Las Leñas the "all time local connoisseur of ski lines, chutes, local snow/weather, and women" is in addition a marketing/publicist specialist. He was one of the best Avalanche L2 students an instructor can ever aspire to, but I wil always remember him for his care and consideration for my Fritz (my son). I am glad I can call him a friend too.

Photo: Jose - ultimate Las Leñas Connoisseur.

Photo: Erik and Jose drinking/sharing Mate!

The Andes terrain is hard to gauge without being there. It is of a different scale, and pictures do not make justice. The panoramic picture included below has summits in excess of 12K-feet, with many ski lines exceeding the 3000 feet!

Photo: Panoramic View of Las Leñas South and West cirque, with Torecillas (Left), Entre Rios (Center), and Martin (Right).

Photo: Entre Rios Summit, Julian & Erik on the left.

The day Erik and julian summited and skied the 'Entre Rios', I was skiing the isolated and remote Valle Hermoso. Enjoy the next two pictures of Julian and Erik ski adventure.

Photo: Julian reaching the Entre Rios summit.

Photo: Julian and Erik ski tracks from their Entre Rios descent.

Valle Hermoso offers such an amazing repertoire of ski lines that it is necessary to showcase it again!

Photo: El Monolito, Valle Hermoso

Photo: Ridge-top of "Los Dedos del Fraile", Valle Hermoso

Photo: The Smoldering Volcan Peteroa, 16566 feet, from Valle Hermoso

Photo: Top of Los Dedos Del Fraile, Valle Hermoso.

Photo: Fritz and Valle Hermoso with its infinite ski possibilities!

But to the North of Las Lenas, away from the Torrecillas and Entre Rios cirque, some fantastic skiing can be found too.

Photo: Views from "Falso Leñas"

Not too far from the Falso Leñas, La Oficina complex can be found. This is a very tour accessible area with very compelling skiing!

Photo: La Oficina.

At "La Oficina", I ran into the symbolic Las Leñas small brush. The orange hues during the afternoon sun was mesmerizing.

Photo: Las Leñas brush with Ski Resort in the background.

There is one area of Las Leñas, named San Nom, that I did not visited this year. From La Oficina I was able to scout its elegant couloirs. There is always next year!

Photo: San Nom side country accessed via Ski Resort.

During the Avalanche Level 2 course we ski toured La Oficina as well as the El Collar and Collarcito areas next to El Ponce Peak.

Photo: Chago in the foreground assisting Agustin, an Avi L2 students with Fritz splitboard skins. Erik and Julian can be seen in the background as well.

Photo: Avi L2 students traversing below El Ponce (11800 feet)

Photo: El Collar with Julian, Erik, and my tracks. We skied few days before the AVI L2 course.

Photo: El Collarcito. The Avi L2 students skied this magnificent line! The students were divided in two groups, one skied the central headwall, and the other skied the right side headwall.

Last year, Tete participated in the Avalanche L2 course offered by SnowProject. This year Tete joined the Avi L2 field sessions a couple of times as a guest instructor. During her stint last winter in Canada she completed her Avalanche Operations Course (Avalanche L3 Equivalent). Congratulations Tete, it was great to hear about such a terrific accomplishment!

Photo: Tete, a LAs Leñas Ski Guide and SnowProject Avi L2 2010 Graduate.

Tete is not the only Argentinean with BIG smiles. Pretty much everybody smiles at Argentina. Check the next random picture of the Avi L1 students (Martin) with another ski instructor, and the two stellar AVI L2 female students of this year course, Teo and Pipi.

Photo: Las Leñas Ski Instructors

Photo: Teo and Pipi, 2012 AVI L2 graduates.

Teo, is a ski patroller for Las Leñas, and Pipi a ski instructor. Both injected so much spontaneity to the course with their ever happy and ready to have fun attitude. Surely I will miss their friendship as well as  the 7 PM mate (Argentinean equivalent tea) party.

It is obvious that Argentinean women are superb outdoor enthusiast and it is hard not to be impressed by their drive to excel. Erik's wife Cesi is no exception. She is the San Martin de Los Andes Tourism office director, and unconditional supporter of SnowProject. Thanks Cesi for your advice, care, and specially for keeping us in the right track!

Photo: Cesi with the Gran Chapelco in the background - Northern Patagonia.

To finish this posting, I included two pictures that exemplify well the two Ski Resorts I visited this year: Las Leñas and Chapelco. In both picture the inbounds as well as out-of-bounds are visible.

Photo: Caris lift to the right with Senedor ski slopes. At the center, in the background The Torrecillas Cirque peaks at 12372 feet.

Photo: Chapelco Ski Resort in the foreground. C4 Peak back country ski runs can be seen in the background. The cornices in the foreground lead to the South Bowls, considered side country terrain.

There is still one posting left with GoPro videos. Keep checking the blog.

Chago