Chilean Andes

Join us this summer in Chile for some of the most incredible and dramatic heli-skiing in the world. Our base of operations is in Valle Nevado—South America’s largest ski area and home of some of the longest heli runs in the world, with many runs exceeding 6,500 vertical feet! And with over 7,000 acres of on-piste and off-piste skiing accessed by an extensive network of lifts, we are ensured that there is never a "down day" due to inclement weather. As with our heli-ski operations in Sun Valley and Girdwood, Alaska, Valle Nevado is a world-class resort that caters to all levels of skiers and snow-boarders. With the resort’s high altitude (9,980 feet) ensuring epic snow conditions, you can rest assured that your family or friends (who may not be ready for the heli) will have a terrific vacation too...Meanwhile, our heli-skiers will be flying in our state-of-the-art A-star B-3 350s, and our operation has over 20 years of flying experience in this alpine terrain, accessing over 1 million acres of prime heli-skiing terrain. Suffice to say, if you’ve heli-skied in the US or Canada, you are ready for this experience.

Getting to Chile isn’t as daunting as you may suspect—there are direct flights to Santiago from Miami, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco on over 20 international and domestic airlines. And thanks to the fact that Santiago is on Eastern Standard time, our guests from the east coast suffer little jet-lag. We then meet you in Santiago and take care of the logistics from there. We can also arrange for a private heli to lift you directly to our lodge in Valle Nevado. Regardless, the transfer is painless, with Valle Nevado just 67 km outside of Santiago.

The Andes range is the worlds highest mountain range outside of the continent of Asia and the longest exposed mountain chain in the world. The worlds highest volcanos are in the Andes, and 50 of them rise above 19,800 feet! The highest peak in the Andes is Aconcagua, rising to an elevation of 22,841 feet above see level. We ski in the shadows of Tupungato (21,555 feet)—a massive stratovolcano that lies on the border between Chile and Argentina. Immediately to our southwest lies its little brother Tupungatito (19,680)—an active volcano (which last erupted in 1987.) Of course, all of this produces some incredible heli-skiing runs (some exceeding 6,000 vertical feet) and an expanse of terrain that is suitable for intermediates and experts alike.

Huge low pressure systems push up from Antartica and slam into the central Andes, dumping huge volumes of light and dry snow into our region. (The snow line in this region is at about 7,500 feet...) Yet this part of the Andes is also know for long periods of high pressure, and we regularly experience seasons with over 88% of the days with excellent flying conditions. So while we can never guarantee the weather, our operation has a long track record of success exceeding client expectations and skiing minimums...The season goes from mid June to early October.