Nevados de Chillan Ski Resort Guide

Nevados de Chillan has the natural potential to be a world-class ski resort, as well as the undisputed best ski destination in the Southern Hemisphere. The vast volcanic mountain massif boasts almost 2000 meters of skiable vertical drop. Nevados de Chillan also receives significantly more snow than the Chilean resorts located closer to Santiago, which reside 500 kilometers closer to the equator. The scenery is also breathtaking with native forests giving way to the snow bowls resting below the conical peaks of active volcanoes that spew smoke and heat thermal hot springs.
Unfortunately, Nevados de Chillan grossly underachieves its potential. It is a lovely place to visit that could be a lot better. The main problem is a systemic lack of investment in the ski resort. The lift-served ski area only provides access to less than 20% of the overall terrain. These painfully slow and uncomfortable chair lifts were most likely purchased used several decades ago from other resorts that decided to replace them. The ancient patchwork lift system poorly matches the natural layout of the mountain, showing a lack of planning and funding. To get from the bottom to the top of the resort you must ride four separate low-speed chairs and then take a guided snowcat. The total time to ascend almost 2000 meters can extend to two hours considering lift lines. Having said this, skiing from the off-piste top of the volcano before linking with Tres Marias, which is the longest run in South America, is an exquisite experience that may be worth the time it takes to get there. The problem is that you can only do it once per day after having paid extra for the snowcat ride.
The owners of the resort obviously care more about real estate than building a world-class ski resort. To their credit, the main hotel offers a comfortable stay and a variety of activities, which makes it worthy of 4 stars. The newly built apartments also attract a multitude of snow-starved Chileans that live in Santiago and make the 6–8-hour drive to Nevados de Chillan. These visitors from Chile´s capital tend to overwhelm the lift system and crowd the narrow trails that could be wider with an adequate amount of snow grooming equipment. The almost non-existent investment in the actual ski area is a shame considering the potential of the terrain that could rival the world´s best like Chamonix and Whistler Blackcomb in terms of vertical, size, and variety.
Hopefully, the current owner will someday decide to either sell the resort or raise capital to install a modern lift system and open vast amounts of advanced terrain. Until this happens, I would recommend traveling a little further south to Corralco. Another more expensive option would be to stay at the nearby Roca Negra Lodge located outside the town of Las Trancas and use their helicopter to access the best virgin terrain surrounding the underdeveloped ski area.