Snowsure: 3.0
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Ski Arpa is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Ski Arpa Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
August 02, 2017
Ronald C. Jr
Ronald C. Jr
I was at Arpa last July and the whole experience was really great. From the stay at Casa San Regis in Los Andes to the "choripan" and beer after the ski at the refugio, everything was truly unforgettable. The terrain is large enough to find lots of different lines, even without good snow (2 weeks with no new snow). Tony and his crew are both very professional and friendly. Their care for safety also impressed me greatly.
Much better 2 days of Ski Arpa than 7 days at any Chilean resort that I know. A must do ski trip in South America.
August 12, 2013
Chris HoneyBadger from
USA - California
Chris HoneyBadger from
USA - California
Without a doubt the best day of skiing I have ever had in the 40 years I've been at it. The views from the top made you feel like you were all alone on top of the world. Aconcagua on one side, the Pacific on the other.
The terrain was varied and accessible. The snow was a few days old and still perfect. The 5000 acres allows for fresh tracks days after storms. Our guides opened up new sections that hadn't been skied yet, one guide brought us to a safe location while the other checked stability. We left it to sit and hit it the next run.
The guides were friendly and accommodating, while still being saftey minded. It wasn't hard to tell they were loving it as much as we were. Every pre-run safety talk ended in a reminder to "have fun"; & not because we needed reminding.
The backcountry is magical no matter where you are, being able to get a ride makes it that much more fun. I'll go back to earn some turns, now that I know where to go. $15 is nothing to pay to make sure those guys keep it going. The price for the cat runs is about a 1/4 of what you'd pay anywhere else. The best bargain in all of skiing.
To sum it up, get your ass down here, you will not be disappointed.
July 17, 2013
Ashley Holmberg from
Chile
Ashley Holmberg from
Chile
Ski Arpa is simply breathtaking! I could not have asked for a better view on my day of skiing in Chile. I was present for opening weekend and it was fun exploring different areas with the guides finding the best snow to ride. I enjoyed the journey up in the open air ski cat and had a blast meeting so many interesting and fun people on my journey. It is a drive from Santiago but in my opinion the view was more than worth it! I can't wait to return a little later this season for a righteous reunion with those awe inspiring Andes Mountains!
May 09, 2013
Kevin Chartier from
USA - California
Kevin Chartier from
USA - California
Ski Arpa is simply an amazing, adventurous place! I spent the South American summer guiding at Arpa and while it was a significantly low snow year, there was still tons of fun to be had!
First, to counter the previous reviewer who didn't enjoy his time here, I would suggest it has a lot to do with attitude. One can go for a ski with horrible snow conditions (which they were not on his day) and still have a great time if he adjusts his expectations and makes the most of it and just laughs it up and has fun! This is what skiing is about. The elusive powder day is great but real skiing is not always perfect and it's the ones who are having fun on those days that I admire. This guy just had a bad attitude. Additionally, he was offered to join the barbeque (which was not something offered by Arpa but was arranged and paid for by the other guests) but since he already had such a bad attitude...well, you get the point. As for having to carry his skis, OMG, god forbid! Ski Arpa is not Beaver Creek! You come to Arpa for the adventure, for a backcountry ski experience and for absolutely mind-blowing terrain options! You ride the snowcats to access almost all of the terrain but a few small hikes required for even better terrain and maybe to and from the cats depending on the day or run!
The road up is quite "adventurous" but don't be scared, as all of the drivers are excellent at dealing with adverse/complex road conditions. I rode up and down maybe 50+ times and it was always safe.
The guides are professionals but are not stuck up. They are there to have just as much fun as you! They are laid back but are very concerned with safety and will lay down the law as needed if situations become unsafe. Listen to your guides, respect them and follow their directions and they will respect you and be more likely to take you to the really cool stuff! On the other hand, if you don't follow directions, complain about things, etc., they might not be able to trust you enough to take you to the bigger, steeper, more exposed lines! Trust me, you won't even know what you might have missed!
