I Went: Skiing in the Andes (Finally)

The title is a give-away. The experience was not what I expected. I survived to tell the tale. Here goes:

On Monday, we finally strapped on some fiberglass, pulled on those torturous boots, and swaddled ourselves in fluffy parkas and waterproof pants. Indeed- we finally went skiing in the Andes. When you come to South America just in time for winter and especially if you decide to settle just a stone's throw from the Andes in cozy Mendoza, you would think that a ski trip is more or less compulsory. After all, the Andes Mountains boast some world-class skiing. Portillo, just a few kilometers across the border in Chile, is the official "summer" Olympic training grounds for ski racers from the northern hemisphere. Bariloche, south of Mendoza, is world-renowned for its towering peaks. And Las Lenas is one of the largest resorts in the whole southern hemisphere. Unless you are a "lodge bunny," skiing in the Andes is a dream come true.

Unfortunately, not all dreams come true exactly as you imagined. Last season (2009) was one of the best on record in South America. The resorts were positively dumped on for 3 full months, and many an extreme skiing video was filmed in the area. However, as is so often the case, a fantastic season is often followed by a drought of sorts. Alas, 2010 turned out to be one of the WORST seasons on record. One well-known resort near Mendoza, Penitentes, never even managed to open this season. The Andes remain stubbornly brown, only their uppermost peaks graced with a light dusting of snow. In addition, the Zonda wind (see my previous entries for a fuller explanation of this freak meteorological phenomenon) has been particularly brutal this season, routinely closing down ski lifts and summit runs for days at a time. So, despite all my longing to scurry off to the mountains all winter, the Andes didn't put on much of a show for me.

However, after my friend Lele wrote me from India to say: "I hope you've gone skiing," I felt it was time to take the chance, spend the money, and get myself to the slopes before this once in a lifetime (I hope not, but let's be realistic) opportunity irrevocably passed me by.

While a normal season would yield plenty of options for skiing in mid-August, the dismal 2010 season forced us to chase the snow. In addition, the trek was complicated by our tight and constantly conflicting work schedules. The result being that we had only one day (36 hours) to get to a resort (with snow), ski, and get back to Mendoza in time for my 8am class on Tuesday. Apparently, this is not normal judging by the reaction of locals, who grimace in mock horror (or maybe real?) and say something along the lines of: "no no not for me" or "I guess you're young."

Nonetheless, we went for it. We rented skis, boots, parkas and other assorted necessities. We packed food for three meals. We pulled our turtlenecks and buffs out of the bottom drawer, where they were resting peacefully after a loooong winter. We bought two bus tickets, and we spent a lot of money. We were off to Las Lenas, rumored to have decent snow and within ten hours drive time from Mendoza.

Here is a brief recap of our day:

4pm-12am Pat works his Sunday shift at the hostel.
1am To the terminal with 80 pounds of gear (slight exaggeration, but not much)
2:30 am We board the bus for Las Lenas
8:00 am Arrive at Las Lenas
8:15 am Finally wrestle our equipment from the bus and head to the resort
8:30 am Return to Las Lenas bus terminal for our lift tickets
8:45 am Janel spends 80 pesos on a pair of "Made in china" sunglasses
9:00 am Mate break
9:15 am finally on the lift
9:30 am still on the lift as we struggle (slowly) toward the summit
9:45 am see above
10:00 am First run!
5:00 pm Off the mountain, back to the bus
5:30 pm Leave Las Lenas just as fresh snow starts to fall
12:00 am Arrive back in Mendoza
8:15 am Janel oversleeps and misses her class.


So was it worth it? To be honest, the snow was crap. Mostly ice, some slush on the lower runs. It was crowded, despite being a Monday and the lack of snow. The lifts were incredibly slow, most of the mountain bare dirt and very ugly. It was extremely expensive and we are both still exhausted from the grueling schedule. But...

I still had a blast! Maybe my seemingly unwarranted enjoyment had something to do with the fact that I haven't been skiing (anywhere) in 4 long seasons. Maybe I loved it because it was something new. Maybe I managed to find beauty in all those high peaks, stacked up against each other like so many dominoes as far as the eye can see, even if they were brown instead of white.

Without a doubt, our timing was terrible. But in the end, I think I'll still take a nice day at Timberline or Beaver Creek over the Andes in the future. For one thing, there are no trees in the Andes. The runs are bare and stark and decidedly less magical without those enchanted tree tunnels. For another, everyone seemed to be a novice, leading to a lot of accidents on the slopes. And finally, even the double blacks were pretty boring. I expected more excitement from all those jagged peaks. My assessment: overrated.