Ski Chile & Argentina - Andes Skiing & Snowboarding Blog

Patagonia Update: Volcano Chaiten's Effect

2008-06-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Since our last post on Volcano Chaiten (please read), activity dropped and flights into Bariloche returned to almost normal. However this weeks increase in volcanic activity has once again released ash high into the atmosphere causing flight delays and cancellations into Patagonia.

Lan Chile and Aerolineas Argentina are reducing their flights into Bariloche for later June and even into July, the start of the high season for skiing. If you have flight plans into Bariloche be sure to check with your airlines regarding changes or cancellations. Some flights will be redirected to the Argentine city of Neuquen or Puerto Montt, Chile.

2008 South America Ski Season Underway

2008-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Another 2 feet of snow has covered the Andean ski resorts of Portillo, La Parva, Valle Nevado and Las Lenas, allowing for an early start of the 2008 ski season. El Colorado and La Parva are now open to the public and the remaining major resorts will be launching next weekend.

6 Feet of Snow Falls in Portillo, Chile

2008-05-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

(Image by Portillo Ski Resort)

Two large back-to-back, late fall snowstorms slammed into the Andes of Chile and Argentina over the past 10 days, bringing flooding rains, saving Chile from 2007/2008 drought conditions, and blessed ski resorts like Portillo with close to 6 feet of snow.

The recent snow will allow Portillo and other resorts to open earlier than scheduled. Portillo will now open their 2008 ski season on June 14th. El Colorado, La Parva, and Valle Nevado, may even open next week as another snow storm is in the forecast starting Sunday night.

See the storm pictures

Volcano Chaiten Erupts

2008-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

After a 9,000 year rest, early May's eruption of Volcano Chaiten in Chile has all eyes on Patagonia.

The big question for PowderQuest is how will this affect the South American ski season starting in mid June. Unfortunately, for now, it is an impossible question to answer. No one knows for sure what will happen. It could spew ash for months, or it could return to a dormant state tomorrow.

It is important to note that Volcano Chaiten is located 110 kms from Esquel and 230 kms from Bariloche, the hub for many of our tour. There is no risk of lava touching these towns, and currently the only effect on these two towns is falling ash due to the prevailing east winds. It has been very minimal to date in Bariloche, while Esquel has recently been hit with several inches of ash in town. They are currently cleaning up the ash in Esquel from the streets.

The government of Argentina is calling this ash "non-toxic", but regardless if it is or not, it is not exactly something you really want to be breathing.

PowderQuest is keeping a close eye on the situation, but currently are not canceling our ski and snowboard tours in Patagonia. We are still 45-90 days away from most trips, and currently the only possible change we see would be to replace our planned days skiing La Hoya Ski Resort in Esquel, with Chapelco ski resort in San Martin de Los Andes, located 3 hours north of Bariloche.
This would only affect our Patagonia Powder Tour.

However we will be watching closely as flights to Bariloche, San Martin, Esquel, and other small local airports in Patagonia have recently been canceled on and off, due to fears that ash at 25,000 feet could damage airplane engines.

As we continue to monitor the situation in Patagonia we will make updates here. Other trips potentially affected if the situation worsens are:

Ski Patagonia
Ski Argentina
Snowboarding Argentina With The Pros
Cimarra Sur
Freerider
Hut to Hut

We have several back up plans should the situation get worse, (ash accumulation in Bariloche or continued flight cancellations). Contact info@powderquest.com for more details.

If you are considering one of our ski trips in Patagonia, please let us know if you have any questions. Should you not want to take the risk of your trip itinerary changing, we suggest booking one of the following great powder trips located in central Chile:

Ski Chile
Summer Ski Escape
Cimarra Norte
Termas de Chillan
Frontier-Las Lenas

New PowderQuest Website. Fresher Than a Foot of Andes Powder

2008-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

A fresh new PowderQuest website rolled out last night. Have a look around and get stoked on the South American winter season starting in just over a month. Some snow has fallen around Valle Nevado and Portillo as well as the southern volcanoes, and it tends to pick up in mid to late May.

See you in the Andes,

PowderQuest

Life Of A Ski Guide & Pro Skier - Catching Up With Les Manley

2008-03-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

Les Manley, can be hard to track down. As a ski guide for PowderQuest Tours and a professional skier, Les is constantly chasing the best snow around the globe for a living.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Les en route to Slovenia to compete in the Quicksilver Freeride Battle going down over the weekend.

PowderQuest: Les, quite the season you are having with all the snow falling in Canada. What have you been up to?

Les Manley: My Season has been and is quite the wirl wind, maybe a bit more than usual. I started things off in Whistler, BC in December guiding clients for Extremely Canadian. We had a ton of snow and I was very happy to be sharing the steep and deep of my home mountain with folks for the third season in a row. I also did a fair amount of backcountry ski guiding. In early February I took of for Verbier, Switzerland to get a shot at skiing powder in the Alps.

