Snowsure: 3.2
- 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
- La Parva is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for La Parva 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 10, 2009
Haroldo from
Chile
Haroldo from
Chile
La Parva is a good ski area. However, I like to ski black runs and on weekends the ones that are packed are usually used by race teams. Other ski areas have added lifts and terrain but La Parva hasn't, so all those new apartments have to do with the same old lifts. I think things were better at La Parva 10 to 20 years ago when there were the same lifts but different management and less people. I usually go to Colorado.
July 21, 2009
NH.LAW from
USA - California
NH.LAW from
USA - California
I have nothing but great things to say about La Parva.
As a former international competitor, I've skied (and trained) all over the world. La Parva ranks as one of my favorite places in terms of the variety of terrain, consistent quality of snow, and importantly, the fabulous culture that you find down there. The people in La Parva, and in Chile, are really a breath of fresh air compared to other skiing destinations around the world. Rarely are there lines. Never is anyone pushing you around or being uptight even when the lifts breakdown.
La Parva, Valle Nevado, and El Colorado have always been about the skiing. There are always ample groomed trails. There is an abundance of off-piste opportunities. There are no trees. It is literally impossible to feel overcrowding at this place.
I bring a small group of junior racers to La Parva to train each year, so I have the published schedules concerning training availability. It is invariably limited, and it is apparent that the focus is to accommodate the public rather than the racers. At any rate, my primary purpose in bringing racers to this place is to 'free ski' them more than 'gate train' them anyway, because it's so great.
Santiago is close. It's a fabulous city.
If you haven't already figured it out by now, my cup is half-full. Skiing my whole life is probably the reason I feel this way. La Parva is one of my favorite places on the planet. However, at least as far as skiing is concerned, I feel compelled to write and give a different perspective. If you're naturally uptight, and expect things to happen "to the minute," you should probably find a chalet in Switzerland. However, if you want fabulous skiing in a country with really great people that allows you to get what the essence of the sport is all about, come to La Parva.
July 19, 2009
Camshaft
Camshaft
I bought a place in La Parva and think it is only fair to give other potential skiers an overview of the runs and the problems some try to play down. Of the black or 'expert' runs on their trail map, this is how they are used and maintained:
Vegas Norte Never completely packed, partial pack is for racers most of the day
Vegas Always packed
Vegas Sur Rarely packed, when it is it is for racers most of the day
Lomo Vegas Never packed
Manantiales Packed 70% of the time
Carancho Never packed
Aguilas Norte Packed every 4 or 5 years
Aguilas Sur Packed 50% of the time
La Pared Packed 20% of the time
La Muela Never packed
'Never packed' means unskiable 90% of the time, only when there is powder after a good storm with little wind.
As for the good red or 'advanced' runs, they are slightly more consistently packed, for example, Quebrada Verde and Alpha are generally closed for races most or all of the day. The ski teams are abundant all year, in particular on weekends, so in the morning there can actually be 50% of the runs closed for training, often until noon or later. When the foreign teams arrive in August, it just gets worse.
As for lift maintenance at La Parva, they seem to have little regard for paying customers. So far this year the Manzanito lift, which takes most of the residents to the upper lifts, and must be used if you go out of bounds to the north, has broken down several times, producing horrendous line ups for La Paloma, the back-up.
The number of beds in La Parva has tripled in 15 years, but there are no new lifts, which says it all. And if that isn´t enough to convince you of the focus of the area management, try to find out where they put the supposed US$ 800,000 in runs and infrastructure this year. I couldn´t. And try to find where the 145 cm of snow is that their website says they have. Valle Nevado, which always has more snow, boasts a 50 cm base (???). They just want to sell more apartments, and milk the aging infrastructure.
There is interesting terrain in La Parva, but there is in all the areas around Santiago. Portillo and Colorado definitely have more expert runs, and Valle Nevado generally better snow conditions. Have fun, but choose wisely.
July 09, 2009
Rodrigo from
Chile
Rodrigo from
Chile
The 3 valleys near Santiago are great places to ski. I believe the main differences are a consequence of the country's economical and demographic conditions. Here are some facts:
Chilean ski resorts are poor in infrastructure and grooming technique or capacity. The best lifts are in Valle Nevado.
There is a high season and a low season. In high season all the lifts and runs are working and groomed. In low season they open the main lifts, but you can always go to most runs. Winter break (last 2 weeks of July) and weekends are really crowded, so if you plan to ski alone don't come these days. During the 'low season' El Colorado and La Parva usually rent 1 or 2 slopes to ski teams, but nothing serious, plus they don't ski all day.
If there is a storm they usually close most lifts for security and after a storm they also don't open all the lifts, so you have to call the resort and ask if they have the main lifts open. In La Parva they often close the main lift (Las Aguilas) and open after 11-12, but if not it is not worth going to La Parva. The same for Valle Nevado, if the Andes Express is not working, better go to another place.
