South America 2026
- Thread starter ChrisC
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ChrisC
Well-known member
I cannot tell what is going on everywhere, but there was definitely a warm-up with realtively high snow levels.
It appears there were above-freezing temperatures both yesterday and today, but did everyone get some rain - at least at base? Definitely some compaction on all the webcams at Santiago resorts + Portillo.
Las Lenas has some of the most honest reporting, and will actually report rain/unfrozen precipitation, as well as temperatures across multiple locations and elevations.
Las Lenas
A bit of rain at base, but still accumulating lots of snow at summit. With continued snow, it could be an excellent year for experts.
Chile's Southern Resorts look bad.
You know when social media influencers do not post while in Nevados de Chillan and Corralco, things are bad. Looks rainy.
Pillan
I have been watching the same bare spot at its base remain uncovered for a month. Seems like game over for the season. Avoid.
Corralco
Has snow, but now 2-3 days of rain. Messy.
And Chillan looks a bit depressing.
Not sure if they have been open from the top. Hard to tell how much snow is even up high - upper lifts have been mostly closed.
It appears there were above-freezing temperatures both yesterday and today, but did everyone get some rain - at least at base? Definitely some compaction on all the webcams at Santiago resorts + Portillo.
Las Lenas has some of the most honest reporting, and will actually report rain/unfrozen precipitation, as well as temperatures across multiple locations and elevations.
Las Lenas
A bit of rain at base, but still accumulating lots of snow at summit. With continued snow, it could be an excellent year for experts.
| SECTOR | TEMPERATURE | WIND | ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| BASE | 8 (12:00 hs) °C | Calm km/h | - |
| BORA BORA | -4.5 °C | 30/40 km/h Ráf 70 km/h | ONO |
| CARIS | 2 °C | Calm km/h | - |
| NEPTUNE | 1 °C | 20 km/h | EITHER |
| VULCAN | 1 °C | 20/30 km/h | ONO |
| SNOW | TREAD | RAPID FALLS LAST 24 HOURS | VISIBILITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| BASE | 50 cm | - | Normal |
| INTERMEDIATE | 85 cm | - | Normal |
| SUMMIT | 2.5 m | 50 cm | Normal |
Chile's Southern Resorts look bad.
You know when social media influencers do not post while in Nevados de Chillan and Corralco, things are bad. Looks rainy.
- Luke Stone / Chillan - unpleasant to go out
- Peakrankings - said screw skiing, and climbed a nearby mountain instead.
Pillan
I have been watching the same bare spot at its base remain uncovered for a month. Seems like game over for the season. Avoid.
Corralco
Has snow, but now 2-3 days of rain. Messy.
And Chillan looks a bit depressing.
Not sure if they have been open from the top. Hard to tell how much snow is even up high - upper lifts have been mostly closed.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The Santiago Resorts and Las Lenas look worthwhile.
From the TGR thread, yes, it's Santiago rainfall, but it can approximate snowfall years. https://forums.tetongravity.com/hom...oard-discussion/11681667-ski-chile-2026/page9
First, the variability is huge. And second, recent decades have been very dry, with few years close to normal.
From the TGR thread, yes, it's Santiago rainfall, but it can approximate snowfall years. https://forums.tetongravity.com/hom...oard-discussion/11681667-ski-chile-2026/page9
First, the variability is huge. And second, recent decades have been very dry, with few years close to normal.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Long haul for you....However, Australian skiing looks grim, and NZ may be meh/mediocre unless more snow falls.
The lodging rates meaningfully decline in late August/September 1st (was cursory in looking at apartments at Las Lenas and the Farallones/Santiago resorts). I think you would like Valle Nevado/La Parva/El Colorado the best. Portillo could be done in a day trip (it honestly does not take too long to hit the highlights. The interesting part is messing around on the slingshot lifts and some of the chutes they service).
ChrisC
Well-known member
ChrisC
Well-known member
It looks like Valle Nevado is finally at 99-100% with connections to La Parva and El Colorado open.
El Colorado is near 100%.
