Ski Trip to London

London taxi

I'm on a ski trip to London. To the site of the 2012 winter Olympics. To the shades of the Tower of London, the highest peak in the country. To the powder fields of Paddington and the couloirs off the Big Ben.

Dream on. But I am on a ski trip to London. It turns out that there is a tiny indoor ski hall in Hernel Hempstead, an hour's drive from the city. And I have two and half hours for a visit. Three if I show up late for the cocktail reception that I'm expected to attend on my business trip.

Inside the Snow Center

The main slope

The Snow Center

The ski hall is The Snow Center. It is a tiny place, the ski slope is only 160 meters long. Still, the slope is steeper than typical indoor slopes and as such, skiing here for a while is fun. The snow quality seemed also more interesting than in other places. They had a fair amount of loose snow on the slope, so it was not hard/icy as most other indoor slopes are. But I don't know if that is a typical condition for this place or if snow cat work just happened to be overdue.

I spent most of my time skiing a bumpy track that had formed in the snow. This was fun.

The bumps track

Details, details

Lift tickets cost 29£ per two hours, for adults on weekends. However, unlike almost all other indoor ski places, The Snow Center has a reservation system. You are expected to make a reservation for a specific time on the slope. Coming without a reservation is possible, but in theory they might have filled the place to the maximum capacity and you'd be out of luck. When I made a visit on a weekday afternoon, the place was far from full, however. Your mileage may vary, particularly during weekends.

It takes 18 seconds to ski the main ski slope. Luckily, the ski lift is fast.

Indoor weather forecast

Squeezing Fun Into Business Trips

You can reach the Snow Center with public transport; use trains from London, and then take a short taxi ride to the center. However, I did not have time for that. I took a taxi straight from the airport to Hemel Hempstead, and also returned by taxi to London. The Snow Center has storage lockers for your luggage.

Funnily enough, the taxi driver from Hemel Hempstead was unable to find Paddington station in London, so we ended up going around the local traffic jams for an extra half an hour.

I often end up using taxis. In the western world this can be expensive. But if the alternative is not having any fun on a trip, maybe it is still a better option. I travel a lot, perhaps not every week but certainly every second week. If I work at the office, the days are from 9am to 5pm. But on a business trip the days tend to be filled with breakfast meetings, dinners, talking to interesting people, and after-hours preparations. Or an occasional coding session. Easily from 7am to 11pm. Don't get me wrong - I love my work. But I have also made a decision to arrange some fun on every trip. Even if it is just 45 minutes of skiing indoors.

The Snow Center from the outside

Skis and Arlines

They hate each other. The airlines really do not want luggage at all, let alone an extra bag. Or - gasp! - special luggage. And the skis would really rather stay with their owner, not lost on some airport for days or weeks.

There is a lot to complain. But I wanted to tell a story about my return trip, because, for once, the story is a happy one. As usual, I'm flying on a British Airways flight. And as usual, they occasionally demand extra payment for the skis. According to the rules I'm expected to pay. But this time they waived the cost. Mostly because I ended up talking to a nice ticket agent who believed the only skier to travel to London this summer needs his equipment. Thank you, Sue!

Being a One World frequent flier helps a bit, too. And I usually keep trying after an initial failure. I often try first with the check-in agent. Then their boss. Then the lounge desk. And on the gate. You'd be surprised how often this eventually succeeds.

London, the Video



Photo and video credits (c) 2012 by Jari Arkko

Mud Skiing

Muddy skis

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was a sunny, powder-filled day, touring the backcountry of Cerro Catedral (2405 m). And evening in the famous Bariloche after-ski scene. In five different bars, all the way to 4AM. But today I'm not feeling so good. A headache. Breakfast that wants to return. I must have caught some illness. And did I mention the powder? It is raining and the powder is gone. There's only mud in the ground. And that might be fine otherwise, but we are still two kilometers away from the base. Not that we weren't warned about this, repeatedly, but I really did not want to start taking ski lifts down. That would have been unnatural. Tero chooses to walk down, but I came here to ski, snow or no snow. Oh well. I cruise through the slopes covered with grass and mud.

Yesterday

Mudskiing

More muddy skis

It is kind of fun, if a bit messy. It is obvious that skis slide better on snow than on grass. But did you know that dry grass is better than fresh, green grass? Fresh grass is downright sticky. But it is nothing compared to mud. On mud we need a much steeper slope to ski properly.

Luckily we have that steeper slope here, so at least I'm moving downwards, even if I'm not going fast. But I make it to the base, and we call it an early end for our second ski day. And head for Mute, Cerro Catedral's best after-ski bar.

The Mute bar

Below you find two videos from our journey. The first one is short, the second one tells the full story.






Cerro Catedral Alta Patagonia

There are numerous ski areas around Bariloche, but with its 40 ski lifts and 120 kilometers of trails, Cerro Catedral Alta Patagonia is the largest and most interesting one. The ski area is half an hour's drive away from Bariloche.

Lago Nahuel Huapi

The main lift lines in the ski area map are Princesa I, II, and III to the left and the interestingly named Sextuple Express and Cable Carril to the right. The highest ski lifts take you to 2180 meters. Interestingly, there are still 1150 meters of vertical difference between the top and the bottom. This ensures varying conditions. Lower down, the slopes are rather mellow, and as we found out, the snow can easily melt away. The mid-mountain slopes are in forests and bush-covered areas. Higher up, the slopes become a bare, windy mountain area.

I found the skiing in the forest areas was most interesting; there is a lot of playground. In addition, in bad weather the winds are softer and the visibility is better. We did not have the opportunity to test all the slopes, but I personally found the most interesting slopes to be under the Condor lifts (to the right in the map).

Great snow and great views

The WHAT express?

Off-Piste Routes

We skied mostly outside the official ski slopes, on the right side of the ski area map, in the forests and open slopes to the skier's left from the Condor ski lifts. The easiest entrance to this area is by skiing a bit to the left as you come down from the top station of the Condor II ski lift. Do not go all the way to the bottom of the valley on the left, as it can be dangerous. And as you near the bottom station of the Condor II, keep more to the right than to the left. Otherwise you'll end up on the wrong side of the Chusquea Culeou (bamboo) bushes, and will have a hard time heading back to the ski area. This happened on our first run.

Crossing the bamboo forest

Despite Tero's warnings, I did not believe that these bush-like plants are tough. But they are solid, wood-like material. As I tried skiing through a bush, I was lucky to be only whacked in the face and not get any more serious injuries. I did fall, however. But what is most important is, of course, that we did get a photo of the fall.

It is not a good idea to ski through the bamboo bushes

A second entrance to this off-piste area is from the top of the Condor III lift. Ski alongside the lift line until you see a progressively narrowing gully lead to the left, close to the top station of the Condor II lift. This gully can be skied, if you know what you are doing. The gully can be avalanche prone under the wrong conditions. Also, we took a route to the right soon after entering the narrow part of the gully. By keeping level you can exit the valley and enter to the same part of the area as the first entrance leads to. We saw many tracks lead further into the gully, but as far as I can tell it leads to a dangerous cliff area that requires downclimbing.

The further-away off-piste route (the third entrance)

The third entrance offers the best skiing, but is also furthest away from the ski area, requires a self-sufficient team in case of any accidents, and you'll need an hour to hike back to the ski area. Take this route only if you know what you are doing. In the ski area map this route is clearly outside the ski area boundaries.

