South America has some excellent ski holiday destinations and as the snow melts in the Northern Hemisphere many skiers head south for their skiing. The season begins in the middle of June and continues into October. The best winter sports conditions are to be found in July and August.
The Andes are the highest mountains outside of Asia and the skiing is reliable. The southern Andes of Chile and Argentina are renowned for their superb skiing and also snowboarding, heli-skiing and exceptional runs.
Las Lenas is a popular ski resort in Argentina. The Marte zone, which is a steep jumble of open faces and rock-lined chutes, is the main centre for extreme skiing in South America. Las Lenas is just 90 minutes by air from Buenos Aires and is located high in the Andes Mountains at 7,400 feet. There is plenty of dry powdery snow between June and October. The terrain is jagged and steep but there is a lift that goes all the way to the top.
Chile is another great destination. Its Portillo resort is located on the side of the 22,800 feet high Mount Aconcagua. The ski season opens there just as it is closing in the Rockies. The season runs from June to October and the resort offers stunning views of the surrounding snow covered mountains and the glacial Laguna del Inca. Portillo is a bit isolated compared to some of the more popular North American or European ski resorts and the lodging options are limited but the nightlife is still lively.
Portillo is Chile’s oldest ski resort, but other resorts are quickly gaining a worldwide reputation. Valle Nevado is receiving considerable investment and with the interconnected resorts of Colorado and La Parva the resort has a larger ski area than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere.