Where to go skiing over the next 1 - 2 months?

I could go skiing for most of the next 1 to 2 months, depending how long
the UK civil service take to sort out employing someone. Where would be
the best to go?

From the skiclub.co.uk overview it looks like argentina and chile have
far more snow than new zealand (100 250 cm in SA compared to 25 110
in NZ). I know nothing about southern hemiphere resorts. I cannot
speak anything but english.

I am in the UK ATM. I spent 2 months in the US last winter, and I
really enjoyed the more difficult bits of Heavenly and Mount Hood
Meadows. I have never gone out off bounds.

What is really important to me is quality of snow and price. Price is
important in that I may not be able to spend all the time available on
the slopes. I spent ~ 1700 USD on 2 months last winter all inclusive, I
would like to do it for something similar (I have pretty cheap tastes).

In article ,
David Jones wrote:

I could go skiing for most of the next 1 to 2 months, depending how long
the UK civil service take to sort out employing someone. Where would be
the best to go?

From the skiclub.co.uk overview it looks like argentina and chile have
far more snow than new zealand (100 250 cm in SA compared to 25 110
in NZ). I know nothing about southern hemiphere resorts. I cannot
speak anything but english.

I am in the UK ATM. I spent 2 months in the US last winter, and I
really enjoyed the more difficult bits of Heavenly and Mount Hood
Meadows. I have never gone out off bounds.

What is really important to me is quality of snow and price. Price is
important in that I may not be able to spend all the time available on
the slopes. I spent ~ 1700 USD on 2 months last winter all inclusive, I
would like to do it for something similar (I have pretty cheap tastes).


Look at these websites...

http://www.interpatagonia.com/chapelco/index_i.html
http://www.skiantillanca.cl/
http://www.bolsonweb.com/invierno_en...lson_esqui.htm
http://www.pucononline.cl/index.php?p_idioma=ing

If you want something a little bit pricier, try ...

http://www.termaschillan.cl/default2.htm

more pricier

http://www.vallenevado.com/

All the other top class resort areas including Las Leñas are around the
same price..

If you don't speak Spanish or as they label in the Southern Cone of
South America "Castellano", either go with a tourist group, or a group
of friends. You can probably get by not speaking Spanish, but it isn't
that much fun, and one misses half of what is going on and what is being
said around you.

In article 46968171$1@darkstar, (Eugene Miya)
wrote:

In article ,
David Jones wrote:
I could go skiing for most of the next 1 to 2 months, depending how long
the UK civil service take to sort out employing someone. Where would be
the best to go?

You can't expect Alps-class skiing in the Southern hemisphere.

That is incorrect. Las Leñas, Portillo, Valle Nevado and La Parva
are pretty high class ski areas... Expensive but top of the line ski
areas. There are plenty of challenging mountains both at a resort or
backcountry skiing from el Paso Libertadores to the Southern Campos de
Hielo.

If one wants to go backcountry skiing or hut to hut skiing/Alpine
Touring, that is possible as well around Bariloche... and there are many
adventure ski companies that have tours throughout the Southern Cone.

From the skiclub.co.uk overview it looks like argentina and chile have
far more snow than new zealand (100 250 cm in SA compared to 25 110
in NZ). I know nothing about southern hemiphere resorts.

You can web surf, use embassies and consulates (that's what they are
there for), and Reuter's publishes a fairly decent world skiing book
which you can borrow from a library or use Amazon. The advantage of
this book is the relative consistency in comparison.

Both Argentina and Chile have top rate National Tourism Boards that are
very professional...

http://www.turismo.gov.ar/eng/menu.htm
http://www.sernatur.cl/

I always recommend Chris I. Lizza book "South American Ski Guide"

http://www.amazon.com/South-America-.../dp/1564405591


I cannot speak anything but english.

Could be worse. It's cultural immersion.
It's a chance to learn. It would be like going to Spain or Portugal
for summer holiday. Forces the brain to think.

I am in the UK ATM. I spent 2 months in the US last winter, and I
really enjoyed the more difficult bits of Heavenly and Mount Hood
Meadows. I have never gone out off bounds.

These are "developed" compared to most of the Southern hemisphere.

I would disagree with that statement. I am curious, Have you ever
skied in South America? where?

Portillo, Las Leñas, La Parva and Valle Nevado aren't much
different from top of line North American Ski areas. Many North American
ski areas like Squaw have joint programs with Portillo, for example. I
believe it is the same with Las Leñas.


What is really important to me is quality of snow and price. Price is
important in that I may not be able to spend all the time available on
the slopes. I spent ~ 1700 USD on 2 months last winter all inclusive, I
would like to do it for something similar (I have pretty cheap tastes).