The route begins from the top of the Condor III ski lift (see above picture). There is a sign showing the current avalanche danger level at the beginning. Continue the ridge to the skier's left. You'll be skiing above the forests. Once you come to the end of the forest and the ridge, make a steep right turn (see again the picture). Ski in the area where the forest ends and head towards the deep valley that is visible in the middle of the picture. There may be a small jump when you enter the steepest part of the valley wall. At the bottom of the valley there is a stream that you have to cross. Here you have to start walking to reach the ski area (dotted line). Soon you'll reach a traverse that runs from the top of the Esquiadores ski lift. This traverse is almost flat, and there's a point where you'll have to carry your skis up for a few minutes as well. But eventually you'll reach the base area.

Turning before the bamboos

"Luckily it is not so steep here"

Route finding in a bamboo forest

Walking back from the off-piste tour

Ski Area Food Options

The best place for lunch on the slopes is at the El Barrilete, which is near the top of the Sextuple ski lift. Their menu is very short, as it contains only pizzas and hamburgers. However, here is where the crowds are, the service is friendly, and the food is good.

The mud skiing slope

Lunch

For a quick drink, I can recommend Riders Point, a small cafeteria under the top station of the Condor II ski lift.

There's always coffee in Argentina. Cats like it, too.

Afterski

There are many ski areas and destinations in Argentina. But there is no comparison when it comes to after-ski: Bariloche is the place to be. The porteños (people from Buenos Aires) flock here to party. Every student in the country comes here for their graduation trip. Some of these visitors take themselves to the ski slopes, but all of them spend good time in the city.

Here are the primary bars and restaurants to visit:

• Mute, the best after-ski bar in the Cerro Catedral ski area. It is right under the Sextuple Express ski lift. Instead of a coat check on the door they have a snowboard check; very useful. And downstairs there is a ski rental place with a bar. Why hasn't anyone invented that elsewhere?

The Mute DJ

• El Nuevo Gaucho (the new cowboy) - a "parilla" (a grill restaurant) serving typical Argentinian grilled food.

El Nuevo Gaucho

• Wilkenny's, an Irish pub that serves excellent food as well.

• After 7, a small but nice bar, with friendly staff.

• Dusk, a nightclub. It was closed the day that I wanted to visit, however.

• Konna, a tiny beer place where the locals go.

There are obviously too many places to visit in a large party town such as Bariloche. But I would recommend a dinner at Wilkenny's, followed by a bar evening in After 7, and if you are still up for it, some more beer at the Konna.

Drinks at the Wilkenny

Important Parameters

Lift tickets cost 45 to 65 € per day at Cerro Catedral, depending on season. Argentina is by Western European standards an affordable tourist destination, but ski lift tickets are still relatively expensive.

There is plenty of accommodation at the base of the ski area, but I would definitely recommend staying in town, for the better entertainment options. And town itself is very nice. We stayed at the Softhotel, at a very reasonable room rate.

Streets of Bariloche. Or is this San Francisco?

Verdict

For most skiers, Bariloche would probably be the #1 ski destination in Argentina. There are plenty of ski areas, a lot of slopes for every skill level, plenty of reasonably priced hotels and restaurants, and of course, bars. Some of the most hardcore skiers should venture also to more pure ski destinations such as Ushuaia, Caviahue, or go after the greatest Argentinian snow in Las Lenas. But even those skiers probably want to experience Bariloche as well. I certainly did.

Views on the Cerro Catedral off-piste

Ski lift

More Pictures

End of the snow, beginning of the walk

Snow cover is getting thinner

Buy some great clothing?

Skiing in the forest

Skiing into the canyon

Mud skiing slope

Mudskier

Photo and video credits (c) 2012 by Jari Arkko and Tero Kivinen

Volcán Copahue

On the border between Argentina and Chile

So close, yet so far. I wanted so much to ski down from Volcán Copahue (2953 meters), but despite trying very hard it was not going to happen.

We are at the Caviahue ski area, the first destination on our 35 000 kilometer trip to Argentina. On day 1, we attempt to get the ski area guides organize a trip to the top of the volcano for us. They normally organize such trips, but not on this day. Apparently the local scientists think that the volcano is too active at the moment. Copahue has been in somewhat active mode recently, and is spewing off steam, smoke, and even spreading some ash on the snow fields surrounding the peak. So no transport to the top and no help from the ski area.

