SOUTH AMERICA 2005 - PART 2

August 31st - Argentina, Take 2

The ooh's and aah's from Mike in the shower were enough to put anyone off. No, he had not pulled a Chilean stunner there just wasn't a drop of hot water. Everyone else decided that our best bet was to go unwashed!

The car packed we headed on the 60km journey down to the two insurance companies, Metlife and Magallanes, in Osorno. It was another nice morning and the views of the surrounding volcanoes were spectacular as they rose from the flat plains upto massive cones.

A quick stop to ask at a petrol station took us to the office of Metlife but they were unable to help but pointed us in the direction of Magallanes, just a few buildings down the road. Again the agent did not speak a word of English but using my phrase book and Mike's Spanish we were able to get an insurance document for 10 days cover in Argentina. Imagine our shock and disappointment in Alamo when the guy told us it would be under 20000 pesos, or in our money £20. A disgrace that all this hassle had been caused by £20.

At last we were on our way to Argentina, surely nothing could stop us? By early afternoon we were back to the Chilean control and without any problems we were in the 20 mile section of no mans land. The terrain for skiing in that area would be incredible but you only have a certain amount of time to get to the Argentinean control so no chance of a hike.

The Argentinean border control went without incident and we were at the box 100m after handing in our card saying how many people were in the car when we were sent back! We had missed customs!: Anyway, a 2 minute delay and we were finally, legally in Argentina. Hooray!!!

We headed down to La Angostura, a large town some 30km over the border. The first thing that struck me was how modern the town was. Looked much more upmarket considering that Argentina is in a financial mess. A much more alpine feel and like a mini version of Banff in my eyes.

To maximise our time on snow we felt that we would head south to Esquel(the furthest south of the resorts we could visit) but on the way we took a look up the road to Cerro Bayo, a small resort just 10km from La Angostura. The car-park was full and we decided not to stop. We may be back for a proper look we all agreed so we headed on.

The drive south was long and boring with the 60km to San Carlos de Bariloche seeming to take hours. Bariloche looked like a tip to be honest. South from there was flat and straight and reminded each of us of drives in the US. For me it was very similar to the long journey between Salt Lake City and Steamboat.

Eventually we got back into the hills and as it was still light we had plenty chance to pick our cabanas in Esquel. With the exchange rate at over 5 pesos to the £ we could afford to pick the best and we decided upon the Las Retamas cabanas. A two storey cabin we had a bedroom upstairs with 4 bunk beds for Matt, Mike and I and a bedroom and living area downstairs. Great value.

We watched a bit of TV and had our nightly nibbles and wine before Mike, Matt and I headed into town for some dinner. George, at almost 60 is not a fan of late meals and decided to head to bed in preparation for a day on the slopes tomorrow.

Wondering around town we were a little surprised at how quiet it was as Mike had said that its after 10pm before the Argentines eat. It was then the Matt noticed a clock, we had forgotten that the border has a time change. It was actually 11.30pm.

We found a pizza restaurant still open and settled down to a huge pizza each and Matt had some pasta. Washed down with a litre bottle of Quilmes beer we could not finish the pizza for love nor money. It was well after one before we headed back to the ranch and we were all really looking forward to our first days skiing in Argentina and Mike to his first at La Hoya.

September 1st - One of the best....

The resort of La Hoya is just a few km from our cosy cabin in Esquel and it was a relief for us all that we did not have to pack up the car as we were staying for another night.

My glove that had been forced to travel outside the car due to an incredibly pungent smell yesterday had been washed with shower gel and was now dried and ready for another day on the slopes. Everyone could breathe easily again!

We had little information on La Hoya other than from the snowboarding mag that I had borrowed from cloggies which suggested 370 acres and 500m vertical. Hardly a giant...

Due to the exchange rate(over 5 pesos to the £) living and skiing was incredibly cheap in Argentina and a day ticket here coming in at a ridiculously cheap £6. The base area had a collection of buildings including a bar and the 2 man chair took us up into the main bowl. We laughed at some of the attempts of others to get onto the lift. For some reason some of them were going up on the lift and carrying their skis. Bizarre!

From this point you can either take another 2 chairs to the highest point and use these chairs along with a cheeky poma to access all the more challenging terrain on offer or head to the right as you look up the mountain for the mellow stuff.

We headed up the chairs and for the 1st time on the trip I think we all found it extremely cold. There seemed to be a little bit of wind and although the skies were clear, the sun was still to fully come up. Once on the upper mountain the temperature seemed to rise and our 1st venture downhill showed the piste to be packed powder and some nice pow on the fringes.

After a few blasts with the guys Mike and I decided that it was time to venture into the endless off piste terrain that most, if not all others seemed to be ignoring. First off was a couple of traverses from the top of the poma and through the expert only gates. The rurns in the upper part of this bowl were superb and despite it having been a few days since fresh snow had fallen the conditions remained powdery and untracked.

