Amanda Barnes looks at some alternative winter activities
As the snow falls, most people head up to the Andes to take advantage of the great skiing. The main resorts are packed with people skimming the slopes. However, read below if you want to do something slightly different this winter.
Ice, Ice BabyFor those who fancy something a little more challenging, you won’t find anything much cooler than ice climbing. Andes Vertical will take you out for the day (or two) for a serious workout and serious fun on the stunning frozen glaciers. A car journey takes you just past Puente del Inca, dropping you off at an impressive snaking frozen glacier.
With all your equipment, and the hand of some of Andes Vertical’s fit young guides, you crunch your way in crampons along the snow and up to the frozen path. This is where the fun really begins.
With a pair of ice picks and fierce-looking crampons you hack your way up vertical ice formations, over frozen plateaus and up to standing position
before taking a breathtaking look around the pristine landscape, then nerve-rackingly absail your way back down.
Pretty heart-pumping stuff with a wicked adrenaline rush sure to excite even the most adventurous sportsmen. It looks pretty awesome and certainly helps you discover muscles you didn’t know you had (and will especially feel the following morning!) but even only semi-fit girls like ourselves managed to make it to the top. Climbing the frozen waterfall is pretty difficult stuff though.
This is certainly one of the most unique sports for Mendoza’s winter activities and the good-humoured Andes Vertical staff really make the trip. Exhausting, exciting, unusual and seriously cool stuff!
For information on ice climbing or any of their other outdoor activities contact Andes Vertical on 261 481 4074 or visit This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Backcountry Skiing
“Mendoza has some of the world’s best skiing, and no-one knows about it,” divulges Adam Stern, a former ski videographer who moved to Mendoza for what he believes is the best snow in the world. “This is the second highest mountain range in the world and no-one is here!”
Adam runs Argentina Ski Tours taking people up to the Las Lenas, off-piste or backcountry skiing for a taste of the untapped snow. “It is the Wild West of skiing,” he continues. “There is untouched powder, you are all by yourself in the mountain – it is perfect.”
Of course, going off-piste or backcountry is not an option if you are skiing alone but with Adam and his expert guides, the company has been taking skiers (beginners included) out to secret slopes that give you an exhilarating ride. The snow comes in from the direction of Chile so the Argentine side benefits from lighter, finer snow - perfect conditions creating the almost mythical powder.
To ski backcountry you put skins on your skis that allow you to grip while walking uphill and smoothly slide on the way down. With the instructors you walk to whichever part of the mountain you want to ski, spend the day on the slopes and then head back to the lodge for a traditional Argentine dinner and, of course, some great wines. Contact Adam on 15 630 0026, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit.
Bottom´s Up
There is of course plenty to do in Mendoza if skiing isn’t your thing. Sledging or culipatin (bum skiing is the direct translation) is a cheap, fun activity. Hire a plastic board from one of the outdoor shops in the city (around 15 pesos for a day), catch the bus to Penitentes or any other nearby resort, walk to the top of the hill, plonk your bottom on the board, get ready to get covered in snow and push off! Great, childish fun.
Thermal Imaginings
For those who prefer something a little more relaxed, then a visit to the hot thermal springs is a good way to winter nirvana. While the mountains glisten with snow you can sit back in the natural pools and enjoy the view while keeping warm.
If your budget is tight then the water park is the cheaper option but if you want to splash out for a bit of bubbling luxury Hotel and Spa Termas Cacheuta is the perfect spot for a lazy day.
Contact Termas Cacheuta on 262 449 0152, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.termascacheuta.com