The altitude or direction of the slopes is not a very important fact in order to make a decision. I usually don't care about the amount of snow, as the quality is more important. The south slopes at Valle Nevado are in shadow in the afternoon. They have more snow but what snow....rock solid.
The road to the mountain is a joke and during the weekend it is very crowded. Avoid to go up on the weekends.
If you want to ski a whole mountain go to La Parva or Valle Nevado. If you want good slopes but a single cone shaped mountain go to El Colorado. After a couple of rides you don't know which slope to ride.
La Parva has family areas to ski, so you can't ride on snowboards. I don't recommend it to go snowboarding.
If you want great snow go after a good storm. But that condition is the same for all resorts.
June 24, 2009
martin from
Chile
martin from
Chile
To clarify:
-Valle Nevado is facing south, therefore the snow lasts longer and stays softer for longer. It has the only high speed quad in Chile and has some good runs and off-piste. It caters mainly to foreign people since all it has is hotels and some apartments.
-El Colorado is popular because of how easy it is to ski there. There are big parking lots, the tickets are cheaper, and there is a big cafeteria at the bottom of the hill. The downside is also its strong point: many people go there because of its easy slopes. All the runs are similar since it is cone shaped. Also most of the runs are flat and there is no off-piste at all. So don't go if you like big mountains. There are 2 or 3 hotels so the reason locals like it is because of how easy it is. However, a foreigner should go to either of the other two.
-La Parva. has no hotels, only private apartments that are sometimes rented for a lot of money. But, in a sense, it is worth it because it has the widest variety of slopes and a lot of terrain for powder skiing. You can hike up to the peaks for 5 minutes or so and get sick terrain. And if you're not in the mood for hiking there's still a lot. It is true, there are a lot of ski teams. That is because La Parva has the only FIS downhill in the central area. Portillo and Chillan are the only other resorts in Chile that have a homologized downhill run. The teams are on the runs from 7 am to 10 am. Lifts open at 9 so by the time you are getting on the lifts they are going in for lunch. La Parva is where Chilean high society go so you won't see any day skiers since everyone has their own place.
My personal opinion:
La Parva is better if you have a place to stay, or even if you are going up for the day. Valle Nevado is good if you want to go and ski two hours a day and then go in and get in the hot pool and drink Pisco Sauer. Colorado is good if you are coming up for the day, have little money and want to ski park or learn how to ski. If you are an experienced skier and want to go and actually enjoy skiing, go to La Parva. There's a lot of experienced people there year round and as far as lift security and opening times, there is only one that is bad and that is in Colorado. The lifts are old but there hasn't been an accident in approx 10 yrs. In La Parva a motor broke down, but no one was hurt. Everyone got safely evacuated.
June 12, 2009
Andreas from
Chile
Andreas from
Chile
I love La Parva. I have been skiing at La Parva for the last 10 years and I have to say It`s the best ski resort in Chile. It never gets crowded enough and you have amazing lifts to access the off-piste. I love the fact that La Parva has lots of different restaurants so you can choose what food to eat. You can find great slopes for beginners and amazing slopes for the pros. Definitely a great ski resort. If you come to Chile you should visit La Parva for sure.
May 24, 2009
Camshaft
Camshaft
A warning for those who would chose La Parva over the other areas close to Santiago: it is for ski teams and privileged brats, with not much left for the rest of us. They are focused on the real estate side, have not put in a new lift in over 15 years, rarely open all the lifts they do have, and definitely do not tailor to expert or powder skiers. The few black runs there are getting used by ski teams, or go unpacked and are thus unskiable. There may not be many lift lines, but on weekends when there are, anarchy reigns and the quads have 1, 2 or 3 people riding as much as they have 4. You can escape to La Chiminea or elsewhere, but off-piste is rarely good due to the western/windward exposure and warm temperatures. When it does get a good dump, the lifts are slow to open and the ski patrol/lifties/racers/brats hack up the best slopes before they let you even get on a lift..
I hope you get a good day at La Parva; they do exist, but you might as well not risk it.
September 01, 2008
Martin from
Pakistan
Martin from
Pakistan
August 12, 2008
Cristobal from
Chile
Cristobal from
Chile
I agree on what you have generally said before, specially on what Rafael said, that La Parva is a Real State company and Colorado and Valle Nevado are true ski resorts. But I disagree with James, when he says that La Parva has the same snow as Valle because they have the same altitude. Because La Parva has mostly west faces, the sun hits very hard on the afternoon causing the snow to degrade very quickly compared to Valle that has south faces, mostly. It's obvious that altitude is not the only thing that counts...
July 12, 2008
Olivia from
United Kingdom
Olivia from
United Kingdom
I was in La Parva last August when they were recording very high snow levels and after skiing Valle Nevado and El Colorado and seeing the levels they were recording, I can say that La Parva were giving the amount of snow that had fallen all season. It would appear they are doing the same this season which does make the reports very misleading. They were totally inaccurate last year when various sites reported La Parva as having the best snow.
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