Our vacation spot in Argentina

The volcano

Naturally, we decide to climb to the top on our own. However, our late arrival on the previous night, late wake-up, and the time to return to the car to get our gear delays us, and by the time that we start it is already afternoon. And the peak is far away, there are many kilometers to hike, and the peak is almost a kilometer higher than the highest lift. My friend Tero has some problems with the bindings of his ski touring equipment and he stops as we reach the steeper part of the summit cone, but I continue. But by 5 pm even I give up and turn back to return while there is still daylight. At this point I'm maybe 150 meters away from the crater rim and 300 meters away from the summit. But it is good that I turned back; the return route turns out to be non-trivial, and involves hiking across rock fields. We would have been in trouble without light.

This is how far I got. So close, yet so far.

Our route to the volcano

On day 2, we are out of energy to re-try the climb. Tero's hi-tech watch shows that we burned almost 6000 calories on the climb on the first day, and we are still tired. But the sun is shining and we think we have a plan for getting closer to the top with the help of snowmobiles. We spend the afternoon touring with snowmobiles, in part because I needed practice riding them.

My first time on a snow mobile!

On day 3, it is bad weather and our last day. The snow mobile option has dried up; it is a bad snow year and we'd only get 600 meters away from the summit. We'd have to climb in near zero visibility and howling wind, at very cold temperatures. The ski area has a better route and better vehicles - "bandvagns" - but now the weather is too bad for them to let us ski down. I give up, and we spend the day driving to our next destination.

So close, yet so far. A bandvagn.

Bad weather day

Steam coming out from vents near the Las Maquinitas thermal pond

The volcano

Caviahue Ski Area

But despite not making to the very top of the mountain, our visit at the Caviahue ski area was very nice. The area is small, just a couple of runs, but the runs are fun, and the areas around the slopes also provide a lot of space for skiing.

The area consists of two sections served by the upper and lower lifts. The lower section is interesting because of the beautiful Araucaria tree forests. These massive, evergreen trees look like a strange mixture of pine and palm trees. It is easy to find forest routes on the left and right sides of the ski slope. There are some ditches (and obviously trees) to run into in these areas, however, so be careful.

Araucaria trees

Araucaria trees

Araucaria trees

To get to the upper section, one has to ski down a bit from the top station of the lower lifts. At the time that we were in Caviahue, the slopes towards the upper section were closed and you were expected to take a chair lift down to get there. However, with a few meters of walking even these slopes could be skied, as long as you were able to sneak past the yelling lifties. On a normal year, there would have been two meters of snow at the base altitude, but now there was almost none. So normally these runs would have been in use.

Climbing, with a smoking volcano in the background (what else?)

The most interesting off-piste routes are in the upper section. There is a steep face to the skier's right from the top station, for instance, and many interesting valleys and rock faces on both sides.

Skiing off-piste to the skier's right in the upper slopes

Snow dunes and other terrain features on an off-piste at Caviahue

Skiing. Volcanoes. What else is new?

Touring with Snow Mobiles

On our second day, we took a snow mobile tour with eneQene guides. The tour started with a small 4WD drive off the resort, and then we rode half a day on snowmobiles around the volcano area. It was my first time on a snowmobile, and I was surprised how hard and difficult driving on them is. Compared to skiing, one has to be far more careful about where to take the snowmobile; steeps and side-way slopes are off-limits. It was also a lot of work - at least as a beginner - to control the snowmobile.

But it was a lot of fun and we did get to interesting places with the snow mobiles. We made a brief visit to Chile and saw many snow dunes and ancient volcano craters. We also saw the half-finished geothermal plants, designed to tap into the steam that is generated when melting water from the glaciers reaches hot material a thousand meters under the surface. Hopefully these plants will get into operation, as one plant is reported to be able to generate enough power for 100,000 people.