Finally, the facilities are very rustic. Trust me. I lived here for 60 or so nights with no electricity and loved every minute (well, almost every minute) of it. They have clean, functional bathrooms, inexpensive beer always on hand and even some snacks for purchase. Arrange it ahead of time and you can even have an apres barbeque!
Additionally, there is terrain for everyone! There are mellow runs, powder bowls, tight chutes, mandatory airs, double fall lines, cornices, steeps, couloirish type lines and big, long runs. Occasionally, you might even find three or four mogul turns off the summit after a little while without snow ;)
Okay, I think that's about it! This place is rad, the guides are awesome and the clients come to have fun and laugh a lot. I can only hope to spend another SA summer there someday or at least be a "visiting guide" for a few weeks each year - wink wink Anton!
Enjoy the adventure - there is nowhere like it in the world!
August 31, 2012
global tomasso from
Chile
global tomasso from
Chile
August 31, 2012
global tomasso from
Chile
global tomasso from
Chile
I just visited El Arpa for the first time on August 29.
Pros:
- the view is simply amazing, you get to see the highest mountain in the world outside of the Himalayas
- it must be an incredible place with powder snow
Cons:
- they should not operate (i.e. charge you loads of money) with insufficient snow, in our group were two Canadian instructors (excellent skiers) who left after two runs.
- our guide seemed more interested in finishing his job as soon as possible, which is incongruent with their advertising of Mount Aconcagua's view; I had to skip a run in order to have time to take pictures, enjoy the scenery and to stretch.
- our snowcat driver was extremely rude and most unhelpful; you almost had to beg to get help from him.
- when we finished our runs (we were all exhausted) we had to walk for 10 minutes carrying our skies, they should have had their pickup truck waiting for us.
- at the end, they told us we could buy beers; after paying so much money I guess it would be advisable to give a can of beer for free ... also, the guides & guests from the US were having their own barbecue, and I as a Chilean felt like you-do-not-belong-to-this-club
These guys are sitting on a gold mine but they have no clue how to make good use of it ... hopefully the next owners will provide more bang for your bucks.
January 17, 2012
scottishshredder from
USA - California
scottishshredder from
USA - California
Incredible place leaving the legs feeling like jelly. Riding next to the highest peak in South America - Acongagua, I was treated to riding 18000 ft vertical in 1 day, at the mere cost of $50 and dry Chilean pow - this is cat skiing at it's best. Nearby you can hit up Portillo. Los Andes is a cheap place to stay but not much night life - save it for the ride, you'll need it. Highly recommendable.
August 03, 2008
DAVE JOHNSON - CASA TOURS - OWNER from
USA - California
DAVE JOHNSON - CASA TOURS - OWNER from
USA - California
Ski Arpa is a magical place. It is a truly wild experience. Climbing out of the Aconcagua Vally, Arpa is accessed by a very adventurous 4 X 4 mining road. If this does not get your juices flowing the terrain at Arpa certainly will. The area is absolutely massive and offers magnificent views of Aconcagua, the tallest peak in the Americas, as well as the Pacific Ocean. Run by the legendary Toni Sponar, Arpa is a ski and snowboarders paradise. 1000 meter runs with tons of nooks and crannies. There is absolutely limitless touring potential as well. If you are visiting Chile to ski or snowboard make it a point to visit Arpa!
July 21, 2008
Mike Taylor - CASA Tours Guide
Mike Taylor - CASA Tours Guide
Valle El Arpa offers wide open alpine terrain. The bowls are massive, and the runs are long. It's a very unique catski operation in that there is only one drop-off; the top. From there you have a few km's to choose from via traversing/hiking in either direction with enormously rewarding descents. In the years I've been skiing there, I don't think I've done more than 5 runs in a day. This area is still pretty quiet, but Anton and Brian have really put it on the map recently. The access is a long, windy, rough old mining road up to the base that keeps you 'very alert', with the odd blockade of random goat herds. I've had a few amazing powder days here, but a lot of high speed corn snow days in the spring when everything gets nicely filled in.
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