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, VALLE NEVADO This guided tour will enable you to experience the joy of off-piste skiing and ski touring in South America. An itinerary that takes you from the volcanoes in the Patagonian area to the Andes Cordillera. We will pass through five ski resorts in a loop of 2800 Km from Chile to Argentina. We will become familiar with the mountains of these regions while skiing in the most beautiful off-piste itineraries and climbing some of the most active volcanoes in the world. Stops in typical mountain lodges will enable you to get better acquainted with the Andean lifestyle. The ability to improvise and the professional skills of your guide will guarantee great skiing everyday. >> PROGRAMME DAY 1: Friday 12 th August Fly from home destination Buenos Aires. DAY 2: Arrival Buenos Aires on Saturday 13th early in the morning transit flight to San Rafaël departure at 1pm. (need to change airport use shuttle airport) Welcome meeting with your guide at San Rafaël airport and transfer to Los Molles which is the last village (10Km) before Las Lenas. (3 hours) DAY 3: Las Lenas Acclamatation while exploring the freeride paradise of Las Lenas, ski touring equipment checking and transceivers training. Night at Los Molles. DAY 4: Cerro Martin (3600m) From the top of Marte chair lift, short climbing to reach the top of Cerro Martin and enjoy these magnificent couloirs. Night at Los Molles. DAY 5: Marte Torrecillas (3880 mts) 3 hours skinning to reach the top of this stunning ridge. Vertical metres: + 800 mts, -1600 mts. DAY 6: Last skiing day at Las Lenas, late afternoon departure to Malargüe (70km), night at Malargüe. DAY 7: Ruta 40 Our longest road trip (12 hours) crossing scenic views, volcanic landscape following the Andes southward on Ruta 40, night at San Martin hotel Anay.
DAY 8: San Martin de Los Andes Ski day at Chapelco, explore the bizzarely-wonderful «Lynchen» forest at this typical Patagonian ski resort. Night at the hotel Anay. DAY 9: San Martin de Los Andes - Pucon A 3 hour minibus ride to Pucon, cross the Argentinian border surrounded by the well-known Patagonian landscape of coned shape volcanoes like the Lanin 3800mts. Stop at the natural hot springs. Night at Geronimos hotel in Pucon. DAY 10: Volcano Villarica (2840 mts) Ski touring day, easy skinning from the top chair lift of the ski resort to the crater of the active volcano. Vertical metres: + 1400 mts, - 1600 mts. DAY 11: Day reserved for the Villarica, rest and visit to the geothermicas pools, beautiful natural hot springs. DAY 12: Pucon Termas de Chillan 7hrs to reach Termas, night at Termas at MI Lodge hotel. DAY 13: Termas de Chillan Discover the off-piste potential of Termas, Norvegian spa and night at MI Lodge hotel. DAY 14: Volcano Nuevo (3180 mts) Ski touring day, skinning from the top of Chillan chairlift, to reach either volcano Nuevo or volcano Nevado according to the snow conditions. Vertical metres : + 600 mts, - 1500 mts. DAY 15: Termas - Santiago Drive back to Santiago, the final 7 hour journey. Night at Santiago at Hostel El Raco. DAY 16: Monday 1st of August Fly home transfer to Santiago airport depending on your schedule Programme subject to change, in order to make the best of prevailing weather and snow conditions. >> HOW TO ACCESS TO OUR ITINERARIES The off-piste itineraries that you will discover are accessible directly from the upper most chairlift of the ski resorts we go to. From the top of a ski lift, we traverse or climb to reach a ridge, which allows us to ski down the other side. Each volcano that we climb is equipped with chairlifts at the base. It will make our journey to the top, on skins shorter. >> SPECIAL OPTIONS HELISKI: 1 day heli-skiing in the Andes range surrounding Santiago.
>> INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF 3650 MOUNTAIN GUIDE: Full-time Safari 9V guide for 6/7 skiers, registered professional mountain guide or ski instructor, equipped with radio and safety equipment. ACCOMMODATION: B&B in the comfortable mountain hut El Pehuenche in the hotel Anay, Geronimo and El Raco. Half-board in the MI Lodge at Termas. LIFT PASSES: During the trip, in each ski resorts crossed. TRANSPORTATION: During the safari, participants and baggage. 2-WAY AVALANCHE BEEPER : provided for each participant, if you have your own bring it! Must be worn under jacket and turned on at all times while skiing >> NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE RESCUE INSURANCE is compulsory (for mountain rescue, assistance, transportation to nearest hospital, ). CANCELLATION INSURANCE may be subscribed for pre-trip cancellations or mid-trip interruptions (eg. Accidents/repatriation). Highly recommended, as all subsisting costs will be charged in case of absence. Visa Premier or Gold MasterCard holders may be provided 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. Or home cooking in mountain villages. The guide s lunch expenses shall by funded by all participants during the safari. PERSONAL EXPENSES: Energy bar, dry fruit, winery tour FLIGHT TICKETS: To Buenos Aires and back from Santiago + Domestic flight Buenos Aires to San Rafaël. (Aerolineas) EXCEDENT OF WEIGHT IN DOMESTIC FLIGHTS: Any baggage weighing more than 15kg will be paid by participant. (see baggage section below) >> 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, but 9V can provide securafix bindings and skins for those who have only alpine bindings. Please indicate on the Booking Form. 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 an enhanced experience. Safari 9V guides use and recommend freeride skis that make all kinds of deep snow fun, allow you to carve on piste and on any hard snow, are light enough to use with touring bindings to go uphill with skins. We prefer to use 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 9V) 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 BAGGAGE (Please travel light!): As you will be staying in many different places during the Safari, make sure that your bagage is practical, quickly packed and easy to carry. It will be transported from one hotel to the next, but there are no "porteurs" to and from the rooms. Be aware of the intercontinental flight, check with your airline for the weight and the amount of luggage permitted.
Aerolineas domestic flight transports without charge the following items: 1 pair of skis, poles and boots. The other bag should weigh no more than 15kg. Any excess weight will be charged 3 per extra kilo. Please, only one bagage per person to be transported and no loose belongings likely to get lost. 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 your desired time slot. In favourable cases, 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 American dollar exchange rates. Prices may change prior to payment, but prices are frozen once the amount is paid. 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 Visa/Mastercard in both Chile and Argentina. >> HOW TO REACH BUENOS AIRES & SAN RAFAËL BY PLANE: Fly with a multi-destination ticket to Buenos Aires international airport and back from Santiago de Chile international airport. Domestic flight with Aerolineas Argentinas from Buenos Aires to San Rafaël.