LAS LENAS ARGENTINA 2011

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Charlene Jenkins
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1 LEVEL / / 14 DAYS / 13 NIGHTS SUN 7 TH TO SAT 20TH OF AUGUST 4390 / PEOPLE LAS LENAS ARGENTINA 2011 >> BASE HÔTEL ARIES**** LAS LENAS, MENDOZA In 1995, while travelling through different ski resorts between Chile and Argentina, I discovered this jewel of the Andes called Las Leñas. Since then, I had to go back every year and this is how I have explored all the hidden corners of this paradise of powder and freeride. Las Leñas is located in the state of Mendoza, the Argentinean wine capital. In the middle of nowhere, deep in the Andes, surrounded by peaks over 5000 mts, with no trace of human passage, Las Leñas have the advantage of heavy snowfalls with more than 10mts of packed snow for the 2005 austral winter. The lifts of the resort allow us to ride without even pushing a vertical drop of 1250 mts, from numerous couloirs to wide open slopes. The landscape is totally different from the scenery of the Alps, at Las Leñas you ride above the pampa. At the end of August every year, the storm called the Santa Rosa spreads usually an average of 3 mts of fresh powder over the range. That is why the beginning of September is just the perfect time to be there. We stay in Hotel Aries a 4 stars hotel with swimming pool, hot tubs and sauna. It s exactly what we need after a good day of freeride! Hotel facilities include wifi in the lobbie: >> PROGRAMME DAY 1: Sunday 7th of August - Arrival at Mendoza San Rafael Las Leñas Welcome at Mendoza international airport, transfer to Las Lenas in a confortable minivan. Our trip to Las Lenas is going through the magnificent canyon of el Rio del Atuel and across the vast pampa. DAY 2: Las Leñas Freeride exploration of the area. Leg warm up, equipment checking, safety training! DAY 3: Eduardo face Discover the most famous freeride runs of Las Lenas. Evening trip at the hot springs of Los Molles followed by an assado (BBQ) in a typical hut. DAY 4: Marte - Collarcito Skinning warm- up a short randonnée with skins or snow shoes, allow you to discover a vast wild area. DAY 5: Freeride to the area of Frankie. Evening trip to the lake called La nina incantada. DAY 6: Another day in freeride paradis, discovering sin nombre area, ending with visit to the Indian crystal cave.

2 DAY 7: Marte Torrecillas (3850 mts) From top of chairlift Marte, reach by traversing a steep wall, 2 hours to reach the top of Torresillas ridge. Vertical: mts, mts. DAY 8: Freeride to the area sans nom. Evening party at UFO point. DAY 9: Freeride to the area of Cerro Cochar God fingers area! DAY 10: Freeride to the area of El sombrero. Evening party in a restaurant on the piste. Ride by moon light! DAY 11: Freeride to the area of El paraiso. Sushi night at Sensei restaurant. DAY 12: Cerro Martin Short climb to enter the top of Cerro Martin. Evening party before departure. Vertical: mts, mts. DAY 13: Ruta national 101 Trip back to Mendoza, along the unforgettable, winding dirt road, 4 hours of incredible landscapes with their volcanoes Maipo and Tupungato 6300mts/19600ft, through typical small villages of the pampa. DAY 14: Saturday 20th of August Mendoza Return Winery tour, transfer to airport, fly home. Program subject to change, in order to make the best of prevailing weather and snow conditions. >> HOW TO ACCESS TO OUR ITINERARIES Las Leñas is a freeride spot, most of the off-piste itineraries are reachable by chairlift. >> INCLUDED IN THE PRICE MOUNTAIN GUIDE: Full-time Safari 9V guide for 6 skiers (registered professional mountain guide or ski instructor, equipped with radio and safety equipment. ACCOMMODATION TWIN BOARD: 13 nights in twin room at Hotel Aries 4 stars (2 nights are in an other hotel in Mendoza). LIFT PASSES: During all the trip. TRANSPORTATION: During the safari, participants and bagages. 2-WAY AVALANCHE BEEPER : provided for each participant, if you have your own bring it! Must be worn underwear and turned on at all times while skiing

3 >> NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE RESCUE INSURANCE is compulsory (for mountain rescue, assistance, transportation to nearest hospital, ). CANCELLATION INSURANCE may be subscribed privately for cancellation before the trip or interruption due to accident and repatriation. Highly recommended, as all subsisting costs will be charged in case of absence. Payment by credit card, Visa Premier or Gold MasterCard, may provide cancellation insurance. Check your contract. DRINKS: Skiing makes you thirsty! For dinner, all the hotels have good wine. Usually, the participants make a kitty to pay for wine at the table. LUNCHES: Often picnics on the mountain when sunny, enhanced by specialities brought by the participants to be shared. The lunch of the guide during the entire week is to be shared among the participants. SINGLE ROOM: Advise on the booking form, with extra cost. PERSONAL EXPENSES: Energy bar, dry fruit, winery tour FLIGHT TICKET >> INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT SMALL RUCKSACK for daily necessities. 32 liters will be a good choice. Inside your pack you should have: -Goggles with double anti-fog screen orange for bad weather and mirror lens for sun. -Scarf or neck-warmer to protect against wind, cold, sun or powder. -Sun screen for lips and face (high protection). -Pocket knife for picnics. -Foil Blanket in case of accident (or even chair lift breakdowns). -Spare glove if you fall often! -Beverages, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, muësli bars... -Shovel and probe. If you have your own, bring them. Your guide may give you such equipment to carry on. -Optional: Camera, video or binoculars. ALPINE SKI BOOTS, which are comfortable enough to walk with. Or: ALPINE TOURING BOOTS, have vibram soles and a «walk» position.. BINDINGS: None of the connections make it necessary to use skins, but touring bindings enable you to climb easily to places where no other skiers go! Many short climbs in this area (1/2 to 1 hour) lead to very rewarding descents. We recommend touring bindings!

4 ALL-TERRAIN SKIS, FREERIDE CATEGORY: There are many new models on the market. They make it much easier to enjoy deep snow and less tiring. If you are inexperienced you will learn more quickly. If you are an expert you will have more fun and bigger sensations. Safari 9V guides use and recommend freeride skis that make all kinds of deep snow fun. We like them with Diamir Fritschi bindings, excellent for carving and for skinning. You may use your own alpine ski boots with these bindings. >> GROUP EQUIPMENT (provided by 9 Vallées) TWO-WAY AVALANCHE BEEPERS: Must be worn by each participant at all times off-piste. Our beepers work with all other recent 2-way devices. If you have your own, please bring it. Indicate whether or not on booking form. SAFETY & RESCUE EQUIPMENT: Each guide will have all that is necessary for the safety of his group in his rucksack : radio or mobile phone, first aid kit, tools for repair, space blanket, rope, shovel, avalanche probe...). The guide may ask you to carry such equipment in your rucksack. If you are an experienced mountaineer with your own equipment, bring it with you. >> WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING BAGAGE (Please travel light!): Most airlines limit number and weight of luggage. CLOTHING: Remember that most of your time will be spent in ski wear. At any time of the season, weather can be sunny and warm, or bitterly cold, windy, snowy or rainy. If properly equipped, you'll enjoy the skiing, whatever the weather. We ski in all conditions. Bring bad weather gear with you, as during major snowstorms we ski fantastic powder in the forest. Plan to have extra clothing and gear in your rucksack each day, which will enable you to adapt to all changes in temperature and weather. Temperature varies with altitude about 10 c. per 1000m. Therefore, the difference in temperature between the valley and the summits will be about 20 c., and even more considering wind chill factor. >> HOW TO BOOK Contact Safari 9V to check whether there is free space in the desired timing. In a favourable case, your request will be registered, but confirmed only once the group is full. As soon as Safari 9V accepts your participation, send back the booking form, completely filled in and signed, with deposit of 50% per person. No booking will be registered without payment of deposit. Any booking made within a month (60 days) of departure must be accompanied by full payment. PAYMENT OF DEPOSIT: By cheque or bank draft made out to "SAFARI 9V" or preferably, by Visa or Mastercard; Fill in credit card number and date of expiration on the Booking Form, as well as signed acceptance for payment of deposit and balance. Prices are based on exchange rate with American dollar, prices may change until you pay the account, prices are frozen once you have payed the account.

5 BALANCE PAYMENT : Is due no later than 60 days before the tour. Any tour not fully paid at this date will be considered as cancelled by the participant. For Credit Card payments, Safari 9V will charge the balance amount 60 days before the tour, unless written cancellation or disapproval of the details of payment has been received before this date. >> REMARK MONEY : No problem to withdraw money using either visa or mastercard credit card in Argentina, ATM machine available at Las Lenas. >> HOW TO REACH MENDOZA BY PLANE: - Fly to Buenos Aires and then to Mendoza with Aerolineas argentinas - Fly to Santiago international airport and link with Lan Chile to Mendoza

ARGENTINA - CHILE TOUR 2011

LEVEL / / FRIDAY 12TH TO SAT 27TH AUGUST 15 DAYS / 14 NIGHTS 3650 / PERSON ARGENTINA - CHILE TOUR 2011 >> EXPLORING ARGENTINA AND CHILE ON SKIS LAS LENAS, SAN MARTIN DE LOS ANDES, PUCON, TERMAS DE CHILLAN,