An easy hike above the upper chair gave us access to a short section above the poma that had boot deep powder waiting to be spanked so up we went. Walking about 20m behind Mike the walk was easy as underfoot was a mix of rocks and solid, wind blown snow. Or so I thought when with no warning my right leg went right through. My leg completely disappeared up to my balls. Once out I took a photo looking into the hole and it was obvious that this was a gap between snow and the face of a large boulder.

Mike would make the 1st turns and once in position would get some action shots of my short decent. He would give the signal and once set I would signal to him that I was ready. 5 turns and I was down and looking back up with Mike and a piste patroller who had jokingly said to Mike that we were in trouble. The patroller spoke good English and we were able to find out that if we wanted to go above the top chairlift we needed permission from the patroller in the top hut.

A few more runs and we headed to the Confiteria El Refugia for some lunch and a bottle of wine. George and Matt eventually joined us after heading to the wrong cafe and we were quickly refreshed and ready for another long afternoon.

We had decided that we wanted to hike above the chair and head way out to the right as you look from mid-mountain so we knocked on the door at piste patrol and got the permission. A short steep section gives way to an easy uphill climb to the summit and we kept going past this to the area we had chosen for our decent. Matt and George had been able to follow our walk and were in position to take some photos of our decent. I have to admit that I was somewhat nervous as I stood at the top as although not a technical entry onto the face I knew that one mistake and I could be on the rocks. The upper section was slightly firm but midway down gave way to light fluff and in typical Q style 'rocks'. A quick stop and I was on my way again. Excellent and I was able to relax and watch Mike make his turns.

A few more hikes and we put in some pretty impressive turns and barring 3 boarders and one skier we were the only folk hitting the ridge. Mike put in a particularly impressive run on the most gnarly section of the ridge although I am sure that his short womens skis helped him!

My final run of the day was a blast from the top of the chair right down to the base. A long run and most people took the chair down. Only later did we find out that snow conditions this year are so good that this descent was possible as a lady we met later in the trip told us that she had been to La Hoya the previous 5 years and never had snow down to the day lodge.Mike believes that the resort the lady spoke of is Cerro Bayo but IMO it was his favorite resort that she questioned the snow record of. Is La Hoya the Whistler of Argentina?

We finished the day with a beer in the day lodge and felt that we may be back again tomorrow. The snow was superb, the acreage was way more than the advertised and there were so many lines, including one that would have taken us out down onto the access road, still to be had. There is no way that this resort should be seen as a 370 acre resort, it skis massively more than that.

Back to the ranch, but would we be back to La Hoya?

September 2nd - Is this the way to Perito Moreno?

We had discussed potential plans the previous night and when we awoke to grey skies and poor visibility up on the hill we decided that the benefits of moving on outweighed those of staying. Disappointed to be moving on as this was a top mountain it was tempered, in my eyes anyway, that out next stop on the tour was Perito Moreno an almost unheard of resort 1 1/2 hours north from Esquel beside the town of El Bolson. Resorts like these are what its all about for me.

Turning off the main road at the sign for Perito Moreno, we were surprised that there actually was one, we were met by the usual dirt track and none of us were particularly sure where the resort was. Eventually after the normal run in with cows, x-roads with no signs to the resort, horses and carts we arrived at a deserted car park. A film crew were the only other visitors and we were surprised when we climbed the pretty forest steps to the day lodge that it was open for business.

I was desperate to ski although the others were not so keen. Conditions would not be good, but I had come a long way and always regret not skiing resorts and wanted a go. Mike eventually agreed he would ski with me although he clearly was not keen and I could sense his relief when we found out that the resort only opens on a Saturday and Sunday.

A decent burger and the best fries of the trip and we were back on our way. The film crew as it happens were doing an interview regarding the history of the resort. Mike and I were both interested to see two foundations for a new lift and that the line had been cut. Perhaps a new t-bar or chair but the question still remains as to how long the foundations had been in and when the lift would be finished. Have a look at the trail map on the link and you will see that to get to the main t-bar is an expedition in itself on meat hook type lifts. This new lift would surely improve things.

Next visit I think I would plan a day here during the weekend on a journey to or from Esquel.

We headed from Perito Moreno on the couple of hours drive north to La Angostura where we would stay for a night before a day at Cerro Bayo.

It was again daylight when we arrived in La Angostura so we took a drive about and the best cabanas on offer appeared to be the Blue West between the ski resort and the town. Sounded more like a porno than a cabin!

After our normal snacks and wine George and Matt were not particularly hungry so Mike and I headed into town for a little bit to eat. We wondered around for 15mins before deciding on the only busy restaurant.

