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VALLE NEVADO TERRAIN PAGES

The main base area is actually one third up from the actual base of the lifts. The parking lots, ticket windows, and all the accommodations are in this area. From this point, it is a little confusing to comprehend the magnitude of the mountain. To see the full potential of the resort, ride the cat track by the ticket window down to the rider’s right and hop on El Mirador quad. This lift tops out on one of the ridges, but still does not show all the resort has to offer. So, go left off the lift to the easy cat track, Camino Bajo. In the distance the Andes Express quad is down on the rider’s right. This lift heads up to a central peak of Valle Nevado. From here most of the 22,000 acres can be seen. Everything is on such a large scale that it is a little hard to grasp. Peaks and ridges that seem relatively close are actually hundreds of miles away, and runs that look short are sometimes 2,000 vertical feet.

Expert and Advanced: From the top of the Valle de Inca lift some of the steepest and most challenging backcountry terrain is seen and assessed. This is real, big mountain skiing and riding where conditions can vary greatly, and extreme caution should be exercised. Crampons and ice axes may be useful. Valle de Inca connects with La Parva Resort and El Colorado Resort. It is possible to ride the neighboring resorts with a dual lift ticket, but do not expect to play the “I’m a dumb foreigner” card to scam a free ride. The lift attendants have seen plenty of those moves before and get a kick out of watching people walk back up to the ridge. If not totally prepared for that kind of an adventure, check out the flawless open faces in the Valle del Inca back into the valley. Both Cascada and Adrenalina off the Valle del Inca tow are rated expert, and La Momia fro mthe top of the Andes Express is, too. It has some excellent pitch to it, and ungroomed tracts can be skied to its right and left. An entertaining natural halfpipe gully runs alongside and underneath the lower sections of the Andes Express and, to skiers' right of that some excellent ungroomed snowfields can be found. The Tres Puntas poma reaches the resort's highest elevation, and is worth the long ride just for the views. Shakf is an expert descent fro mhere and, again, the terrain holds plenty of off-piste powder stashes along the way. Heli-skiing is also available right out of the base area. [TOP]

Advanced and Intermediate: The trail map rates many runs as advanced that can be readily handled by a confident intermediate. A must-do is to ride the Tres Puntas poma, which reaches the resort's highest elevation, and is worth the long ride just for the views. Vals is a long, ambling cruise doewn from there; or, Twist offers a more advanced, more direct descent. El Lazo, off the Andes Express, is another delightful groomed freeway. but, be aware that from its terminus you must ride either the Tres Puntas or Las Ballicas pomoa lifts. From Las Ballicas, Samba (rated advanced, but eminently skiable) takes you back to the Andes Express, opr Retorno-Alto leads to the El Mirador quad or back to the base village. El Sol and Charleston are a pair of long advanced runs fro mthe tops of the Andes Express and El Mirador respecitvely. You'll feel like you're on a cross-country jaunt. Be aware, however, that El Sol is reached only from expert-rated runs, and that both trails require returning uphill via the slow El Prado double and La Candonga surface lift. Tango 1, Tango 2 and Milonga are three approachable advanced-rated runs that parallel the Las Ballicas poma. To skiers' left of Milonga lies a tasty little snowfield that's perfect for practicing powder turns. [TOP]

Beginner and First-timer: Just below the main base center the El Carrusel and Telecuerda lifts pull novice riders up the mellowest runs on the mountain, although skier traffic from the base area can make getting there a challenge, and these are both surface tows that some novices may find a challenge to handle. Beginning level skiers don't have that much choice in terrain once they leave the novice/learning area. Camino Bajo is the longest beginner-rated piste; it runs from the top of the El Mirado quad. [TOP]