Back on June 28th, the Chilean ski season began. Valle Nevado was the first ski resort to open in Chile, while others opened shortly afterward.
After a slow start to the season, Chile is starting to receive some snowfall. They got a sizeable amount of snow last weekend, and a few mountains got some snow yesterday. Here’s a breakdown of how conditions currently are in Chile.
Centro De Ski Lagunillas: Run by the Andes Club, the ski area features 200 hectares of skiing, 13 trails, and night skiing.
Their ski season began on July 14th, but they closed after another day of operations on July 15th. They reopened on July 23rd thanks to fresh snowfall.
Corralco: Located on the Lonquimay Volcano, this under-the-radar ski resort is known for its monkey trees, views of the neighboring volcanoes, and backcountry terrain. It’s a far 435-mile trip from Santiago, so most international tourists that make the trip fly into Temuco, which is 75 miles away from the ski resort.
Coralco received over 80 centimeters (2.63 feet) of snowfall from a storm over the weekend. Due to this powder, Corralco has gotten most of its terrain open. In addition, they got 5 centimeters of new snow yesterday. The only lifts that they currently don’t have open are the Coloradito and Snowpark.
El Colorado: The historic El Colorado is well regarded for its beginner and intermediate pistes, terrain parks, and views of Santiago. It is located nearby La Parva and Valle Nevado ski resorts, which are referred to as Tres Valles (Three Valleys).
Most of the terrain at the Olympic Valley Zone and Zona Alta pods is open, but a good chunk of the terrain over at the Low Zone and Middle Area is currently closed.
La Parva: Located in the middle of the Three Valleys, features a multitude of terrain variety, ample lodging, and access to beautiful backcountry terrain. The ski resort has direct access to Valle Nevado and is located 45 miles away from Santiago.
Currently, ten of the twenty-two pistes are open, and eight of their thirteen lifts are operating. They also posted this video of a dog running in the snow, so that’s cool.
Nevados de Chillan: Located on three active volcanos, the ski resort features ample snowfall, a plentiful variety of easy and intermediate terrain, a thermal pool network, and an expansive backcountry network that’s been molded by the volcanoes.
After floods derailed the beginner of their winter, Nevados de Chillan has had a solid bounceback. They opened for the season on July 9th, and have slowly built out their trail and lift count. With 45 cm over the weekend, fifteen trails and ten lifts are open.
Pillan: While its in-bounds terrain is definitely smaller than other Chilean ski resorts, it has a pretty cool backdrop. Also referred to as Ski Pucon, it sits on the very active Villarrica Volcano, which has a multitude of fun backcountry terrain. New ownership has spent heavily on renovating the lifts and adding summer activities, which include go-carting on the slopes in the offseason.
The mountain was closed yesterday due to heavy snowfall, but it reopened today.
Portillo: Arguably the most well-known ski resort in South America is Portillo. This is because of the steep terrain, Laguna del Inca, and the Hotel Portillo.
So far this season, the ski resort has received 169 cm (66.54 inches) of snow. Currently, 86% of the lifts are open, with the only ones closed being Roca Jack and Juncalillo.
Valle Nevado: Valle Nevado has many strengths. With extensive on-site lodging, extensive on-piste, backcountry, and heli-skiing terrain, along with a modern lift network, it’s a must visit for die-hard skiers and riders.
Located ninety minutes away from Santiago, it’s convenient for tourists to come visit. With Mountain Capital Partners buying a majority stake in the ski resort this year, many investments are on the horizon.
So far this season, they’ve received 120 cm (nearly four feet) of snow. The mountain has the majority of its terrain open, and most of its lift operating. The Mirador and Carrusel lifts are currently the only ones that are not operating.
For more information about the ski resorts in Chile, check out Powder Quest and Powderhounds. For powder forecasts, keep an eye on PowderChasers.
Image/Video Credits: Ski Portillo (Featured & Header Image), Centro de Ski Lagunillas, Corralco, El Colorado, La Parva, Nevados De Chillan, Centro de Montaña Pillán, Valle Nevado