This isn't the Northern hemisphere.

Well I still haven't skied "El Volcán Trashmore" around the Andes yet,
so North America is progressing well ahead on that front...

--

In article ,
David Jones wrote:
I could go skiing for most of the next 1 to 2 months, depending how long
the UK civil service take to sort out employing someone. Where would be
the best to go?

You can't expect Alps-class skiing in the Southern hemisphere.

From the skiclub.co.uk overview it looks like argentina and chile have
far more snow than new zealand (100 250 cm in SA compared to 25 110
in NZ). I know nothing about southern hemiphere resorts.

You can web surf, use embassies and consulates (that's what they are
there for), and Reuter's publishes a fairly decent world skiing book
which you can borrow from a library or use Amazon. The advantage of
this book is the relative consistency in comparison.

I cannot speak anything but english.

Could be worse. It's cultural immersion.
It's a chance to learn. It would be like going to Spain or Portugal
for summer holiday. Forces the brain to think.

I am in the UK ATM. I spent 2 months in the US last winter, and I
really enjoyed the more difficult bits of Heavenly and Mount Hood
Meadows. I have never gone out off bounds.

These are "developed" compared to most of the Southern hemisphere.

What is really important to me is quality of snow and price. Price is
important in that I may not be able to spend all the time available on
the slopes. I spent ~ 1700 USD on 2 months last winter all inclusive, I
would like to do it for something similar (I have pretty cheap tastes).

This isn't the Northern hemisphere.

--

Eugene Miya wrote:

Have you ever skied in the Alps?

When I was in Cortina last year, they were giving out free postcards
citing "the world's top ski resorts" which in addition to themselves
included Vail and Portillo. I certainly would not class Vail in that.

Take an element-wise decomposition of what's available in the Alps:

What's the South (or North) American equivalent to:
Vallee Blanche:
the Aig. du Midi:
Dolomiti's 460 lifts:
Zermatt's vertical.

I would not even call North America "Alp-quality" skiing.
Not even NZ and OZ have these, and I have skied there.


Bah. Can anything in Europe come close to Vail's lift lines?

I mean, we're talking *massive*.

//Walt

I noted:
You can't expect Alps-class skiing in the Southern hemisphere.

That is incorrect. Las Leñas, Portillo, Valle Nevado and La Parva
are pretty high class ski areas... Expensive but top of the line ski
areas. There are plenty of challenging mountains both at a resort or
backcountry skiing from el Paso Libertadores to the Southern Campos de
Hielo.
If one wants to go backcountry skiing or hut to hut skiing/Alpine
Touring, that is possible as well around Bariloche... and there are many
adventure ski companies that have tours throughout the Southern Cone.

I have no doubt that these are fine areas to ski.

Chris I. Lizza book "South American Ski Guide"
http://www.amazon.com/South-America-.../dp/1564405591
.....
In article ,
Ted Waldron wrote:
I would disagree with that statement. I am curious, Have you ever
skied in South America? where?

Admittedly no, but I am awaiting the water sampling trip to Chile any
day now.

Portillo, Las Leñas, La Parva and Valle Nevado aren't much
different from top of line North American Ski areas. Many North American
ski areas like Squaw have joint programs with Portillo, for example. I
believe it is the same with Las Leñas.

Have you ever skied in the Alps?

When I was in Cortina last year, they were giving out free postcards
citing "the world's top ski resorts" which in addition to themselves
included Vail and Portillo. I certainly would not class Vail in that.

Take an element-wise decomposition of what's available in the Alps:

What's the South (or North) American equivalent to:
Vallee Blanche:
the Aig. du Midi:
Dolomiti's 460 lifts:
Zermatt's vertical.

I would not even call North America "Alp-quality" skiing.
Not even NZ and OZ have these, and I have skied there.

--

Walt wrote:
Eugene Miya wrote:

Have you ever skied in the Alps?

When I was in Cortina last year, they were giving out free postcards
citing "the world's top ski resorts" which in addition to themselves
included Vail and Portillo. I certainly would not class Vail in
that. Take an element-wise decomposition of what's available in the Alps:

What's the South (or North) American equivalent to:
Vallee Blanche:
the Aig. du Midi:
Dolomiti's 460 lifts:
Zermatt's vertical.

I would not even call North America "Alp-quality" skiing.
Not even NZ and OZ have these, and I have skied there.

Oz isn't really in the same ballpark, sadly. Low and flat. We just need to
drag Heard Island over to the mainland though, and it woudl be a different
story.

Bah. Can anything in Europe come close to Vail's lift lines?

I mean, we're talking *massive*.

Lines? They don't do lines in europe. They just form a trampling mass.


