VIDEO - South America Part 1 - Chile - Nevado De Chillan

7th of June 2011

Snowboarding South America | By Russell Holt

In September 2010 a bunch of Aussies and Kiwi snowboarders including Nick Gregory, Will Jackways, Roland Morley-Brown and Johnny McCormack - and one Chilean, Pablo Azocar - set off sideways across the earth to South America for three weeks sampling the snow resorts of Chile and Argentina. Told in five video segments, take a look at what they discovered...

Part 1: Volcanoes in Southern Chile

With the snow pack around Santiago restricting what was possible on the mountains, we took the option to visit one of Southern Chile's famous Volcano resorts.

Nevado De Chillan (formerly known as Termas De Chillan) proved a perfect start. Only six hours drive south on a well-maintained highway and we were quickly set-up in our own private "Cabanas" sleeping our crew of 6 comfortably.

The area around the volcanoes in this region is quite a contrast from the dry arid areas around Santiago. We traded Cactus for bamboo forests and thick city smog of a 7-million strong city for waterfalls and tree runs. This resorts spectacular snow pack easily left the ski resorts up north for dead and we spent 3 days exploring this expansive volcanic resort, riding foot-deep powder on a 70cm+ base. With 5 lifts and huge amount of terrain/vertical drop that's easily accessible makes the riding comparable to large European resorts.

Although unlike busy European resorts at Nevado De Chillan we never waited in a lift queue or struggled to find fresh lines, the only struggle was deciding which fresh line to take. But the true personality of Nevado De Chillan didn't show itself while we were riding 1000-foot steep powder chutes or even dropping natural cliffs and cornices that litter the mountain. Rather it not until you come across one of many volcanic thermal vents that spew steam and gas from random points all over the resort that really set the tone of this Jurassic landscape. As we rode around pools of bubbling thermal water the spell of this area sunk in - snowboarding in Chile an adventure we'll never forget.

With 2 weeks to go and Argentina and more Chilean resorts to go, we are on precipice of a huge Latino crevasse that's about to swallow us whole - the jump is pure voluntary.

Nevados De Chillan resort in Southern Chile sits on the Chillan Volcano. The size of the terrain is more than impressive. Image:: Will Jackways

Looking up to the right hand flank of the Nevados De Chillan resort, some nice steep chutes are visible that are easily accessible with a traverse. If you look closely to the right you can see some of the famous thermal vents smoking out of the mountain. Image:: Will Jackways

An hour from Santiago and you reach the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Surf anyone? Image:: Pablo Azocar

a HUGE thanks to LAN Airlines - www.lan.com