Ripley's Mountain Adventures Staff Visits Valle Nevado Ski Resort, Chile June 25/27 2008 (Short Video Below)

With the Intrepid Jaun from CTS Turismo at the wheel we departed in a van from Santiago heading East towards Valle Nevado Ski Resort to get our first glimpse of some high alpine Andes landscapes and ski terrain. This was on June 25th so it was early season in Valle Nevado. Luckily, the resort had experienced multiple 6 foot dumps early season and had complete coverage.

The road to Valle Nevado is legendary for precipitous switchbacks and it lived up to the hype. In general the road was dry so Jaun did not have to apply chains, something that only happens in early season from the looks of this road. Having traveled over just about every pass in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West, I am very used to this kind of driving, but this particular ascent consists of 70 plus switchbacks climbing straight up from about 1,800 feet to 9,000 feet. Likely it is the biggest pass with the most switchbacks I have ever witnessed, and by a good margin. Jaun told us he had navigated the pass about 53 times the previous season, 3 times in a day at the pinnacle. With inclement weather, that would be worthy of the Medal of Honor.

We stopped at La Parva and El Colorado near the tiny Alpine Village of Farallones. These two smaller resorts can be added to a Valle Nevado lift ticket for a marginal upgrade fee and both supply a fair share of beginner through advanced terrain if you need to stray from the formidable amount of terrain offered by Valle Nevado. This collective lift ticket offers the most amount of skiable terrain in Chile and perhaps South America overall. The atmosphere at El Colorado was very quiet, cozy, and family oriented and the lodging options consisting of apartments and cabins reflected that. This was a very cozy little resort that can be used as a base area to ski all three resorts, Valle Nevado, La Parva, and El Colorado without as many minimum night limitations or as much cost or bustle as staying at the Valle Nevado base area and its full service hotels and apartments. Many people are interested in the far larger amount of action and nightlife offered by Valle Nevado however.

Valle Nevado Resort feels like it is perched on top of the world. It sits atop a 7,000 foot pass and offers vistas basically unparalleled to anything I have seen as far as looking down upon big mountain panoramas. Everything is above treeline giving you the impression that you are on the surface of another planet. The collection of buildings offer a stark contrast to the surrounding high alpine environment like an Antarctic outpost hanging over the abyss. Service is relatively formal with uniformed bellman and attention to detail. The three lodges, Hotel Valle Nevado, Hotel Puerta del Sol, and Hotel Tres Puntas offer an upscale, middle of the road, and economical alternative in the order listed. I was surprised at how nice the Tres Puntas was however. This was not hostel style, but more of a Holiday Inn Express with access to far better amenities than a Holiday Inn Express as the amenities for all three hotels are generally collective. The Tres Puntas was not just full of backpackers, it definitely had its share of families and travelers simply opting for an economical option without sacrificing too much quality.

The Hotel Valle Nevado was, as expected, pretty nice with a spa, the nicest restaurant on premise, La Fourchette, and a slightly more luxurious interior and location as far as lift access than the other two options. The Puerta del Sol where we stayed was my favorite hotel on premise. It had a casual demeanor, was the most centrally located, and seemed to be the focal point of activity for the Resort. It had two decent restaurants, a Fondue and an Italian pasta restaurant with a killer make your own pasta station, multiple lounges including an internet lounge and bar, as well as easy access to the snow.

I was unsure of what to expect from the ski experience of Valle Nevado, but was delighted that the vast high alpine terrain, all of which is above treeline, had full snow coverage due to major early season storms. It was truly remarkable. The off piste snow consistency was soft and maneuverable. The steeps were plentiful if sought out. We were all impressed with this resort and its large amount of terrain. Julie was especially fond of what she termed the "gully", a lengthy natural half pipe that separated two drainages that afforded much entertainment riding back and forth up and down its curving natural walls for an extended duration. We skied for two full days and loved it. The views from high up in the resort are also incredibly noteworthy. "On top of the world". I will let the pictures and video footage posted with this article paint the picture. We were thoroughly impressed by Valle Nevado Ski Resort. This place was amazing! It is also worth mentioning that the discotech located in the Hotel Tres Puntas offers about all a person can handle as far as nightlife. There is no boredom here at night despite the isolation. This resort is hopping!