We decided to go with empanadas to start and then a Parrilla, that consists of steak, ribs, chicken and sausages cooked over an open BBQ. The heaped plate was far too much for us to finish and we needed our bottle of wine to wash it down. For 2 courses, a bottle of wine and 2 coffees we were the equivalent of £4 each. Beat that in a town near a ski resort!

The Blue West certainly delivered with a particularly fit young blonde with incredible bazoombas featuring on the 'nightly entertainment' on TV.

September 3rd - The Twins

We were up early on Saturday morning as we wanted a good parking spot in the small lot at Cerro Bayo that had been full during the week when we passed through. We did not know an awful lot about the resort but going by cloggies mag we reckoned it would be similar to La Hoya where we had a superb day midweek. 500 acres and 732m of vertical should be more than enough entertainment.

First on the agenda was a trip for milk and to find a laundry for Mike's clothes, some of which had walked downtown themselves, and on the way down we passed twins waiting for the bus up to the mountain. After sorting out our jobs in town we headed back to the ranch for a spot of breakfast and unsurprisingly enough the twins were long gone. We joked and agreed that good looking twins would have no problem getting a ride, whether uphill or otherwise....

It was pretty miserable as we arrived at the base area with spots of drizzle although we were quietly surprised to see only a handful of cars. Was this an indication that conditions on the mountain had kept the locals away?

We got our tickets and walked onto the piste to get our skis on. A group of Canadians in front of us caught the eye and in particular a tall blonde looked as though she had a lot of natural ability.

The 3m downhill section to the chair was interesting to say the least. Just about wide enough for skis or a board it was flanked by a 4ft drop into a burn that ran underneath. I had visions of George dropping into the water but luckily he managed to stay on his feet. For now!

By the time we were midway up the 1st chair we were above the freezing point and the drizzle was slightly whiter in variety.

Once off the Principal chair we headed for the Lenga chair that serves most of the upper mountain and also the more advanced terrain. Plenty of powder to be had but for first run of the day and with George struggling in the visibility we headed down to the aptly named Panoramica run that surely must have amazing views of the Lago Nahuel Huapi but for us seeing your feet was as good as it got in the thick fog.

George and Matt went to the bottom but Mike and I bailed out and got the chair of the same name back up and then down to Mike's favorite chair in South America. The single man chair gave him peace and quiet from me speaking rubbish but I think the real reason he liked it is that when I looked round at him he looked like a kid in a high chair! Anyway between the 3 chairs we were able to keep away from the base for most of the day.

Our runs of choice during the day were dropping lines into the open bowl of the Canadon and along the ridgeline of the Provinciales. It was on one of our journeys up the upper lift that we saw arguably the funniest moment of the trip. Mike and I spotted Matt standing in the middle of the piste in his usual pose, standing hunched over his ski-poles. Looking for George we finally spotted that he had stopped at the other side of a section of fencing with a gap of maybe 1-2m to take him back into the same downhill section that Matt was standing in.

Just his side of the fencing a guy had fallen and was taking his time getting himself back on his feet but I think we could all sense that George's impatience was getting the better of him and we could see exactly what was going to happen. So, with no surprise off George set to skirt past the guy and through the fence and we just knew he would fall. So when he went past the obstacle and fell Mike and I were in absolute stitches and shouting abuse at him. Matt was also following and chortling away to himself while getting the camera out for the snap. Clearly annoyed with himself, and he said at us for our ridicule from the chair, his defiant ski lifted above his head and waved furiously like a football players fist after scoring reminded Mike of the scene from The Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston does the same with his rifle when he sees the Statue of Liberty. Sorry, I just cannot do it justice.

Anyway, back to the skiing and Mike and I decided that the long, black, off-piste run down the Provinciales looked interesting and would take us out at the base area. Off we set and the skiing did not disappoint with fresh turns all the way but it was impossible to see where the hell the actual run went through the trees so we headed into the trees in the hope that we would find our way down. Down we went, straight into a ravine with a nice burn and climb up the other side. After a lot of effort we were back on track and my new ski poles that I was told were unbreakable certainly proved to be as I battered the mountain in disgust as I hauled myself uphill.

Agreeing to stay out of the jungle we headed for a nice lunch at the Balcon del Bayo. The resort had a real alpine feel to it with a couple of on-mountain places to eat and drink. Spotting some chocolate cake the decision was made that we would sample some later. We spent the afternoon back in the bowl and other than the group of Canadians had it to ourselves. Hiking above the lift gave great vertical and snow for limited effort and for brief spells the clouds lifted enough to see down to the lake. Stunning.

One of the Canadian telemarkers skied one of the gnarliest lines I have seen. It looked for a long time as though he was landing himself in trouble as there simply did not look like there was any lines. Jump turn and stop a few times and he was down to the appreciation of those watching. Like a mountain goat on some of those ridges. Daft in my opinion and not for fun.

