CHILE TO ARGENTINA: K2's Bryce Phillips chasing storms in Argentina
Sept 5, 6:40am
If you are reading this posting in September, then you love to ski and because you love to ski, at some point, you need to ski in Las Lenas, Argentina. I eased into my 7th ski trip to South America with the K2 crew* in Portillo, Chile. We had a ton of fun testing skis and chatting about the state of the industry while consuming a few drinks and shutting down the discoteque in between. After four days in Portillo, I embarked on a solo mission to Mendoza and then on to Las Lenas.
Las Lenas is easily one of the top ski destinations in the world. My short list of “the best spots” includes Alaska, the Mount Waddington region on the BC Coast, the Alps and Las Lenas. There are a few distinguishing characteristics that set Las Lenas apart from the others. The most obvious is that you can ski Las Lenas from June to October while taking in the rich Latin American culture that Argentina has to offer. I keep coming back because the terrain is unparalleled. With 4,000 feet of sustained vertical, the best chutes and couloirs and mind blowing visuals make the Marte Chair one of the world’s best (arguably the world’s best).
I didn’t time the storm, but was able to get up the Marte on my first day. Even with a relatively low snow pack, “Sons Nom” (Without Name) didn’t disappoint. I dropped in thinking about runs past with the likes of Damian Cromwell, Joe Lammers, Hugo Harrison, Wendy Fisher, Woody Redner, Warren Kalawsky and Paul Morrison. Rob Greener, a couple of Nords and I skied the 4,000 foot run in super smooth corn conditions…truly epic. “Sons Nom” is right up there with “The Cosmique” in Chamonix and “The Laub” in Engleberg. Nothing in North America can touch it.
After four days in Las Lenas and no snow in the forecast, I made the call to chase the storm 24 hours south to Bariloche. Supposedly there are 100 cms of new on the hill and the upper mountain hasn’t been open in days. Stay tuned.
Salud! Bp
P.S. Ready to ski, party, eat red meat? Time to book your trip! Check out southamericaski.com for more info.
* “K2 Crew” included editors from Skiing (Jake Bogoch), Freeskier (Chris Jerard), Powder (Derek Taylor), Ski Press (Peter Kray) and The Ski Journal (Jeff Galbraith), K2 marketing and sales big-wigs, reps from some of the top retail stores in NA as well as ski legends Pep Fujas and Seth Morrison.
