If you just can’t get enough of skiing you might be delighted that you can extend your ski season even throughout the summer … in South-America! Fly to Santiago de Chile and drive 60 minutes east to the earth’s longest mountain range ét viola, get ready to hit the slopes.
The Andes stretches some incredible 7000 km / 4,300 miles from Venezuela to Chile and has the second highest tops outside the Himalayas. So it’s huge. Although you can of course only experience a small part of the range while skiing or snowboarding it, it’s a great way to get introduced to its massiveness of the Andes.
If you’ve ever dreamt of a summertime ski adventure, I think the area of Los Tres Valles de los Andes – literally ‘The three valleys of the Andes’, which are El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado – in the Andes might just be right for you. If only because the area’s quite a big one – even bigger than famous Portillo – and because it’s in close proximity to Santiago.
But Chile is expensive and so is skiing unfortunately. So here are some ways to keep the budget as tight as can be!
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Car rental or not?
Firstly, I do have to mention getting to the three valleys unfortunately isn’t the easiest. Some 60 hairpin bends are spread out along the Camino a Farellones which connects Santiago to the ski area. But just think of it as such: every bend will bring a new vista and will take you closer to the higher and snowy parts of the Andes.
There are several services in Santiago de Chile that’ll take you to the ski areas. But they are expensive. On top of that, if you decide to stay in Farellones (see next topic), a car is a must. Think of all the gear you have to take with you too. So even though you may not like the idea of driving the many winding roads, it is the most convenient option in the end.
Cars come as cheap as $25,- USD at the bigger car rental, for a small vehicle. But rent one that is a tad bigger, just to easily overcome snowy conditions.
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Where to stay?
After a 60-minute drive (pretty cool idea that it’s so close to Santiago, isn’t it) you’ll arrive in Farellones, affectionately called ‘Fare’ by the locals. Farellones serves like the main hub for the three valleys. It’s quaint and quiet – as far as I’d experienced – and offers its visitors some beautiful sunsets.
After a bit of online preparation we decided to stay at Lodge Andes. Price wise it was the best option, but apart from that I really loved the vibe of this place. The staff served a very good breakfast and though dinner varied in quality, it was always warm and filling, exactly what you need after a day on the slopes.
When you return from a day of skiing, hot chocolate, cookies and fruit await you. The sunsets from this place are marvellous, everything was very clean, the owner helped us out with several things, the lodge is easily accessible and .
Because of all of this, the place is a favourite among die-hard boarders too. The owner even lent us helmets, gloves and ski pants – as we didn’t brought any of these ourselves. We stayed at the lodge for $130,- USD per night for a private room for two persons with half board. But contact them directly and you might have a way sweeter deal, especially if you stay in the dorm or decide to stay longer.
If you want to stay right next to the slopes, have a look at the website of Hotel Valle Nevado in Valle Nevado for a decent multiple day package. Most packages are ski weeks which run from Friday to Friday (7 nights / 7 Days). But there are also some mini ski week options running from Friday to Tuesday (4 nights) or Tuesday to Friday (3 nights) which are only available through the regular season.
There are three big hotels over there and Hotel Tres Puntas is the budget option of them. The price for a stay over there includes half board, a ski pass, acces to the spa, and entertainment. Your lunch, ski gear and transportation are excluded though. The deals are the best early and late in the season.
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Ski gear
You can rent your gear at the entrance of the ski lifts. The boards and skis over there are good for sure, but it’ll cost you. $ 45,000 CLP to be exact for just one day of skiing.
If you have a bit of experience with skiing or boarding, rent your gear in Farellones, whether you stay there or not. On the street of Los Condóres you can find several small ski shops, aligned next to each another. The competition amongst them is fierce, so you might even get some discount.
Early in the season we were able to rent two pairs of skis, two pairs of boots and ski poles for two days for the price of $ 52.000 CLP. So converted the gear costed us $ 13.000 CLP per person per day. Not bad at all right?
Here’s where to find the ski shops.
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Lunch
Bring your own! We did a bit of shopping in Santiago before driving to the mountains and brought our own food and drinks everyday while skiing. Conveniently enough, each ski area has a decent spot for picnicking.
Lunches at the cafes cost around $15,- USD per meal.
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Discounts
On weekdays, each of the three ski area’s has a discount day. Ask your lodge / hotel manager if he knows when this is and whether he can help you out with this discount, as you need to achieve a validation number to receive it.
And just a tip in general; if you’re able to do so, try to visit the area during the week. Weekends can be swarming with capitaleños, people from the capital!
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Sunsets
The best things in life come free to us! Such as the rosy sunsets in the valley. They are worth the drive on their own, so make sure you find a perfect lounge spot around 6pm.
If you need more information regarding your visit to the area, let me know how I can be of help!