La Parva got lazy and stopped updating snow reports. At 100% lift operation. They seem to now designate runs as primary and secondary. TGR boards said they stopped grooming secondary runs and focused maintenance (snow farming, wind prevention, grooming) on the primary runs.
I am sure any future storm recoveries will be much quicker. These resorts were starting from zero.
Curious if Las Lenas has opened Marte yet. IDK - they wanted to go 100% on the weekend, but it rained at base / snowed at summit.
El Colorado is near 100%.
La Parva got lazy and stopped updating snow reports. At 100% lift operation. They seem to now designate runs as primary and secondary. TGR boards said they stopped grooming secondary runs and focused maintenance (snow farming, wind prevention, grooming) on the primary runs.
I am sure any future storm recoveries will be much quicker. These resorts were starting from zero.
Curious if Las Lenas has opened Marte yet. IDK - they wanted to go 100% on the weekend, but it rained at base / snowed at summit.
snowbird surfer
Member
Long way off but open snow calling for a brief pause then another 60+ at Portillo. Temps trending colder too.
ChrisC
Well-known member
Portillo is digging out its road. August reopening?
Can they keep it open?
Can they keep it open?
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Storm cycle totals are 129 inches Vallée Nevado and 213 inches Portillo. The third party Las Lenas site is reporting similar base depths as July 19 so not very credible.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The website reports Las Lenas data for the last few years post Covid. (24 Hr Snow / Base for 3 locations.
Again, summit reports / Bora Bora are less frequent during storms for obvious reasons. But if Bora Bora is reporting a 2.5 Meter base, it's likely received 300-500 cm from most recent storms.
Powderquest guides will often provide periodic updates - not necessarily measurements, but a decent state of conditions.
Again, summit reports / Bora Bora are less frequent during storms for obvious reasons. But if Bora Bora is reporting a 2.5 Meter base, it's likely received 300-500 cm from most recent storms.
Powderquest guides will often provide periodic updates - not necessarily measurements, but a decent state of conditions.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
August 1st: Looks like the normally reliable and snowiest region of Southern Chile is having a below-average season. Therefore, likely a 'no-go' for Chile for me. I have visited the major ski areas (Portillo, 3 Valles/Santiago Resorts, Las Lenas, Bariloche) under excellent conditions, and no need to repeat. Only if I could add something new would it be worthwhile.
Do you really need to analyze this too much? It's about August 1st.....
Nevados de Chillán
Do you really need to analyze this too much? It's about August 1st.....
Nevados de Chillán
- Appears Chillan still has not opened its key lifts to the summit, or its core big vertical lift, Otto.
- LukeStone declined to post anything from Chillan; Peakrankings is only doing Stories with lackluster conditions at Corralco/Chillan. Almost zero reports overall from anyone.
- Corralco looks OK, but operations seem inconsistent, and there has been frequent rain.
- This rock/bare spot ORANGE has been featured for the entire ski season on its Live Cam. LOL What is wrong with its marketing team? Someone should adjust the camera. Appreciate the honest look.
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snowbird surfer
Member
What’s your go no go signal for Portillo? If the next storms come in cold? Something else?
ChrisC
Well-known member
The issue is not the snow. More structural.
Definitely go!
Portillo is an iconic and perhaps the most unique ski area in South America, with its setting in the rugged Andes, world-class athletes & ski teams, slingshot lifts, mostly sunny, stable weather, and a country club-like, uncrowded atmosphere.
But Portillo is about the size (likely smaller) of an A-Basin or Solitude. However, no one crosses continents to ski multiple days at either USA resort - only as part of a larger trip including Alta/Bird or Breck/Vail/Copper.
The fact that Portillo can motivate people to do the same speaks to the quality. But four lifetime days at Portillo over 2 trips is enough. Unless I am going to add something new to it, like Southern Chile. (I have been to Valle Nevado, etc, Las Lenas and Bariloche).
You might look at some reasons: why do I go to resorts like Andermatt, Courmayeur, and Engelberg? Because you can ski 5-6k vertical lines (larger than those in Alaska) at a fraction of the cost with decent snow/weather. All services by trams with slightly
more capacity than a helicopter.If Las Lenas were located 2 hours from a major city, with a secondary route to the summit (vs. Marte), that would be a highly repeatable trip.
Ski Resort Footprints
vs.
(It's somewhat sad and humorous that Portillo has received 600 cm / 240 inches of snow so far (likely on its way to the highest snowfall in a decade), and there has not been a single powder day yet, nor an operational day. It's heading into August without a confirmed opening? The best and worst of times......unfortunately. And anyone for a reservation this week thinking they hit the jackpot? No, closed.)
ChrisC
Well-known member
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snowbirdsurfer should absolutely look at Las Lenas. You get sterp sustained fall lines rare in lift served North America and more like the Alps.
The big caveat is that 3/4 of the terrain requires Marte open, an old double chair that is open about 40% of the time. Wind is the usual culprit but incompetent or lazy management plays a big role too.
The 2005 week with Extremely Canadian had one day with Marte. Adam and I both decided that we would want 2 weeks to raise the ods of getting multiple days with Marte, He returned in 2009 and I returned in 2015. You can easily find the TRs posted here searching for Las Lenas in the title. We are still waiting for the best TR that would feature some of the technical terrain above my pay grade from ChrisC in 2024.
The big caveat is that 3/4 of the terrain requires Marte open, an old double chair that is open about 40% of the time. Wind is the usual culprit but incompetent or lazy management plays a big role too.
The 2005 week with Extremely Canadian had one day with Marte. Adam and I both decided that we would want 2 weeks to raise the ods of getting multiple days with Marte, He returned in 2009 and I returned in 2015. You can easily find the TRs posted here searching for Las Lenas in the title. We are still waiting for the best TR that would feature some of the technical terrain above my pay grade from ChrisC in 2024.
snowbird surfer
Member
I’ve been looking. Looks like 23 hrs of travel from NYC. Seriously difficult over a 7 days ski week
.i have a flight into Santiago, but no lodging at Portillo. Not sure I could rally to make the drive to and from Los Andes daily. Looking into a driver.
Given that Portillo hasn’t opened operations I’m puzzled by their lack of availability. Do people go to eat and drink whether or not the lifts are running. I would think guests would get cold feet and mini week berths would open. Alas, it has not happened yet.
Las Lenas is 23 hours from anywhere. Nonetheless a skier of snowbirdsurfer’s caliber needs to make it happen in a good snow year. Adam says it’s on a completely different level from anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, and he has skied all 4 areas out of Santiago plus Southern Lakes areas in NZ. This it was the only place he was motivated to return.
Unlike Portillo I do not think it is difficult to find lodging in Las Lenas though its quality can be very marginal per Adam in 2009. The area where the young hard charging visitors stay in known as the “Gringo Ghetto.”
Unlike Portillo I do not think it is difficult to find lodging in Las Lenas though its quality can be very marginal per Adam in 2009. The area where the young hard charging visitors stay in known as the “Gringo Ghetto.”
snowbird surfer
Member
It’s all modeling; little relevance if it’s windy during storms, which is normal.
Portillo and Las Lenas both fall into the category of: “you’re there for the terrain not the powder.” It’s futile to chase powder from the opposite hemisphere. What you hope to get is smooth windbuff or corn.
This is all normal to me as Mammoth is my home mountain. The Alps are a little different in terms of sheltered areas above tree line preserving powder. That’s probably because there are higher peaks and ridges sheltering that powder from wind.
FWIW Soulskier says Las Lenas is windier than Mammoth, and even though I only skied one day at La Parva, wind effects (sastrugi, wide areas stripped of snow) were glaringly obvious.
Portillo and Las Lenas both fall into the category of: “you’re there for the terrain not the powder.” It’s futile to chase powder from the opposite hemisphere. What you hope to get is smooth windbuff or corn.
This is all normal to me as Mammoth is my home mountain. The Alps are a little different in terms of sheltered areas above tree line preserving powder. That’s probably because there are higher peaks and ridges sheltering that powder from wind.
FWIW Soulskier says Las Lenas is windier than Mammoth, and even though I only skied one day at La Parva, wind effects (sastrugi, wide areas stripped of snow) were glaringly obvious.
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