Chile's Valle Nevado Ski Resort "Transformed" by Unbelievable Storm, Opens Almost 100% of Terrain

Following an enormous winter storm that brought feet of snow in only a week, Valle Nevado, Chile, has gone from zero to hero.

The resort, which, like others in South America, struggled with snowfall early in the season and had little terrain available, is now almost open wall to wall.

All 13 ski lifts are operating, and 44 of 45 trails are open with even more snow—perhaps far more than a foot—possible in the coming days.

Dominique Rudloff, Valle Nevado’s general manager, said in a release that the storm cycle had “transformed” the mountain and created some of the best conditions of the season.

Word of a hard-to-believe storm system that could hit South America began to spread earlier this month. Forecasters suggested that more than 100 inches could fall at some ski resorts. While there was some skepticism, those predictions did, indeed, pan out.

At first, for Valle Nevado, there was too much snow. Ski resorts welcome powder-laden storms, but when they’re truly intense, they can also cause problems, snarling roads, making lift operations difficult, and increasing avalanche danger. For a time, Valle Nevado’s access roads were closed, and little skiing was available.

While they’ve since reopened, road access to another well-known Chilean resort, Ski Portillo, remains closed. Those at the mountain have been able to do some skiing, but Ski Portillo hasn’t been able to open as usual since July 14. One instructor and guide at Ski Portillo we spoke with last week said that in the meantime, they’ve been playing card games and shoveling—a lot of shoveling. 

The current conditions make “it difficult to know when we’ll have an opportunity to resume ground or air access to the ski resort,” a letter from Ski Portillo published last week read, adding that should anything change, Portillo will “provide timely updates through our official channels.”

Located outside Chile’s capital, Santiago, Valle Nevado is one of three resorts in the famed Tres Valles ski region. 

A few years ago, it was bought by an American company, Mountain Capital Partners, and is part of MCP’s Power Pass, which mostly accesses ski resorts in the American Southwest. La Parva, Valle Nevado’s neighbor, is also owned by MCP and is on the Power Pass.

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