Argentinian Ski Resort Las Leñas Announces It Will Not Open For 2020 Season
Mountainwatch | News
Las Leñas, one of the South America’s and the southern hemisphere’s best ski resorts, has announced that it will not open for the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Located the Andes in the far west of the Argentina, Las Leñas is renowned for its big mountain terrain and spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and with a base at 2240 metres is the highest resort in Argentina. The peak elevation is 3340 metres, offering a leg-burning vertical of 1190 metres.
The 2020 ski season was already under pressure after the Argentinian government cancelled all domestic and international commercial flight sales until September first. Argentina’s current Covid19 lockdown ends on May 24 and while it remains unknown whether the lockdown will be extended, Las Leñas resort management has already decided it was not viable to operate this winter. The resort management released this statement on Thursday:
“For reasons outside of our control, and mandated from the state of local, provincial, and national health emergency as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, further aggravated by the special characteristics of our workplace, which in this context make it high-risk area, Valle De Las Leñas S.A. notifies and informs that we cannot open for the 2020 winter season, we are obliged to attend this situation with the greatest responsibility and in safeguard of its workers and the general public.” — Las Leñas Management, 5/20/20
At this stage it is unknown whether other South American ski resorts will be operating with Ski Portillo, Chile’s leading resort saying that its opening is “possible but not guaranteed” and it is “preparing for different scenarios that include a shortened season with later opening dates.”
