For me, it's a very important to choose a right guide prior to any of my backountry trips and yet I get to speak to people, who don't find that important. Every serious backountry shredder will tell you that choosing the right guide is the first step to truly enjoy the snow blanketed parts of our world. Based in San Carlos de Bariloche, Lake Districts of Patagonia, Andescross, a small group of professional mountain guides might be a good tip for those looking to explore this pristine land. Growing up in the area, learning to love surrounding mountains, living there most of the year, guys at Andescross have a perfect background; rock climbing the granite towers in the summer and skiing the chutes in between them in the winter. And who will better show you around than locals?
meet Jorge Kozulj, the local guide
There are some beautiful hidden spots to ski right outside Bariloche. One of the best tree skiing areas is Cerro Lopez, great views from the top of the Andes Range, Mt Tronador, and other volcanoes in Chile will make your day an unforgettable experience. Refugio Frey, a renowned ski hut sitting beside the lake in the peaceful wilderness of Nahuel Huapi National Park is another gem: a cirque of golden granite spires and the couloirs in between the towers coming down to merge at a frozen lagoon. This is a must for every backcountry skier.
one of the nicest classics around Bariloche
Those looking for a remote, untouched backcountry terrain, the Chilean Central Patagonia is to be at. This remote place where only farmers and gauchos in a secluded village live the entire year and where winds, peaks and glaciers gets a bigger dimension offers all kind of untouched terrain only a handful of people have explored. The list goes on and on, the Land of Fire, a snow paradise with mellow bowls or Volcano Puyehue, a crafter full of snow with Alaskan feel to is just a fraction of what can be shred here.
setting up skin track in the backcountry of Argentina
In addition to backcountry skiing trips, guys at Andercross run climbing, trekking or hiking trips all year round so whether you are after climbing some of the big towers satellites of Massif of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, trekking traverse in the Patagonian Ice cap, or hiking in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Andercross make it happen.
To find out more about Andescross, visit their website.
Photos: © Jorge Kozulj @andescross
Source: http://www.andescross.com