PowderQuest: Yeah, skiing British Columbia has been good! Why sacrifice the powder in BC for a trip to the Alps?

Les Manley: Basing myself out of Verbier I have been ski guiding quite a bit and making day trips to small ski resorts in the area such as Orvnaz, Super St. Bernard, and Bruson. In Late February I travelled to Bansko, Bulgaria to compete in the Red Bull Powder Kick freesking contest where I was able to take third place.

PowderQuest: Congratulations! Good thing I was not there, I would have taken you out! What will you be doing until your come back and guide for PowderQuest starting in June?

Les Manley: I plan on staying in the Alps till May and have a number of ski tours to peaks over 4000m planned before then. I will be touring in B.C. in the late spring, taking some clients on the Spearhead traverse and completing some rock climbing courses. In June it's back to South America!

PowderQuest: Yeah we can't wait to get back in the snow in the Andes. I know you love Argentina, What is your favorite places to ski?

Les Manley: My favorite backcountry line in South America is Adrenalina in the Las Lenas valley which I had the pleasure of heliskiing two seasons ago. My favorite in bounds terrain is the Laguna area at Cerro Catedral, Bariloche.

PowderQuest: Good spots! So what would be your favorite PowderQuest guided ski tour?

Les Manley: If I could pick any PQ trip it would be the Frontier-Las Lenas because I truly love skiing in the high Andes; you can't beat the thigh burning descents, light snow, and gaucho culture.

PowderQuest: Yeah, plus the cat skiing in El Arpa on that trip is a must do experience in Chile.

With all the travel and job opportunities you get, why do you keep coming back for our small ski operation?

Les Manley: I think the best thing about working for PowderQuest is being able to share unique mountain experiences with PQ guests in the vibrant culture of South America. The travel isn't bad either!

PowderQuest: We get a lot of questions from our guests on what skis to bring down or buy. I understand you are on a new ski this year. Tell us about it.

Les Manley: I have recently signed with Movement Skis and am really enjoying the powerful ride their fat ski, the Goliath provides.

PowderQuest: I know that Mo Rasiah enjoyed guiding on the Movement Goliath last year and a lot of the other guides are requesting we get this ski as the official ski for PowderQuest guides. Movement supported our operations last year and we look forward to working with them again. We may even have a demo line up for our tour guests to try out.
Thanks Les, I know you got a train to catch. See you in SA in a few months!

Les Manley: Cheers!

Read more on Les and meet the rest of PowderQuest's South American and Canadian Ski Guides on powderquest.com

Guide Books for South America

2008-02-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

The next time you visit your local bookstore, be sure to grab a cup of cafe and browse the international travel section. Travel to South America is up among popular destinations for travel in 2008.
Numerous guidebooks on Chile, Argentina, Patagonia, and South America are out there to fill your caffeine jacked brain with more intersting information on adventure travel in the Andes Mountains.
Some of the most well know and respected guides are those from Frommer's and Fodor's.
Both of these companies have been publishing guidebooks for years and are great at keeping things up to date, which is no simple mission, especially in South America where things change faster than the weather in Patagonia.
The books cover history, culture, maps, places to eat, drink, wine tours, and more. Frommer's and Fodor's even recommend adventure companies with stellar reputations. PowderQuest is honored to be featured in the following guides:

Frommer's Argentina & Chile
Frommer's South America
Frommer's Argentina
Frommer's Chile
Fodor's Chile

"PowderQuest runs top-notch guided skiing adventures in Argentina..." Frommer's Argentina.

Pick one up, it makes for a great read on the overnight flight to Santiago or Buenos Aires and you will be much more aware of the places you visit in South America.

July in South America

2007-07-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Limited Spaces Remain for August and September

July 20, 2007: PowderQuest Ski Tours in South America is experiencing our busiest season in our 9 year history guiding in the Andes, but it is not too late to join us!
PowderQuest Tours still has a few spots remaining in August and September on our Off Piste, Backcountry and Resort Focus Adventures. If you are looking to join us, please contact us ASAP for availability as these spots will go quickly due to the recent snowfall and one of the best starts in years. More snow is in the forecast for this weekend! Call us at 1-888-565-7158 or 1-206-203-6065. info@powderquest.com

Movement Skis supports PowderQuest

Movement Skis is the latest to support PowderQuest's guides outfitting our crew with a quiver of the best all mountain freeride skis in the industry. Our guides will be riding and testing out the Goliath, Pow Pow, Spark and Climax all outfitted with the Fritschi Freeride plus binding.

