Riding in the gondola at Valle Nevado, the first in Chile

Southern hemisphere skiing was another activity that had long been on my bucket list before this trip began. I got the opportunity to do it near Santiago, Chile at Valle Nevado in the Andes. Treated to stunning views of treeless landscapes, I had a very enjoyable – if expensive – day of packed powder thrills.

I rented all of my equipment and booked transportation through Ski Total and was quite happy with the experience. They were punctual and helpful, although returning the equipment at the end of the day was very disorganized.

I was a little bit disappointed because about a third of the resort was closed due to lack of snow. As it was, the open trails weren’t that much more impressive than some of the mountains in the Catskills. But the experience overall was definitely vale la pena and I’d definitely do it again given the opportunity.