We headed down to the base lodge and grabbed a beer and Mike and I had the chocolate cake to celebrate another great powder day. The Canadian blonde had her helmet and gear off and looked mighty fine but I had to make do with looking across the table at Mike and George. Mike reckoned that only one thing could have improved the eating of the cake....

As we packed up the rain started pissing down and this would later make up or minds as to the plan for the days ahead. Mike spoke to a Canadian guy and could not believe his claims that they had missed out Caviahue as it was not technical enough. More on this later....

Back to the ranch for our nightly movies, wine and snacks it was nearer 10pm before Mike, Matt and I headed down to the same restaurant for our dinner. Back to the empanadas and lomo washed down with a nice bottle of red wine and coffee. £3.50 each! Would the rain turn to snow was the question as we hit the sack....

September 4th - No room at the inn

The decision was made that due to the rain, and unsure how far up the mountain the rain line would spread at Cerro Bayo we made up our minds that next on the tour would be a day at Chapelco. The almost daily routine of packing up our 4x4 was now a fine art and we were soon on our way to Chapelco. The route we were taking was a 'green' on my map for 30 km to Pichi Traful that by now we knew it would be a bumpy dirt road. Then another 50km perhaps.

The scenery between La Angostura and Chapelco was very very nice and it appeared that we were one of only two cars that had driven the road that day. Some parts were icy to say the least and my rough 'thumb = 30km' again proved to be a little out and it was midmorning before we eventually rolled into the resort.

The first thing that pokes you in the eye compared to most other Chilean or Argentine resorts south of Santiago is that it is modern, large and being a Sunday, quite busy. Quite a large collection of bars and other resort buildings alongside the bottom terminal of the gondola.

Like most people I dislike queuing and generally as a fairly decent skier I tend to head to more advanced terrain which in my experience tends to have less queues. Anyway, we bought our day tickets and joined the queue for the gondola and my patience was already wearing a little thin. One of these stupid cards that you slot into the machine and if accepted through you go. Now, I don't normally mind this but to queue for 10 minutes due to the fact that there was only one of the machines operating is beyond a joke. Due to the nature of skiing, boarding and gondolas combined there were only about 1 in 4 gondolas going up with people in them as people waited for friends and family. The queue would not have been there and I would have been in a better mood had they had a decent system in place. Ridiculous.

Away we went and we could see fresh tracks in what looked like about 3 inch of fresh on the lower slopes. Excellent, but my improved mood would last all of 5 minutes. On reaching mid-mountain we made the decision as Mike had been here before to head to the 4 man chair to access the upper slopes which Mike reckoned would be quiet.

Patience already thin, it was about to snap. We joined a throng of people waiting for the chair. One of these stupid queues where not one liftie organises anything, 4 people organise themselves into 4's but then the queue is like 3 lanes of 4 trying to get into one lane. Mayhem, and when some kind sole decided to dance over my skis, which do not scratch, I had had enough and slid them from underneath the board or ski behind me, raised them 6 inches off the ground before dropping them onto the clambering idiot behind me.

The reason for this carnage could again have been avoided. I just don't get the need to have the scanning turnstile machines at lifts quite so far up mountains but to add to this folly there were only 3 gates for a 4 man lift. What a pile of utter rubbish. No other words for it.

Funnily enough once away from that point I only queued for a lift twice and even then it was only for a minute or two.

Mike and I spent most of the day skiing laps on the chair to the Cerro Teta and the t-bar and short poma on the left of the mountain as you look at the map. There were lots of untracked lines and on one such venture down the Cornisa trail Mike, who was skiing ahead of me ground sharply to a halt and shouted to stop. No wonder it was called Cornisa as the trail dropped over one! Skirting around the cornice we realised just how big a drop it was. Perhaps 30ft if not more and anyone dropping off of that would have been very lucky to come up walking particularly at the pace we were traveling.

We headed into the Confiteria del Puma for a spot of lunch. Mike, George and I went with the daily special of Chinese Chicken. Clearly the chicken was still alive when ordered as it seemed to take ages to arrive and was just about worth the wait. A little bland!

After lunch we were waiting for the short poma lift that takes you back towards the Cerro Teta when we spotted one of our favorite lifties. Young, fit and did not muck about with boarders that can't handle pomas. It was bizarre that having never seen a pair of skis like Mike's anywhere on the planet, either on mountain or the internet, that the liftie had the same range! Was this a 'sign' of blossoming love, good taste or that they are indeed womens skis Mike?!

