HELISKIING LAS LENAS: Super G checks in

The blades of the helicopter bite hard into the turbulent winds. We are being bucked around through the cold Andean air, and to make matters worse, our pilot is taking pictures of me and the amazing mountain scenery instead of keeping both hands on the controls. It is at this moment that I wonder what a helicopter crash would feel like. I’m comforted by the fact that if we do go down, and if I survive, I will be able to ski to safety instead of surviving on the remains of our local guide Gabriel or the other companions that are crammed into this bouncing bird.

Two hours earlier I was on my way to breakfast at about 1pm, trying to not let a massive hangover ruin my day. Tired and sore from a big day (and night) before, I was looking forward to a rest day and had no plans to ski. At the bus stop, I ran into Johnny Rotten, an old ski buddy from the States. Johnny told me there was an extra seat available in el helicoptero, and guaranteed we would find good snow. After my last couple days of touring around Las Lenas and finding variable conditions at best, the thought of shredding big fat pow runs in Argentina was too good to pass up.

My hangover, soreness, and woes for dropping the cash on heliskiing all vanished the moment I watched Gabriel drop into our first run. Within a minute, he was 2000 feet down slope, after dozens of effortless powder turns. With our guide at the bottom, I dropped in and let loose with some big, lazy arcs, eating up the powdery vert with no concern for farming turns or obeying the frustrating rules of many heliskiing operations. Down here anything goes, and I was going fast. Our next run was better than the first, as we skied a different pitch full of windlips and spines that just begged to be slashed. Huge plumes of snow were sent high into the air, then violently carried away in spinning snow-nados. After another run, our afternoon was cut short due to increasing winds so we began the sketchy flight back to the heliport. On the ground safe and sound, my head was spinning with excitement. Sometimes the best plan is no plan, as what had started as a painful day ended with epic heliskiing in Argentine powder.

For more info on heliskiing in Las Lenas, check out guidestarmountain.com or stop by the Hotel Aries in Las Lenas. Half day options are available—3 runs for $1,050 pesos, or roughly $350 USD.