2010 SKI season in Bariloche, Argentina

City-Ski Breaks: Buenos Aires and Bariloche

Buenos Aires: All international flights to Argentina arrive in the capital. A stopover in Buenos Aires at the beginning or end of your ski holiday actually helps with trip logistics: from here regular flights serve Bariloche and Malargue – the gateway airports to the ski resorts of Cerro Catedral and Las Lenas. Buenos Aires is a European-style city with beautiful colonial architecture, old-world cafes, a frenzied nightlife, gourmet cuisine, large-scale shopping malls, cobbled streets lined with antique shops, and a dizzying choice of museums. The historic Dorrego Square comes alive at weekends with performers, most notably tango dancers; tango music was born in the suburbs of the city. Popular night-time activities include touring the wine bars and taking in an opera at the famous Teatro Colón.

Bariloche: San Carlos de Bariloche is 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the popular Argentinean ski resort of Cerro Catedral (or ‘Catedral Alta Patagonia’). This close proximity means skiers can actually stay in the city and catch a bus to the ski resort, opening a wider choice of accommodation and nightlife. From downtown Bariloche there are regular bus services to Cerro Catedral every 30 minutes provided by the Tres de Mayo company, with stops on Moreno Street, between Beschtedt and Palacios, and at the Civic Centre. It’s a 45-minute bus ride from Bariloche to the ski resort. Bariloche boasts an impressive setting on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and backed by the Andes. Attractive stone buildings with balconies line the streets and pretty squares. Evenings are an upbeat affair with a wealth of bars, restaurants, live music, and dancing.

Cerro Catedral Transportation (BARILOCHE)

Air Travel: The easiest way of reaching Cerro Catedral is to fly to Buenos Aires, Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE), and then catch a connecting plane to San Carlos de Bariloche Airport (BRC). There are four daily flights between Buenos Aires and San Carlos de Bariloche. Airlines include Aerolineas Argentina (Austral), LAN Argentina, and American Airlines. From North America to Buenos Aires: Aerolíneas Argentinas from Miami; American Airlines from Dallas, Fort Worth, Miami, and New York-JFK; Delta from Atlanta; LAN from Argentina; Continental Airlines from Houston; United Airlines from Washington-Dulles; and Air Canada from Toronto. From South/Central America to Buenos Aires: Regular flights link cities in Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba. Airlines include Aerolíneas Argentinas, Air Canada, Aeromexico, Lade, LAN, Pluna, GOL, and TAM. From Europe to Buenos Aires: Aerolíneas Argentinas from Rome and Madrid; Air Europa and Iberia from Madrid; Air France from Paris, Alitalia from Rome, BA from London; and Lufthansa from Frankfurt.

By Car: Cerro Catedral is 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Bariloche Airport, approximately a 30-minute drive. From Bariloche: Head along Bustillo Av. to kilometer No. 8 (Catedral intersection). Then, turn left into the paved road till you reach the ski resort access, with its free parking space for 960 vehicles. Car rental companies at San Carlos de Bariloche Airport include: Hertz, Thrifty, Alamo, and Patagonia Rental.

Ground Transportation: For a cheaper option than flying between Buenos Aires and Bariloche, overnight buses are also available and depart every hour. If flying into Bariloche, catch bus 72 to downtown Bariloche. From here there are regular bus services to Cerro Catedral every 30 minutes provided by the Tres de Mayo company, with stops on Moreno Street, between Beschtedt and Palacios, and at the Civic Centre. (Call: 02944 425648 or email tresmayo@satlink.com). It’s approximately 45 minutes from Bariloche to the ski resort by bus.

Getting Around: You won’t need a car to get around El Colorado village, everything is within easy walking distance.

Taxi & Limo Service:
- Radio Taxi Bariloche 422103 – 431717 – 525333
- Radio Taxi Aguas Azules 433338 – 433331
- Radio Taxi Limay 468300

Ski in Argentina on Colorado ski pass

Are you skiers already going into withdrawal? Extend your season by doing what some members of the U.S. Ski Team do: head to South America.

The Times’ Daily Travel & Deal Blog reports that buying an Epic Pass for next year’s snow season, which is good at six resorts in Colorado (and Heavenly here in California), will get you free summer skiing at Las Lenas, Argentina.

The ski team usually heads to Portillo in Chile, but Las Lenas is the place for extremes, with gnarly chutes and bowls. It’s season is roughly June through September, and elevation-wise, the resort is similar to Mammoth Mountain — its base area is at 7,400 feet and summit at 11,253.

Endless winter

Buy an Epic Pass for next year’s snow season at six resorts in Colorado and California and extend winter into summer by skiing or riding the slopes at one of Argentina’s largest ski resorts for free.

The 2010-11 pass from Vail Resorts, on sale now at the lowest price for next season, is good for free and unrestricted skiing and snowboarding at Colorado’s Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin resorts, as well as Heavenly at Lake Tahoe.

To take advantage of free skiing or boarding in Argentina, at the Las Leñas resort, you must buy or renew a pass and stay at one of the six hotels on the mountain. “You buy your pass this year, and you can ski Las Leñas this summer and next summer for free,” said Vail Resorts spokeswoman Kate Lessman.

Las Leñas (pictured), which opened in 1983, sits in the Andes Mountains in the western-central part of the country about an hour and a half by air and 11 hours by car from Buenos Aires. It’s known for having a good mix of slopes, from easy to extreme; “summer” snow conditions peak in July and August.

To see what hotels cost at Las Leñas, I found a seven-night stay (July 3 to 10) for a single with breakfast and dinner (lift tickets included, though you wouldn’t need that if you had the Epic Pass) for $1,927 at the resort’s Piscis Hotel; airfare and transportation to and from the resort are not included.

The Epic Pass costs $599 for adults (13 and older) and $299 for children ages 5 to 12; prices are good through May 31. You also can put down $49 now for the pass and pay the balance in mid-September. Passes also will be honored this summer at the stateside resorts for sightseeing and gondola rides.

Feeling lucky? Vail Resorts is giving away a trip for two to Las Leñas if you buy a pass before May 9. The trip includes round-trip airfare as well as lodging and meals for two for five nights at Acuario Hotel between June 22 and July 2 and Aug. 17 and Sept. 30.

Contact: Epic Pass, (800) 842-8062

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SOURCES:

“City-Ski Breaks: Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Santiago”
May 10, 2010
By Alicia Taylor
http://www.onthesnow.com
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/13/a/12233/city-ski-breaks-buenos-aires-bariloche-santiago

“Cerro Catedral Transportation”
May 10, 2010
By Alicia Taylor
http://www.onthesnow.com
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/13/a/12197/cerro-catedral-transportation

“Ski in Argentina on Colorado ski pass”
May 7, 2010
By Julie Sheer
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/05/ski-in-argentina-on-colorado-ski-pass.html

“Endless winter: Colorado ski resort pass throws in Argentina for free”
By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal blogger
http://travel.latimes.com
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/endless-winter-color-6847