Winter sports in Argentina begin for us with a wine tasting in a bodega in the "Valle de Uco" in the hinterland of Mendoza. It is mid-July, we have come from the European summer and are in search of South American powder snow. But here at 700 meters above sea level, it's not as cold as we expected and the sky is so clear and blue that it almost looks fake. Only the view of the snow-covered Andes towering high into the sky gives any hint of winter.
Our journey takes us south from Mendoza, past the last wine-growing areas and through a very barren, dry steppe that only seems to be populated by a few wild horses. To our right, the white sugared Andes stretch endlessly, awakening our anticipation of untouched powder lines. For hours, the dusty, unpaved road leads straight ahead and we don't meet another vehicle or pass any settlements. The temperatures are still not really wintry and the idea of being in the snow the very next day seems a little strange in this environment. Our destination is Las Lenas, the largest ski resort in Argentina and known as the absolute freeride Mecca of South America. Almost all the big names in snowboarding have left their tracks in the snow here and various major photo and film productions regularly visit to photograph the best riders in the world on the legendary slopes.
The road now leads west, directly towards the mountains, and the mountains rise higher and higher out of the pampas in front of us. The sun is now frequently obscured by clouds and in the distance a dark and menacing-looking front of bad weather clouds is gathering. The balmy winter day, which we started in T-shirts and bright sunshine, seems to be over. The closer we get to Las Lenas, the more wintry the landscape becomes, but there isn't much snow. The sky is completely overcast, the wind is getting stronger and black clouds are moving faster and faster over the mountain peaks into the high valley. It smells like snow. And just as we have moved into our apartment, a snowstorm breaks out and shakes the closed blinds with such force that it seems to want to drive us out of here again.
Sun and 60 cm of powder
The next day begins with sunshine and sixty centimetres of powder snow. We couldn't be luckier: From one day to the next, everything is covered in deep snow and we suddenly get that "winter feeling". Las Lenas is a classic resort town and consists of just a few hotels, apartment buildings, restaurants and bars that are only open during the season. From here, several lifts lead up to the Cerro Los Fosiles at an altitude of 3430 meters. But the lift that makes the hearts of Argentinian and international freeriders beat faster is called "Martes" and leads from the back to the very top of Cerro Los Fosiles. Riding the "Martes" in fresh snow is as good as heliboarding in terms of the possibilities - only without the heli and for considerably less money. This lift alone makes the arduous and long journey to get here worthwhile. Unfortunately, it is closed due to the storm and we have to make do with one of the other lifts.
Great conditions in July
For the first time in months and in the middle of July, I close the bindings on my snowboard, ride into the deep powder with plenty of momentum and make my first turn, which rewards me with an incredibly big spray. Gradually, more and more lifts open and we spend the day trying to get as many "first lines" as possible. It could really be worse - but unfortunately the legendary "Martes" remains closed. In the evening in the bar, we learn from the local riders that this lift of all things often remains closed for weeks and that many guests have already waited in vain for just one open day and had to leave without having achieved anything. But we are lucky and the "Marte" actually opens its doors the next morning and gives us almost limitless snow fun on the 1200 meters of altitude on the north side of Cerro Los Fosiles. The choice of options for skiing down to Las Lenas is almost inexhaustible and offers enough potential to ski new lines for several days. However, the terrain is steep to very steep and mostly leads through narrow gullies and couloirs between cliffs and rockfalls. All the big gullies have names and it is up to you whether you ride the left-hand "Coluar Mercurio" first, which ends at the Vulcano lift, or next to it, or the "Coluar Martes" or the middle "Coluar El Cartell". Perhaps today it should be the Coluar Eduardo, which is only ever called "The guy died"?