Today PowderQuest tail guide Mo Rasiah skied 10 inches of fresh in Cerro Bayo, Argentina with our guests on the Patagonia Powder Tour. What did he think of his first turns on the Goliath:

"The skis are awesome. In the pow they are a dream"

Special Offers

Last minute specials. Contact us for details!

PowderQuest return guests always 10% off any PowderQuest published tour!

If you have a group of 8 to fill a tour, the 8th spot is free!

20% off your total if booking 2 tours in the season!

"As my ski trip to South America approached, I expected long runs in knee deep powder. What I didn't expect was that our two guides, Max and Mo, would do such an excellent job in making me experience the true wonders of Patagonia, both on and off the mountain.
Whether it was in the restaurants, bars, discos or tracking down hikes and runs that were excellent regardless of the snow conditions, Max and Mo showed me why PowderQuest was the right choice."

Sean Newell
Patagonia Powder 2006

New PowderQuest Tour in September

PowderQuest and the Mission Impossible Lodge are proud to offer a brand new tour for September 2007!

At $1,795 USD this guided Backcountry Ski Touring Focus adventure in the endless terrain of Termas de Chillan, Chile is a great value for some of the best touring in South America.

Terrain in Termas de Chillan is vast, beautiful, volcanic, wide open as well as rugged. What you see from the lifts barely skims the surface of the potential riding in the area.

For great skiing, thermal hot springs, snow covered volcanoes, and wonder Chilean culture this trip will not disappoint! Read more

2007 season about to start with deep snows!

2007-06-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Rumors of El Nino (lots of snow), switched to La Nina (dry), then back again. Basically I am not sure if any forecaster in South America really gets it right. But here is the latest as of June 10th. All ski resorts from Termas de Chillan, south have been getting absolutely hammered the past week with a cold, low pressure system that has resulted in over 1 meter of new snow in several areas! While Portillo, Las Lenas, and Valle Nevado remain dry, this storm is scheduled to push into these areas on Tuesday. Perfect timing as the 2007 South America ski season starts next weekend.
Here is the latest South America snow report

PowderQuest Launches 2006 Website

2006-03-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have crawled out of my cave (office) after what seems like endless weeks of editing our new website, www.powderquest.com
Huge thanks to Jason Thacker for the site design. In addition we at PowderQuest thank our guests for contributing such kind testimonials and pictures. We even have our 2005 Heliski video posted.
The photo gallery should be ready to view in a few days, and holds hundreds of images we have collected on our endless quest for powder in the Andes.

We feel this is our best website to date and presents a clear and easy format to book your next PowderQuest adventure.

See you in this summer!

David Owen
PowderQuest Tours

Cat Skiing in Chile

2005-10-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, Cat skiing Chile style. Dirt road access, snow, big mountains, and 2 meter cactus surround us as we wind our way up the hidden valley 2 hours north of Santiago.
We guided our first trip in El Arpa Cat Skiing this season, and I personally got up there this weekend, October 10th for some incredible spring skiing.
Ski Arpa Cat Skiing operations are rustic, but get you to some beautiful terrain and epic skiing. I have not seen a lot of backcountry areas that can easily manage low level intermediates to experts looking to shread steep lines all day, however Ski Arpa's got it!Just spending the day with an idol like Tony Sponar, El Arpa's owner and creator is worth the trip.A recent article on Powder Magazine says:25 years ago, Sponar bought 5000 acres in the mountains outside Los Andes, Chile and for most of that time he’s had it to himself. He would drive the rugged road up to his land, and with a few friends or clients, would tour around the ridges, Aconcagua—the tallest peak in the Americas—looming overhead. His dream has always been to operate a ski area up here. But dreams like that cost money, and just getting up the road from town can be an adventure. PowderQuest will be developing more programs there next year, in hopes that Tony Sponar's dream, 25 years in the making, stays alive.

August Chill

2005-08-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature could not have timed it better. As the last of the hundreds of 50-foot tour buses full of sundreanched Brazilians rolled out of the Andes and into the smog of Santiago, saying "Ate logo" to Winter break, the first flakes in weeks started to fill the Andean sky!
After a long (Too long) 2 week high pressure system blocked out any chance of snow during the holidays in the Andes, a welcome storm is in full force as I write this blog. The winds force is awesome here, sometimes reaching Hurricane strength, plastering everything in site with fresh snow. It can be brutal when you are out there, but when it's over, it is generally one of those days you don't forget.
The main pass from Chile to Argentina is closed, and with the exception of the unlucky truck drivers stuck in what could turn out to be a 4-day dig out, those lucky enough to be "Stranded" in Portillo today are in for a big one once this white hurricane blows out and the massive Andean sky breaks bluebird.
I have spoken to our guides and friends today from Valle Nevado, Chile to 1000 clicks south in Bariloche, Argentina, and they all have that same stoke in their voice.
"It's blowing the roof off and it's puking!" Tomas yelled as he was on the Andes Express chair in Valle Nevado trying to shout over the storms force.
"After two weeks of Brazilian eye candy, I gotta go ride some August pow and cool off."