My confidence goes as soon as we enter the jungle but Mike was determined that we should give it a go. During our first effort just a little off the piste I passed Mike who had stopped for a breather and I skied out and waited patiently at the bottom of the 4 man. Waited and waited and eventually decided that I would head up the chair and take a look down to where I had last seen him incase something serious had happened. I was relieved to see no sign of him and spent that last hour of the day before our 4.30 meet at the car doing a few runs off the chair. The run to the base was long but up top the visibility was down to feet and lower down the snow was pretty wet. The jury for me still remains out on Chapelco. Compared to other resorts on the tour I just did not get the feel for the resort.

At 4.30 Matt and I saw Mike striding over and he explained that he had skied too far out through the trees and landed up in the terrain park. Perhaps signs that Mike really is a boarder at heart?

We decided to head north to Caviahue as this is out of the way and was the furthest north we would head in Argentina but we knew that to return to Chile we would have to head south again anyway and doing this would give us a run of days on the snow. Other resorts up that direction are Cerro Batea Mahuida and the almost unknown Cerro Waile but they offer very limited terrain and we could not find out if they would be open.

The 80's music lightened the journey a little and it was dark long before we rolled into Caviahue and headed to the Nevado hotel where Mike had stayed last winter. To our surprise, everywhere else in the trip was deserted and Mike was the only guest here last winter, we were told that the hotel was full and after a few calls by the guy on reception that all 800 beds in Caviahue were taken. What the hell was going on and where were we going to go? We were in the middle of nowhere and we needed somewhere to sleep but the guy did us proud really and eventually found us a room with 3 sets of bunk beds in a strange place. It was like a hostel I guess for local workers but I am not sure.

Mike and George were quite happy to book for two nights but after a bit of a strop from me(I am a light sleeper to put it mildly) we agreed that we would take it for one night and see how we get on.

The snow was banked up at the roadside and Mike told us that last winter there was no snow at all in the village. Dinner was across the road at Raices restaurant, a very nice timber building with amazing food. It was the first time we had had food that you would expect in a posh restaurant in the UK with our lamb piled with potatoes and veg in a perfect circle with sauce drizzled around the edge. George remarked that it was too posh for him! We finished off with coffee and a brandy and although a lot more expensive than other meals in Argentina the lamb was simply to die for.

Back to the room, my fears were confirmed as the guys talking over a beer in the reception seemed to go on for hours before finally I got peace and quiet.

September 5th - The Great Monkey Puzzle, can you have too much snow??

With 4 to a cell it was hardly surprising that we were up and about early on the Monday morning for our first day at Caviahue. Mike had skied here last winter and was a massive fan and with so much snow we felt that we could be in for a real treat.

As part of our nightly rate at Her Majesties pleasure we had a breakfast included. Coffee and toasted bread with jam set us up for the day ahead and after checking out the womens tennis at the US Open 2005 we were packed up and ready to rock.

Its just a couple of minutes from the town to the resort and we pulled into a quiet parking lot wondering where all these hotel guests were.

There were a couple of people queuing in front of us and one lady from Argentina, whos father was English, who was here with a group of kids. Although Mike disagrees, she said that we had been lucky to ski all the way to the base at La Hoya. Mike believes she was in fact talking about Cerro Bayo. Anyway, the queue seemed to take forever and during this time we found that only the bottom 2 lifts were running due to the others being buried in snow. It was also funny to see why things were taking so long. The guy behind the counter was getting the tickets and then for a some bizarre reason writing each persons first name on the ticket!

Anyway, he almost understood the Welshman but had not a clue what we were saying. Probably sensing that he was wasting his time he made up the names Jesus, Christ and Annabel. I've always seen myself as an Annabel so off we toddled to the lifts!

The two main lifts from the base start and end at fairly similar points on the mountain. Above those lifts take you to Co. Mesa and eventually other lifts will be added to take you to a point very close to the top of the volcano. By the time we were half way up the 2 man chair Mike and I were absolutely frozen. Strange that it was so cold in the wind yet so damp with freezing rain battering against us. The top 2 towers had been completely dug out with the bank of snow to the right completely dwarfing the lift. Stuff you normally only see in magazines.

By the time we were at the top piste patrol were out and giving us the signal that the chair would almost certainly be closing. Had a chuckle to myself that we were paying full $ for a day on a mountain which was only 1/3 open and was now closing the main chair before 10am! Mountains need to give themselves a shake. Nobody should be paying full whack for a day pass if the entire mountain is not open. Poor, and it happens at many places around the globe.

We skied down through a little powder and had a look down to the base to see if the mountain was closing completely. Luckily, well maybe, the other chair takes you to a slightly lower point and it was still running and we had a few runs up and down through the monkey puzzle trees. The problem we were having was that the lower mountain is relatively flat and it was impossible to gain speed in the sticky snow both on and off piste. The knock on effect was that we were unable to gain any heat during our descents and simply got colder and colder and colder on the chair. By 11am I was freezing and was glad that Mike suggested getting our skis waxed to see if that would help. If nothing else I could get some heat up in the rental shop.

