Anden

April is known for the small battles between Ullr and Ostara - winter versus spring, cold versus mild, snow versus sun. At the beginning of the week, Ullr tried once again to make up ground. But it wasn't too successful: the PowderAlert station reported a decent 33cm, but the advance was limited to the higher elevations. Ostara is increasingly asserting itself in the valleys - but spring is holding out.

When looking for suitable destinations for a ski touring vacation, Peru is unlikely to come to mind any time soon. And yet the Cordillera Blanca, relatively close to the equator, is home to the largest tropical glaciers in the world. Our aim is to climb and descend some of the impressive five and six thousand meter peaks "by fair means" (without guides and porters). What follows is an adventure report about long ascents, heavy backpacks, thin mountain air, imposing glaciers and the enjoyment of ski tours in complete solitude and untouched nature!

Christmas and New Year are over - a wonderful time with family and friends is behind us, and there's still time for a few ski films in between. I hope most of you have had a good start into 2025 - on skis or boards - and feel like getting some inspiration for the coming week.

In the last part of Zach's South America reports of this year's southern season, he takes us to lesser known corners of the Argentine Central Andes on spring tours with tents, lots of wind, rocks, good and not so good weather and mixed feelings about the end of winter in summer:

Our globetrotting Skibum correspondent Zach talks about life in the "Corvus" apartment, a rotten vacation home in the chronically muddy part of Las Leñas, behind the garbage containers of the big hotels, where a sworn crew of Las Leñas enthusiasts meet up year after year. But: the future of the Corvus family is uncertain because the lift operator is making life increasingly difficult for freeriders.

When the ski resort runs out of snow, you have to look elsewhere: Our roving Skibum reporter and South America correspondent Zach Paley reports on a multi-day tour with a tent and the challenges that come with it.

The Caviahue ski resort in the province of Neuquén, which is rather unknown even within Argentina, offers a selection of impressively flat pistes nestled in a volcanic lunar landscape. The Caviahue volcano is interesting as a smoking ski tour destination, while the surrounding terrain mainly offers sled-access potential.

The Cerro Bayo ski resort near Villa La Angostura in Argentina's Lake District is a little overshadowed by the larger, better-known Cerro Catedral on the other side of the lake, but with nice touring and off-piste terrain it certainly doesn't have to hide. It is also much less busy.

October can be a difficult month in Argentina. As if on cue, the country realizes winter in the northern hemisphere is near, and that it's time for a change in seasons. Chairlifts close, temperatures rise, and snow retreats up the mountainsides. Walking farther and farther in shoes each day gives one plenty of time to ponder their situation, and the farfetched nature of their pursuits.

This time, Zach Paley's Las Leñas diary is all about the weather forecast: if the only thing you can rely on is that you can't rely on it, you'll just have to make up your own mind when skiing.

Zach Paley reports on fresh snow and tense bad weather boredom in Las Leñas.

Things have been getting warm here lately. The trend that started as I arrived has continued throughout the week. Chalky snow on southerly aspects gave way to the melt/freeze trend and turned bulletproof. On the other hand, east and north aspects warmed with the sun for great corn skiing in the mornings. By afternoon, the heat would take hold, and conditions trended towards slush in the sun, but the shaded aspects would be skiing nicely. It's pretty perfect for a resort with no shortage of terrain on almost all aspects.