July 2005 PowderQuest Heli Ski Chile Video

2005-07-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Olivier Grauff of Audience33.com caught these images and ski video while PowderQuest and Spencer Francey of Chasing Winter produced Nike ACG's latest AD campaign in the beautiful backcounty of Valle Nevado, Chile. June 28-July 10, 2005. Enjoy the film

July Conditions and report

2005-07-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

July 2005 is nearing it's end, and it has been one to remember. PowderQuest Ski South America ran several tours with some of the best conditions we have seen since our start back in the late 90's!
The Cimarra Sur guests arrived to the top of the 10,000 foot smoking Volcano Villarrica in excellent powder conditions and blue bird skies.
PowderQuest successfully helped produce Nike ACG's latest advertising campaign in the backcountry of Valle Nevado, and professional partiers Brad Gowenlock, Kevin Gordon, Adam Gowans, Robert Graham, and Glenn Crump joined us for a trip to Chillan where they claim they had the best riding days of their lives, not to mention some interesting nights out on the town! I think they caused the black out in Santiago.
Today, July 27th, I am here in my in-home office watching the winter skies open once again in Pucon, the woodstove is going as well as the tunes, and a good cup of South American coffee has me charged. I am stoked, as this weekend it is back on the road for the sold out Cimarra Norte trip, starting Saturday in Valle Nevado.
I invite you to join us this season in August and September for some epic turns and an unforgettable cultural experience!

David Owen
PowderQuest

Save some for me!

2005-06-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

I've got to wait 10 weeks before I get down there (Patagonia)! But Santa Rosa's been good to me for the past four seasons! So, I'ms sure it'll still be sweet!!

Tim

On the way

2005-06-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

SI SI SI

YES YES YES....

SNOW SNOW SNOW!!!!

I'll be there soon!!!

I am so pumped to get down there with Powderquest again....!!

one week and I'm there!!

Spencer Francey

Chasing Winter
South American Snowboard Research

Reading Material for your flight to South America

2005-06-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Pack your boards and on the way to the airport, swing by your local books store and pick up the latest for your flight down to the Andes:

Ski Magazine Current issue: "One of the most intriguing camps for adults is the Andes Freeride Camp at Valle Nevado, Chile. Director David Owen and his crew will structure the camp according to the wishes of their clients, but here's the clincher: With a strong dollar, helicopter skiing only adds about $300 per day to the program. That opens up 25,000 acres of high-alpine Andean terrain to explore."
Check out our Andes Freeride Camps in Valle Nevado Chile! The article is on bookstore shelves now.

Snowboarder Magazine Current issue: PowderQuest Snowboard Tours spent 3 weeks guiding pro riders Shin Campos, Jon Cartwright, and Andrew Hardingham to the goods from Termas de Chillan to Patagonia. The Santa Rosa storm brought us 3 feet of new snow in the southern Andes, while Snowboarder Magazine staff, Dan Hudson and Spencer Francey documented the adventure. The article is on bookstore shelves now!

25 Feet of Snow and more on the way

2005-06-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

Am I dreaming? A 25 foot high White Wall is calling my name, and skiers from all over the globe for that matter.
I am getting out of the office in 3 days for the rest of the season, and over 7 meters of snow is out there waiting for me to shred! 3 of those have fallen just this week. Have you checked the snow reports?!
PowderQuest guests that are on our late June and July trips are in for some of the best skiing of their lives! The news is circulating about the latest storms in the Andes, and our phone won't stop ringing. People are booking the last spots remaining in July, asking if they can get a job with us, and curious to see if the forecasts are real.
Yes! So real. Terrain features are showing up that I have never seen before,and the snow is so deep in spots, you can get face shots simply by thinking about it.

Get down here!

Big Snow from Las Lenas to Patagonia

2005-06-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ski Chile and Argentina: 2005 Season

I have to say that after 7 years of skiing the Andes, this is the best start I have seen. I have never been so stoked to start the season, and for people who know me, that is saying a lot.
I feel like a blissed out kid who just heard on the radio that school is closed due to snow!
Portillo, Las Lenas, Valle Nevado and all the way down into mystical Patagonia has received not feet, but meters of fresh snow this month. There is so much snow on the Volcano Villarrica you can't even get to the lift in a vehicle, you have to hike in! It is 8 degrees F in Bariloche and the season has been going since late May.
The season is on, and in a few days we guide our first trip on what may be the season I have always dreamed about. Let it snow Hueon!!

David Owen
Owner and a kid again
PowderQuest