by Brittany Davis
Argentina has a number of renowned ski resorts. And though none is as big or as high-tech as the leading resorts in Europe or North America, some are quite impressive and attract visitors from around the world every year.
Argentina has nine ski resorts, four most popular of which are Cerro Catedral in Bariloche, Las Leñas in the mountains outside Malargue, Penitentes accessible through Mendoza, and Cerro Chapelco in San Martin de los Andes.
If you’re planning an Argentine ski vacation this winter don’t expect to be able to go “resort-hopping” because these resorts are at least a day’s journey from each other along the winding Eastern slope of the Andes.
Cerro Catedral in San Carlos de Bariloche doesn’t have the highest altitude of the Argentine resorts and typically doesn’t get the most snowfall, but it’s widely considered the No. 1 ski resort in South America with 38 lifts and 120 km (46 miles) of accessible mountain terrain. Ski and snow related activities draw crowds that help account for Bariloche’s 200,000 yearly visitors.
Bariloche is a town fueled almost entirely by tourism. In the summer months between December and February, the beautiful lakes and stunning mountain scenery draw mostly domestic tourists. But now, as we enter the three week winter vacation and dark storm clouds threaten snow, more and more ski rental shops put out signs in Portuguese and English to welcome new arrivals from Brazil and beyond. Complete package rentals for skis and snowboards go for between 50 and 60 pesos in town and between 75 and 100 pesos at the ski resort.
So far this winter’s snowfall has been entirely unimpressive, but Cerro Catedral opened its lifts on July 7 and, with the help of snow-making machines, they now have eight lifts open (including the six-man summit chair). They hope to have almost all 38 up and running with the next major snowfall.
Nobody here in Bariloche seems surprised at the disheartening lack of snow. Local skiers say that last year the mountain didn’t get “decent” snow until September. Some blame global warming and say that the winter isn’t just starting later in the year, but its also getting progressively shorter. Old-timer locals say that this is just how it is; some years are dryer than others.
For North American and European skiers used to a five month ski season, Bariloche’s three-month ski season is surprisingly short. At the corresponding latitude in the Northern hemisphere, there are no low altitude glaciers. Just 200 miles away from Bariloche lies one of the world’s only advancing glaciers, Perito Moreno, at just 720 feet above sea level. Patagonia is said to be at the end of the world, suggesting severe temperatures and weather. But while Bariloche is considered the gateway to Patagonia, it gets just three months of “real winter” per year. This is mainly because the Andes block much of the winter weather coming from the Pacific, so the Eastern slope of the Andes gets just a fraction of the snow that Chile’s Western slope does.
Now, in the first few days of Bariloche’s official ski season, temperatures are hovering from 1-13° Celsius (or 33.8° and 55.4° Fahrenheit) as the streets downtown become noticeably busier.
Stores and restaurants in the city center are hoping for more visitors than last year, when the local economy saw a significant decline in tourism. Some hotels and tour companies have lowered room and excursion prices to help families justify a family ski vacation this year.
Besides the obvious differences between Northern and Southern Hemisphere skiing (like the fact that their seasons are opposites), there are some less noticeable yet noteworthy differences.
Argentine Lucas Buzzerio has spent the past three years moving back and forth between Lake Tahoe, California, and Cerro Catedral in Bariloche. His years of endless winter have allowed him to experience life as a ski instructor in mountain towns of both hemispheres and pick up on some of the more subtle dissimilarities.
Lucas feels that to understand the differences, you need to understand how different Argentine culture is from both North American and European cultures. “Skiing here in Argentina is not a national sport, like football, that everyone can participate in,” says Lucas.
There are some local discounts and group classes offered near the end of the season in September, but between July and August Cerro Catedral gets almost exclusively well-to-do visitors from Buenos Aires, other large Argentine cities and, of course, foreigners. Meanwhile, even though season pass and lift ticket prices are comparable to many Northern hemisphere resort prices, you can’t expect the same amenities.
After a big storm, you might anticipate the best powder day of the year, but in Bariloche the resort often opens late due to poor road conditions and much of the mountain is unaccessible because avalanche danger. Lucas, who has taught skiing in both hemispheres, says that in terms of both technology and mountain management, Argentina lags behind North America and Europe.
At my local resort in Squaw Valley, California, line can form at the coveted KT-22 chair up to three hours before opening on a good powder day. Dedicated locals wait in the cold and the dark just to get in the first turns of the day. That may seem a little crazy, but these skiers (and snowboarders) also rely on the skill, training, and technology of the ski patrol who watch over the mountain and minimize avalanche danger with “avalanche bombs.” It might be frustrating for someone accustomed to high-tech skiing to wait hours, or even days, for an Argentine mountain to open after a storm, but safety, just like everywhere else in the world, is their top priority here at Cerro Catedral.
One way to avoid the hang-ups of Argentine ski resorts is to go backcountry skiing. Not only is this a more environmentally-appealing way to ski, but you get a better work out as well as the opportunity to enjoy the serenity of Bariloche’s beautiful National Park. So if you decide to come to Bariloche to ski this winter, and Cerro Catedral isn’t open to satisfy your powder needs, rent some snowshoes or some Randonee skies and head into the back-country.
You just may see me out there trying to save a buck and get in some turns while I wait for the mountain to be fully up and running.
Link: Cerro Catedral
Link: Winter 2009 Rates
Link: General Information on Ski Resorts In Chile & Argentina