Mike had met the guy from the shop last year and he got one of the guys to do our skis while we had a blether about the skiing.

Unfortunately the wax made no difference at all and after meeting up again with George and Matt we decided that due to a large drive, the cold and sticky snow conditions it would be better to head off and get to our next location as early as possible.

We decided to head back across the border at the point between Las Lajas and Lonquimay and had worked out that it would take about 2 hours to clear the border.

It was quite funny when we pulled into the Argentine check point and a guy in a 'normal' car was putting on snow chains. The road was completely black and it certainly seemed to be bizarre to say the least. We gathered our documents and got our passport stamped, handed over car documents and were asked "forty four?" Mike, not being far off and George well past it were the only candidates but after a bit of pointing and asking we found out they were asking if we had a 4x4. He nodded as we replied yes and after a short wait we were on our way.

The guy with the chains was off ahead of us and after a few miles he stopped and seemed to be thinking to himself that the effort putting them on had been a waste. We passed him and laughed when we turned a few corners to be met by snow, wind, drifts and all sorts. Lorries were stopped everywhere and visibility was down to zero. Anyone who has been on the Scottish mountains or roads during a white out will appreciate just how bad this was. Snow piled up I guess around 15-20 feet at the road sides and at one stage the road became single track and it really was just a matter of steering the car and hoping.

Eventually we were out of the worst and laughed at the thought of the poor guy taking off his chains and then having to put them on again 2 minutes later.

We reached the Chilean check point and they had closed the link due to the conditions. We were lucky to get through. The Chilean guards wanted to inspect our cases which was a complete and utter waste of time. If I were to carry drugs I would not have them in my case yet they did not bother looking in our boot bags. Even George laughed once we were on our way that he had smuggled coke in his boots.

Suddenly we were through the tunnel and in Malalcahuello again. It did not take much thinking between us that having spent a few days here waiting for the weather before that we were better off heading north to Termas knowing that we would get more chance of skiing tomorrow.

The long journey north along a road we knew soon passed as we listened to the mix of 80's music and we knew that we were heading back to the same cabanas as before. It was surprising when we arrived that the car park and roads that had no snow at all two weeks before were now banked with 1-2ft of snow.

After getting our cabanas sorted and the car up the drive we pretty much dumped the gear and headed to the restaurant in the complex. Mike went with the salmon but the rest of went with the lomo. Nice, but no patch on Pancho!

A pudding and coffee set us up well for the night and we had the place to ourselves other than a group touring SA. A Scot, couple of English people as well as a few Canadians.

A quick check of the HBO channel and off to bed before another day at Termas.

September 6th - Quebec Freestylers

Back at Termas de Chillan, where we spent two excellent days at the beginning of our trip, and judging by the amount of snow at Las Trancas we were expecting a good days skiing.

Our daily quiz to guess the number of cars could not have prepared us for our arrival in the car park with about 2 other cars. One of the biggest mountains on the globe and barely a sole here to ski or board it.

We knew the mountain pretty well and decided to head to the upper t-bar and we were surprised when we got there to find that it was not running. Totally buried under snow and despite offering what would have been the best conditions on the mountain the resort could not be bothered digging it out. Lazy, no question about it.

This closure had a knock on effect in that all the ski race teams from Canada, Andorra, Spain et al were all forced onto the lower mountain and at one stage I remarked to Mike "Where the hell are we supposed to ski?" to which there could be little answer other than at the edge of the pistes and off-piste.

Another group had appeared on the mountain since our last visit. The Quebec Freestyle Ski Team were out on a training camp and spent part of their time on piste perfecting their technique for moguls. At one stage they ripped off-piste and were launching one of the bigger cornices. Impressive and a few of them were very pretty.

A few more laps and we went back for a spot of lunch and it was then that I spotted one of the Quebec girlies. A lovely blonde, tanned skin and clearly a big fan of me. She must have seen me skiing!

One of our other favorites was a tall, thin and quite possibly young blonde Canadian ski racer. She was fresh faced and I often wondered if the predominantly male Canadian team would be using all their magic to get into her good books? Perhaps they would not have to try to hard.

Anyway, we had an excellent lunch and skied all afternoon under the nice sunny skies before heading into the lodge for a quick beer. On our way home we headed down to our local shop for supplies for the evening and breakfast. It was funny to see a couple of Canadian guys(16-18) buying a few litre bottles of beer and ignoring Mike's quip "Training hard guys?"

We settled down in front of the TV for the night with our snacks and wine. All showered but offering to doze a little we had a call at around 9.40pm . Mike answered and somehow managed to work out that our local restaurant were asking us if we wanted to dine there for the evening. Grabbing our shoes we were quickly tucking into our meal washed down with a quality bottle of red wine. The red wine in Chile and Argentina was on the whole superb for the cost.