--
ant
Don't try to reply to my email addy:
I'm borrowing that of the latest
scammer/spammer

In article 4697c03e$1@darkstar, (Eugene Miya)
wrote:

I noted:
You can't expect Alps-class skiing in the Southern hemisphere.

That is incorrect. Las Leñas, Portillo, Valle Nevado and La Parva
are pretty high class ski areas... Expensive but top of the line ski
areas. There are plenty of challenging mountains both at a resort or
backcountry skiing from el Paso Libertadores to the Southern Campos de
Hielo.
If one wants to go backcountry skiing or hut to hut skiing/Alpine
Touring, that is possible as well around Bariloche... and there are many
adventure ski companies that have tours throughout the Southern Cone.

I have no doubt that these are fine areas to ski.

Chris I. Lizza book "South American Ski Guide"
http://www.amazon.com/South-America-.../dp/1564405591
....
In article ,
Ted Waldron wrote:
I would disagree with that statement. I am curious, Have you ever
skied in South America? where?

Admittedly no, but I am awaiting the water sampling trip to Chile any
day now.

Where in Chile?

Portillo, Las Leñas, La Parva and Valle Nevado aren't much
different from top of line North American Ski areas. Many North American
ski areas like Squaw have joint programs with Portillo, for example. I
believe it is the same with Las Leñas.

Have you ever skied in the Alps?

Yes, but where I skied was a small sampling of "The Alps" from Valle
Blanche to Kitzbuehel.. I have been on the Valle Blanche.

When I was in Cortina last year, they were giving out free postcards
citing "the world's top ski resorts" which in addition to themselves
included Vail and Portillo. I certainly would not class Vail in that.

Portillo isn't Vail, (Thank god) Vail doesn't have Roca Jack or some of
the out of bound skiing that Portillo offers. Va et Vient Poma is a
pain, given I am never a big fan of poma lifts because whether at
Portillo or Whistler..

The only similarity between Portillo and Vail is that they are off
major routes, (Portillo is right off the main border crossing between
Argentina and Chile)

Take an element-wise decomposition of what's available in the Alps:

What's the South (or North) American equivalent to:
Vallee Blanche:
the Aig. du Midi:
Dolomiti's 460 lifts:
Zermatt's vertical.

South side of Mt. Rainier has plenty of vertical if one hikes from
Paradise Parking lot to Camp Muir, ditto for skiing from Camp Shurman on
the North Side. Ditto for the Sulphide Glacier on Mt.Shuksan. I don't
consider 7,000-8,000 feet of vertical as such important of statistic as
the quality of runs. Much like I rather ski the White Salmon glacier at
Mt. Shuksan than the Sulphide

One can go on a Temperate Glacier System similar to Vallee Blanche,
like the Cascades or the Coast Mountain Range and get the same vertical.
Yes, it hiking, or sloggin up a glacier, but if the amount of vertical
is the priority...

I think probably the closet to lift capabilities like and one of
largest ski areas in the Americas is Las Leñas.

http://www.laslenas.com/Default.aspx...te=mapa&Id=178

If you are looking for a cable car ride like to Aiguille du Midi.
There isn't any in South America like that is connected to the ski
areas. I think the longest ski lift is at Termas de Chillan, IIRC.


I would not even call North America "Alp-quality" skiing.
Not even NZ and OZ have these, and I have skied there.

Well I wouldn't call Alps skiing, "Hokkaido Snow quality" either, but
doesn't mean that one has to recreate the massive French resorts to get
a top of line ski areas in other continents.

The ski areas in Latin America are marketing to both European and
North American clientele, they aren't trying to that makes them feel
that the experience is surreal or bad quality..

I have skied in NZ, and I liked it, but if one wants a challenging run,
one can find it, they just have to hike for it. One can ski La Grave
areas or certain death couloirs in any Mountain Range, if one is willing
to take the risks.



--

On Jul 12, 12:28 pm, David Jones wrote:
I could go skiing for most of the next 1 to 2 months, depending how long
the UK civil service take to sort out employing someone. Where would be
the best to go?

From the skiclub.co.uk overview it looks like argentina and chile have
far more snow than new zealand (100 250 cm in SA compared to 25 110
in NZ). I know nothing about southern hemiphere resorts. I cannot
speak anything but english.

I am in the UK ATM. I spent 2 months in the US last winter, and I
really enjoyed the more difficult bits of Heavenly and Mount Hood
Meadows. I have never gone out off bounds.

What is really important to me is quality of snow and price. Price is
important in that I may not be able to spend all the time available on
the slopes. I spent ~ 1700 USD on 2 months last winter all inclusive, I
would like to do it for something similar (I have pretty cheap tastes).

PerisherBlue.com.au is having a great year. Today all 50 lifts were
open