A snowmobile and a smoking volcano on the background (again!)

And then we ended up in the Las Maquinitas thermal ponds. There are several hot ponds around the in-the-winter abandoned village of Copahue. We chose to visit a lake that was surrounded by collapsed buildings.

It was windy and -10 degrees, but I've come this far, I have to go in. It turns out that the water is warm enough, maybe even too warm. At first I end up sitting on the muddy bottom but quickly realize that is a mistake. My ass is burning from the steam coming from the bottom of the lake. The guide tells me to find a flat stone and sit on top of it.

Las Maquinitas thermal ponds

Collapsed structures near the thermal pond

Almost boiling water... I'm doing OK as long as my ass is not on the bottom

Collapsed structure at the thermal ponds

The abandoned Copahue steam electricity plant

On the snowmobile tour

After-Ski

As the owners of our hotel put it, people come to Caviahue to ski, not to go into bars. We were unable to identify any open bar on our short visit to the village.

Off-piste around the upper slopes of the Caviahue ski center

Important Parameters

Caviahue is 350 kilometers from Neuquen, the closest city with commercial airline connections. Note that most of the domestic flights from Buenos Aires leave from the city airport, AEP, so in order to get to them from an international flight you may have to transfer from the international airport, EZE, to AEP with your luggage.

On our way to Neuquen, Argentina. Buenos Aires below.

Roads in Argentina are relatively well maintened, certainly better than in neighboring countries. You can make the trip in a normal 2WD vehicle, as long as you carry chains. However, police checkpoints are frequent, for reasons that we can only guess. On our way to Caviahue we were stopped a couple of times. One of these stops included dogs sniffing through our stuff, and then having the police take apart our luggage item by item. All the way to checking out individual pills of some of the medicine that I had with me. Had they gone any further in the inspections they would have required rubber gloves. Luckily not, and they let us put our luggage together and leave. Phew! And this was for two western tourists that quite obviously were not in Argentina for any criminal activity! (Except maybe an occasional unauthorized visit to closed-off volcanoes or Chilean backcountry.)

We stayed at Hotel Farallon, the closest major accommodation facility to the ski slopes. The hotel is a 5-10 minute walk away from the ski area. If there had been as much snow as there is on normal winters, the hotel's bandvagn would have taken us to the ski area from the front door. The hotel costs were around 65 USD per person per night, including breakfast. There are plenty of other places to stay at in Caviahue, but they are in the main village and little bit further away. I do recommend Farallon, for its location, the view, and for the nice owners -- who also speak English. For a large part of the Argentinian off-beat tourist locations, that is very rare. And I had failed to learn more than a couple of words of Spanish before the trip, despite my best intentions. Being able to speak at least some Spanish is generally recommended for travels to Argentinian backcountry.

Our hotel's transport to the ski slopes

This would be the way to travel! Your own desert buggy on the back!

The guides that we used on our snowmobile tour were from eneQene. They know their way around the local mountains, and can organize anything, be it from a thermal pool visit to nights in an igloo.

Skiing, with a smoking volcano in the background

Verdict

Caviahue is far away, certainly harder to get to than, for instance, than other major Argentinian ski destinations such as Bariloche or Ushuaia. Caviahue is smaller, the after-ski and party scene is non-existent, and the slopes are small. But strangely enough, Caviahue would still be my choice for a ski destination, if I had to choose just one place to visit in Argentina.

Let me explain. If was with my kids, I'd like to have a small and safe area where I can watch them. The Caviahue ski area is perfect for this. And if I was on my own, I'd like to find the most radical off-piste touring opportunities. And Copahue certainly has them, too, all the way to ice climbing and volcano summits.

The resident off-piste guide at the Farallon Hotel

Flowing snow

Photographing the steam plant

Volcano spewing smoke

Skiing off-piste near the Caviahue ski area

Photo and video credits (c) 2012 by Jari Arkko and Tero Kivinen