September 7th - Off-piste, the Juan way

We had decided that due to the freeze thaw cycle and lack of customers that getting to the mountain early was pointless so we had a an extra half hour in bed before breakfast.

A few warm up runs on the fringes before Mike and I decided to test the off-piste conditions around the Tres Marias. The upper section was very hard but was worth it as the mid section was like a hot knife through butter and after a few small bowls and cornices we found a great section of untracked wet powder.

Unfortunately this run eventually landed in a pinch point with a small river and two steep sides upto ridges. Following Mike, who had managed to cross the river I landed in his trail standing 4ft up on a ledge looking down on the river knowing that one slip and I would be arse over tit and in the drink. This did not appeal and as someone who is a little scared of heights while climbing ridges in Scotland I was struggling. To make matters worse, I could hear voices in my head!

Every time I tried to get down all I could hear was a voice and eventually I saw behind me and coming through the trees what appeared to be a piste patroller. Shite, were in trouble here I thought. With a little work I was down and waiting to get my skis across. Once across we were climbing and it was easy enough following Mike and Juan's tracks but once back in the skis it was bloody hard work. Sweating and knackered trying to slide in thick trees, shrubs and bamboo shoots it was hard trying to avoid catching an edge and once or twice I landed on my arse with the poles taking an absolute battering in disgust.

Eventually Juan and Mike got down and I could see through the trees Mike walking over the next river. It turns out that this river has a 12" wide wall all the way across that acted as a ford with an inch of water flowing over the top. Although knackered I laughed as Juan, still in his decent skis, decided that rather than unclip his skis and walk he would wade across the 5m wide section with his skis still on. Over he went and his bases must have been absolutely scratched to pieces. Once I was finally over I felt sure that we would be losing our passes but as Mike later said, although we had taken a wrong turn we were prepared and on the right way to get out. Juan said no problem, and even when Mike asked if he fancied a beer for 'saving' us he declined and off he went. As Mike correctly says, its probably about the most exciting thing he's done all winter!

We went back to meet George and Matt at the lodge for a spot of lunch and were open mouthed and dribbling, and for a change it was not caused by food, when a young lady stripped off her black jacket to reveal a tight white top, no bra and clearly sweating a little. Mam, if that was you contact me by PM. WOW!!!!!!!

The Quebec guys were doing moguls just above the lodge and at one point they were doing the moguls before hitting a jump at the bottom and doing a combination of crazy somersaults. Not for me, but very impressive and yet another example of skiers doing things that boarders just cannot handle!

A few more runs and Mike and I decided to go to the really slow Don Otto lift and try to access the untracked area that takes you round the side of the mountain and down to the old thermal baths.

We hiked up from the lift and after getting our transceivers on we launched into a long wide open face. The snow was deep and wet and I was really not enjoying it much. Confidence and technique were letting me down. As Mike says, you need to be patient in the turn and I tend to crank it a little quickly and the knock on effect is that I get into the back seat and from there its impossible to ski well. Work to do next winter if I see deep wet snow.....

Once down near the baths the smell of sulphur was disgusting and I don't really fancy gambling on their therapeutic properties.

Over the last couple of days we had discussed plans of action. The best skiing was without question up at Valle Nevado and Portillo but it would mean missing a day. Our other option was to go to Chapa Verde for a day on the way up to Santiago. I felt, and the decision was made, that I did not really fancy traveling beyond Santiago in this trip for a days skiing. Likewise Mike felt that Chapa Verde may be problematic as you can only take a car to resort with their permission or catch a bus from the nearest town. We would have struggled to get there early enough to get the bus and we decided to see it out at Termas. This would give us maximum time on the slopes and Mike a break from constant long drives.

Our usual evening in front of the TV followed and we were all struggling to stay awake and as there was no invite back to the restaurant we all hit our sacks at various stages knowing that tomorrow would be our final days skiing of the trip before the long journey home to the UK would begin.

September 8th - Last Ski Day of 2005??

Although this was to be our last days skiing of the trip we would be staying overnight in Las Trancas and therefore we were in no rush to pack and with the knowledge that the early morning conditions would be lethal time was on our side.

Once up on the mountain we found that conditions were far from ideal and its fair to say that the conditions were the worst we had skied all trip. In many ways the ideal end would have been a powder day with us ripping up the off piste but you cant have everything.

Instead we were faced with concrete like conditions off-piste and it gave us an opportunity to ski as a group and work on technique. I was skiing like a beginner but by going back and concentrating on these techniques I should be able to use these in the future to help me in marginal conditions off piste. Once I crack that I will pretty damn happy.

