Backcountry Skiing in the Argentine Andes Tour

Located in the southern region of South America, Patagonia is home to the famed Andes Mountains. Skiing in Patagonia. It sounds so exotic, so much more daring than “We’re off to Sun Valley or Park City”….

As for skiing and snowboarding in Patagonia, what makes this area such a great option? Well, the weather lends itself to pretty awesome snowfalls, and the dry climate creates some of the best powder snow too! The Andes are vast, beautiful, volcanic, and rugged!

Overview

Estancia Río Foyel is located in the middle of the Andean Patagonian Mountain Range, in a natural and fantastic setting two hours from the city of Bariloche. Estancia Rio Foyel is a totally private 50,000 acre area of Backcountry, Horse Backcountry, and a Heli-Skiing Lodge with all the right Argentine hospitality and flair!

The guided Backcountry or Horse Backcountry Ski Tours from Estancia Rio Foyel offer the option to use this magnificent lodge as a basecamp for day trips as well as your Heli-Ski base.

Or, use the lodge for departure and return trips to THE AUTHENTIC “PATAGONIAN HAUTE ROUTE” A hut system where we can travel from hut to hut enjoying the different valleys and views. The refuges are completely equipped for overnight stays, with full service that includes all meals and lunches. This allows us to move freely through the mountain, carrying nothing but our equipment!

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore epic Patagonia
• Bilingual, full time, UIAGM certified ski guides
• 2 ski resorts in the heart of North Patagonia
• Remote Argentina backcountry and horseback country adventures out of Estancia Rio Foyel
• Immerse in the friendly mountain culture of south Argentina
• Delicious locally-sourced dinners and the best red wine

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Bariloche ( we will pick you up at the airport )

• 1st night at Arelauquen Lodge, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, San Carlos de Bariloche

Day 2: Ski Cerro Catedral Alta Patagonia Resort and evening dinner in Bariloche

• • 2nd night at Arelauquen Lodge, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, San Carlos de Bariloche

Day 3: 4×4 Adventure to our backcountry lodge Estanza Rio Foyel followed by an afternoon of backcountry exploration with snowmobiles!

• • 3rd night at Estanza Rio Foyel

Day 4: “PATAGONIAN HAUTE ROUTE” Horseback backcountry ski tour! We let the horses take us up the mountain as far as they can go and then we skin on!

• • 4th night at Refugio Alto Foyel

Day 5: 2nd day of our PATAGONIAN HAUTE ROUTE Trek, ever climbing deeper deeper into the Andes! We are on our way to Refugio de las Lagunas!

• • 5th night at Refugio de las Lagunas

Day 6: Ski back to Estanza Rio Foyel. What we gained in altitude in the last 2 days we get to ski back though some exquisite Patagonia Valleys back to a point where we meet up with our gaucho and mount the horses for the trek back to the Estanza!

• • 6th night at Estancia Rio Foyel

Day 7: Heli Ski Option Day! Right in front of the Estanze the Heli will meet us in the morning and take us up to some of the most beautiful mountains in the Andes. Returning to the Estanza for a fabulous “Assado“ spectacular lunch and back out into the Patagonia peaks and Valleys for the afternoon! This is couloir paradise!

• • 7th night at Estancia Rio Foyel

Day 8: A repeat of day 7, 2nd day of Heli skiing! Today the heli takes us deeper into the Andes, way past and beyond the 50,000 private acres of mountain the Esancia Rio Foyel has to offer! From gentle to hard-core and all stops in-between, the region offers up a diversity of terrain seldom found anywhere else: tree skiing, bowls, steeps, chutes and Couloirs

• • 8th night at Estancia Rio Foyel and a farewell party with our Argentine Family we got to know so well over the last 8 days!

Day 9: Adios Patagonia! We miss you already! We drive you back to Bariloche Airport and a last goodbye till we meet again!