Skiing in Argentina

By Christopher Minster

Not surprisingly for a country with some truly outstanding and picturesque mountains, Argentina has a well-developed skiing industry. Best of all, winters and summers are switched in the southern hemisphere, so when it’s warm and sunny in Colorado, folks are hitting the slopes in Argentina and vice versa, which means that as long as you’ve got the scratch you never have to stop skiing, which I think we can all agree is a good thing. Of course, all of the ski resorts are in the west and south, where the Andes Mountains are. The rest of Argentina consists of the pampas grasslands and certain swamps in the north, both of which are notoriously terrible for skiing, as the grasslands are flat and full of cows and the swamps don’t get much snow and feature more piranhas than bitchin’ black diamond runs.

Near the city of Mendoza, in Argentine wine country, you’ll find the resorts of Las Leñas and Penitentes.  Remote Caviahue is a true skiing Mecca where you can ski through centuries old forests before having a soak in some hot pools. High in the Andes, Caviahue also features South America’s longest ski season. Scenic Cerro Chapelco, outside of San Martín de los Andes, features a picturesque lodge and different runs for skiers of all skill levels. Cerro Bayo has a gorgeous view of Lake Nahuel Huapi which you can enjoy as you’re skiing or crashing into trees, according to your skill level. Catedral is the main ski area near the town of Bariloche and therefore attracts many celebrities. If you want to ski at the end of the world, head to Cerro Castor in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s newest resort. There are also several other, smaller resorts and some more are being planned as Argentines try to tap into the lucrative international skier market.

The resorts near Bariloche tend to fill up first, while the more remote sites are just as gorgeous and rarely are packed with skiers.  The season runs from June to September.