George and Matt's skiing was coming on quite a bit although they still have skis from 4-5 years ago that are not shaped enough and are too long. It was good to see George skiing better than he had when I last skied with him in 2002. Mike and I both agreed that better technique and a new pair of skis before George and Matt rip up Utah pow this coming year would make such a difference to them and their overall enjoyment.

Later in the day Mike and I had a few ventures off piste with mixed success. Towards the Tres Marias the skiing was pretty good although sticky in the sun down low and the main 'gorge' to the bottom was tricky with tons of heavy avalanche debris making it very difficult with tired legs to turn.

My chosen line for one of our final runs of the day was a disaster! Off to the right of the main chair was total cement off piste and not much fun. Our final run of the day was a blast from the top. Cranking wide turns was a perfect end to a pretty damn good holiday.

A final beer in the lodge and it was back down to the cabanas for a shower and to pack the majority of our gear away before we head to Santiago tomorrow. A night in front of the TV followed by a meal at our cabanas restaurant was a nice end to the skiing. Where had the time went?

September 9th - The Blackout

We were all up and ready to go by 8am for the long drive between Las Trancas and Santiago. Mike and I had guessed that we could get to the Alamo desk at the airport by 1pm after dropping our gear at the Marriot. Our map of Santiago did not go far enough out from the city centre and signs, as already mentioned in Chile are not altogether helpful. The city was at standstill and at one stage we saw what appeared to be riot police and protesters. Eventually we hit the Marriot to be told that there were no rooms so we made the decision to head back to the airport to drop off the car and then goto the airport information desk and get them to find a hotel.

The The Diego de Almagro hotel was less than 10 minutes from the airport and as part of the deal you get transport along with bed and breakfast at the hotel. We arrived at the hotel, checked in and got the TV on just in time to see the lovely Maria Sharapova and my personal favorite, Elena Dementieva, play in the semifinal of the US Open. Gutted that the 2 Russian babes had lost at the hands of Miss Piggy and Mary Pierce, Mike and I headed to the bar for snacks and a few pre-dinner drinks to drown our sorrows. And drown them we certainly did. The high tumblers were half filled with gin and the small bottles of ginger were far to big to pour into the glass in one go!

We had just ordered our Empanadas when the bar was plunged into darkness. Matt and George joined us and eventually our snacks arrived and what seemed like hours later the lights came on. It was a little disappointing as it had been quite relaxing sitting in the dark with only a few candles. The staff were all having a laugh and the gin certainly kept our spirits high.

We had a nice dinner with wine. Although my request for fries with my swordfish was ignored I really enjoyed the change from steak! The pancakes for my pudding, although nice, were not a patch on the ones we had all greatly enjoyed at El Rancho de Pancho. A few more gins and it was time to hit the sack.

It later turned out that the power cut may have been as a result of demonstrations in Santiago to mark the 32nd anniversary of the military coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet. During his reign of power between 1973-1990 over 3000 Chileans died. During the weekend 10000 police kept order and one demonstrator was killed by a stray bullet.

September 10th - The End

We were up at 8am and headed down for breakfast which included all the usual selection of hot and cold meats, cheeses, fruits and cereals. Packed the day before we were all pretty much ready to go and after saying our good-byes to Mike we caught the free bus to the airport and got ready for the 30 hour journey home to Aberdeen. A pretty uneventful journey home, although the 1st 6 hours of the flight was particularly bumpy. All our flights were on time and we arrived back in Aberdeen at around 4pm on Sunday 11th. Unfortunately, although we were home, none of our bags were with us. After filling in the forms for 8 lost bags we got our taxi home and by Wednesday we had received all our luggage.

An excellent holiday in which we traveled 5555km in 3 weeks, skied for 12 days at 6 resort in 2 countries and saw some of the most amazing scenery and sights that will live with me for the rest of my days. My skiing improved over the 3 weeks and I skied lines, bowls, steeps and cornices that has given me the confidence to try more in the future and trust my ability. There were so many laughs during the weeks and staying in places like the San Sebastian and skiing at some of the smaller, less well known resorts in South America meant that the overall objectives of the trip had been met.

Next up is my annual trip to the USA where it looks like I will be able to meet up with Mike for a spell in Colorado where we hope to take up the challenge of Silverton which offers guided only, lift accessed steeps. George and Matt head for their annual guided tour in February. This year it is two weeks in Salt Lake City and the obvious delights that that brings with it. South America 2006, well thats a long time away........

This article was written by Quintin Chalmers, a 30-year-old skier from Aberdeen in the north of
Scotland. Quintin has skied at over 50 North American resorts and is in the process of setting up
www.offthebeatenpath.co.uk designed to help like minded people find the best turns in some of the
more unusual resorts in western USA. He has over 20 years skiing experience and enjoys nothing
more than seeing new places that many people write off as being not worth the hassle.