Sean Brown from CHILE writes:
El Colorado
Resort Rundown
El Colorado is one of the three resorts located in the valley of the Rio Mapocho, in the high cordillera of central Chile, just outside Santiago. It is only 45km from the capital and can be reached in a little over an hour. The road up is extremely treacherous with 40 numbered switchbacks up to the village of Farellones.
Given its proximity to Santiago, El Colorado is the biggest and most popular ski area with nearly twice the number of lifts of its competitors La Pava and Valle Nevado. The mountain has some of the best runs in Chile with plenty of space for beginners and challenging terrain for experts, as well as a large well maintain snowpark for the freestylers.
There are two base areas to the resort. The first on the edge of Farellones, which is used by beginners, tobogganists and non-skiing visitors and the second Villa Colorado which is the modern base several kilometers further up the road.
Multi-mountain lift passes are also available that allow you to ride between El Colorado, Valle Nevado and La Parva.
Terrain
El Colorado is a cone shaped mountain with south facing slopes and is bordered to the south by Farellones village, on the west by La Parva, on the north by Valle Nevado and on the east by the long cliff-band that stretches from Cono Este to the base of the Embudo lift. The resort has 16 lifts (4 chairs and 12 surface lifts) and services an area from 2,430m to 3,333m above sea level, providing a vertical drop of 903m with the terrain divided into 40% easy, 20% intermediate and 40% difficult.
The western slopes that face La Parva are exposed to the prevailing winds and are thus undeveloped and usually rocky. The deepest snow is found in the Cono Este area which lies on the leeward side of the mountain where runs vary from wide open powder fields to tight gullys and cliffs. Excellent views of the surrounding ski areas and Santiagoâs smog blanket can also be enjoyed from the upper slopes.
Powder
Like the other resorts in the area El Colorado may not be known for its huge powder dumps but it definitely receives its fair share of snow. There is Valle Olympico, a large unpatrolled bowl that creates the link with El Colorado, that always takes some time to be tracked out.
Hiking
Although there is less backcountry access from El Colorado than its neighbours an area to be explored is the long cliff area between Cono este and the Embudo lift. The region can be throughly scoped from Valle nevadoâs access road where a car could be parked for escape. The other bonus is the chutes and bowls are patrolled by Valle nevadoâs avalanche team since the area is a threat to the road below..
Avoiding Crowds:
At busy times, on weekends and holidays, crowds can be a problem at El Colorado, however, the majority of people seem to like to stick to the easy or intermediate areas, on the slopes closest to the base lodge. So, the best thing to do is head off to the backside of the mountain and other slightly more remote areas or hit the terrain park which is rarely crowded.
Beginnners:
As with other resorts in this area, their proximity to Santiago makes El Colorado a perfect place for beginners. As a result, the ski/snowboard school, rental facilities and accommodating terrain and beginner lift system make it a perfect place for anyone who is learning. The entire lower section of the mountain is covered with extensively grommed beginner runs that provide a perfect environment in which to learn.
Freestyle:
El Colorado has a superb terrain park with a bunch of kickers varying from small fun hits for beginners, to big spines, and the giant 40â table at the bottom. Mixed in are an array of rails to keep any jibber more than satisfied. There dedication to satisfying the requirments of progressional snowboarders and skiiers alike is to be admired.
Accommodation
There are a number of hotels and self-contained apartments available at El Colorado which can be arranged by staff at the Information Desk - most however are quite expensive.
Then, there is the option of staying in Farellones, which is conveniently connected to El Colorado by a surface tow. Basic bunk dorm rooms can be found here for USD$20 a night, as well as a number of cheaper hotels and apartment style accomodation. And for those making day trips out of Santiago, there are many options for hotels and hostels.
Night Life
El Colorado caters for all types â in the main bar area there is always music or a DJ playing and on weekends and holidays there are often big parties. There is also a very nice restaurant in the same building, and some smaller establishments throughout the village.
Snowboard Shops
El Colorado has a complete set of retail outlets at the main base lodge El Parador. Naturally, these are more expensive than most other places but are very convenient if you need something quickly. Otherwise, Santiago is the best bet, and for the latest snowboard shops, ask around in town â most are located in the Las Condes district, which is east of the city and closest to the mountains.
Getting There
Perhaps the most convenient and cheapest way to access El Colorado or any of the other Mopocho Valley resorts is with Ski Total which run minivans up the hill every morning, every day of the season and you can get a return trip for USD$15.
You can also try hitching from the gas station at the start of the mountain road
2005-06-22 |
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