Flashback to last month when I was training for the upcoming ski season on the glorious Alps’ trail network. At the same time, my newsfeeds had been getting bombarded by ski porn from South America. Then all of a sudden, a deal I had been working on for some time reached a critical step. The next thing you know, I find myself pulling the trigger on a series of flights for the following day. Unfortunately from Europe, Delta (my airline of choice) routes thru the US of A to get to Argentina. The truth is 36+ hours of travel is not ideal for an Aging Ski Bum’s tender body, but sometimes you gotta suck it up. Upon my arrival, I treated myself to a slab and called it an early night.
PART ONE – RETURN TO LAS LEÑAS
I woke up at 0 Dark 30 and headed south on Ruta 40 and the final 3.5 hours to el Valle de Las Leñas. The road from Mendoza south is reminiscent of heading south on Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra, only with bigger mountains. The highway has been paved in recent years and is much faster (and smoother) than it used to be.
I first visited LL in 2002 and quickly became a believer after my first run down Eduardos. In fact, the skiing can be so good that I actually moved down there for several years. I purchased a 65-acre farm and grew grapes, plums and olives, less than 2 hours from the base of this magical valley. Las Leñas is one of the most remote ski resorts on the planet. Situated just a couple valleys over from where the Uruguayan Futbol Team’s plane crash occurred, which you may know from the book and/or movie Alive.
The main reason this exotic ski resort is special are the consistent fall lines, sometimes as much as 1,000 meters without any flat spots. You can get up to 5th gear and stay there a while. And the amount of terrain accessed from one chair is unparalleled. However, the Marte chair was erected in the windiest spot in the windiest mountain range on the planet. As a result, the skiing can be hit or miss. Besides the wind, the other challenge is there are no trees. So if the light is flat and/or the weather is stormy, skiing off piste big mountain terrain no es bueno. However when it’s on, the lift-served terrain at Las Leñas is as good as it gets (without a helicopter and a big budget).
Based on my various years of visiting, the much-hyped historical 2026 snowpack may have been a bit of a stretch, but there was definitely a solid base. I rolled into the ski area, signed up for my extreme bracelet with Los Pisteros and headed up.
Typically during the second half of September and into October in the Andes, one can usually partake in amazing spring conditions. But this season, Pacha Mama had other ideas and the snowpack never really set up. After 2 days of travel, 3 slow double chairs and a poma lift, I found myself at 3,430 meters on top of Cerro Fosiles. I decided to warm up the legs on Paradisio, which typically is one of the first slopes to corn up. And if not, you can normally traverse left and find some more wintery-type snow.
As is often the case in the big mountains, I found a plethora of conditions. And of course, found myself waiting around quite a bit, which is actually one of Argentina’s national pastimes (along with good meat, mate and futbol).
This valley is very mystical with huge mountains in every direction. It also happens to offer both killer sunrises and sunsets.
One afternoon I decided to go for a little walk across the valley and find something extra smooth. Not only to harvest some good snow, but I had a real nice perspective of Leñas’ front side. Keep in mind all this stuff is easily all accessible from the Marte chair.
PART TWO – PULLING THE PLUG
After more non-skier-friendly weather and a unpromising forecast for the final days of the season, I made the executive decision to hit the ejector button. Next on the slate was to work my way into Chile, where several ski areas had announced later operating dates. It is really a shame that Leñas decided to close so early with amazing coverage and skier demand, but I digress.
The crest of the Andes forms a natural border between Argentina and Chile. During the snow months, there are only a few places to cross. I headed north back toward Mendoza, then west onto Ruta 7. With a good snowpack, there are plenty of roadside attractions, including the summer trailhead for the highest peak in the Americas. I decided to go for a stroll and did not see any signs of humanity for several hours.
The next day I continued my journey into Chile. But first I had to go through customs, which was a less than desirable experience. It is a known fact that the Argies and the Chilenos are not always the best of friends (see more in the bonus section). So as a gringo driving a rental car with Argentina plates, I received the “Tratamiento especial”
After almost 2 hours, including a special visit to the principal’s office, I cleared the border and arrived to Portillo, aka “The Cruise Ship of the Andes”. Portillo is situated in a really unique spot, serviced by chair lifts and 4 and 5 person pomas.
The ski area itself is pretty small, but with some sidestepping and creative traverses, you can access lots of nooks and crannies. Unfortunately the day I was there, the new snow was pretty warm and not too user friendly for much of the off piste. The views, however, were pretty amazing.
After my customs drama and the ski day at Portillo, I headed to Santiago for the night. I then beelined south to a small Chilean authentico town called Malalcahuello. I sat around for a couple more days until the weather cleared.
They were having a big winter, and the coverage was solid. The ski area’s general manager, Jimmy Ackerson, is a gringo but has lived in Chile for quite some time. He is doing a great job growing a new ski market, not easy to do with a small population base close by. The wind was blowing the right direction, which made for some nice surface conditions.
PART THREE – CROSSING THE ANDES BACK TO ARGENTINA
The road connecting the two countries had been closed for 4 consecutive days, leaving many trucks and tourists stranded. They announced the road would reopen at 12 pm the following day. With another meter of snow forecasted for later that night, this was my brief window. So I got in the lineup early along with a gazillion 18 wheelers as well as some passenger cars.
Toward the top of the switchbacks, it started snowing. I had heard stories of the route suddenly closing and all vehicles having to shelter in place. Since I had to get my rental car back to Mendoza as well as catch a flight, the pressure was on to complete the crossing. I ultimately made it back to Argentina an hour before customs closed and the road shuttered.
PART FOUR – UNA DIA MAS
Once I was safely into Argentina, I hopped on Booking.com and scored a hotel down the hill for the night. I had another couple of days until my flight left, so I headed back up Ruta 7 to a super random ski area. that reopened after being closed for numerous years. Now called Penitentes Park, the ski area had been shuttered for several years before reopening this season. I came across a random Instagram post advertising a chairlift bump, then a snowcat ride into the higher mountains for approximately US$47. I felt obliged to jump on the opportunity.
After waiting several hours for them to confirm my spot via WhatsApp, I was told to rush to the chairlift and that the snowcat would meet me “arriba”. About 10 skiers were waiting for me and we were transported to 3000 meters (close to where the top lift that isn’t operating this season terminates). From that point, I slapped on my skins for a bit. I climbed another 400 meters or so until the light went bad and the snow was becoming variable. I transitioned into downhill mode and completed my final turns of the trip.
On the final night of the trip in Buenos Aires, I had my obligatory final steak at a Parilla. It happened to be Lionel Messi’s last game in an Argentine uniform. The entire restaurant (including the wait staff and asadores) were in tears.
BONUS MATERIAL – LA GORRA
During my seasons skiing at Las Leñas, I made friends with a couple of the Gendarmería. The “Genderarms” are part of the Argentine military, operating as both the border patrol and national police. At the end of one season, “Checho” gave me his hat as a nice parting gift. I held on to it for many years and decided to bring it on this trip. Little did I know how wearing it would cause so much commotion.
- At Las Leñas, other skiers would see me with it and greet me with enthusiasm and show respect (until they found out I was a gringo).
- While crossing the border in Chile, the customs officials were not definitely big fans (see above).
- On my final day at Penitentes Park, a couple of active Gendarmería stopped me and asked where I got the hat from. When I told them a friend, they asked his name and what station he worked at. Then they instructed me to wear the hat inside out so the logo could not be seen. They said that unless I was part of their elite force, I could not represent.
