SMS Freeskiing: July 2012

SGT ARGENTINA

Pt. 2

Nikita and I have been shredding the mountain with our guide Pete and the other guys in SGT for a few days now and we couldn't be happier, except with some more fresh snow. We were lucky to get some fresh yesterday and it made the skiing really really nice today.

We are now used to the really awesome daily routine consisting of tasty homemade breakfasts, picking up our bag lunches on our way to the lifts, skiing until 4 or so, returning to the hotel for tea time, swimming in the indoor/outdoor pool, ending with delicious homemade dinners. We have it so good and I will remember this trip for the rest of my life, and it's not even halfway over.

The second day on snow started off with some drills with learning how to use our backcountry gear -- our transceivers, shovels and probes. It was very interesting to learn exactly what to do if we were ever involved in an avalanche.

Pete and Mauri school us on the basics

After lunch we hiked up to the Catedral's side country, "Laguna," which had great snow despite the lack of recent snowfall. Great views from up top.

After the hike up Laguna

Nikita scopes his line

After Laguna, entering El Bosque

Another great day of skiing. So many more to come....

SGT ARGENTINA

The journey from VT started at a little after 2 am on Tuesday, leaving SMS during an impressive thunder and lightning storm, lighting up the sky for my drive down to the airport in Hartford. The day long layover in Miami would be well worth the early departure -- I would get to see my family and eat some delicious Cuban food.

MIA INT airport is by far my favorite place to people watch, with people from all over the world scattered throughout the terminals coming and going. While waiting for the 8:30 pm flight to board I was greeted by Greg, who noticed my SASS backpack and asked me where I was headed. Turns out he was headed down as well for his second year and immediately upped my stoke factor, telling me how awesome the trip ahead of us was going to be.

We arrived at the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires a little after 6am to cold temps and the scent of diesel fuel and cheap cologne. Not in Kansas anymore. We cleared customs and waited for our bags. Somehow my giant duffel had made it but my giant orange ski bag was left behind. The same thing happened to Greg, as well as another girl who was coming down for SGT. Naturally, we were a little discouraged and frustrated that the most necessary pieces of our gear would not be arriving at the same time as us.

After going through security we were greeted by Tomas and Oscar, both SGT employees who helped us make the transfer from Ezeiza to Aeroparque airport, about 45 min away by bus. We rode through the center of Buenos Aires, and up Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest streets in the world -- up to 7 lanes in each direction and flanked on either side by parallel streets of two lanes each. A foreigners driving nightmare, and polar opposite from South Londonderry's complete lack of traffic lights.

A cafe con leche was in order after the near sleepless overnight flight and bus ride once inside the airport, located right next to the Rio de la Plata, the super wide like river that empties into the Atlantic. I met up with Nikita and his parents, along with other people with the SGT group. From there it would be a 2.5 hr flight southwest to San Carlos to Bariloche.

Buenos Aires' urban sprawl and the Rio de la Plata

On the flight I had my first Alfajor, a Argentine chocolate cookie with dulce de leche and and layers of other deliciousness. During the final approach we got our first glimpse of the Southern Andes / Northern Patagonian snow covered peaks amongst the clouds. We landed with some serious gusts and tough visibility.

Arrival in Bariloche

We waited for our van to bring us from the airport to Area 41, SGT's lodging. After a short wait we BRIMMED a Sprinter, yes a Sprinter, with all of our gear and headed towards Cerro Catedral, our mountain for the next two weeks!!!

The ride was spectacular with views of the Northern Patagonian tundra and snow capped peaks. The wind was blowing so hard the loaded sprinter swerved on the highway, even though we had the mass of a loaded Mack truck. I managed to get a few shots despite sitting with my back being turned and several bags to all sides of me, let alone the other 11 people.

Somehow SMS Sprinter #750 showed up

Nikita's (hair)

We arrived to Area 41 and settled in. Shortly after check in we got all of our gear : backcountry beacons, shovels, and probes. Down here they do tea time consisting of coffee and tea, toast and croissants with spreads like jam and dulce de leche. We had a brief intro from the staff and were given team assignments. Dinner was excellent with soup, salad, gnocchi with steak as the main course, and dessert.

Wake up call at 8 was done by Lucas Moore, with loud 80's music. We all got up and ate breakfast and got our gear on. A 2 min walk up towards the base area took us to Targe, where we picked up our bag lunches. I also had to rent skis since my ski bag hadn't shown up. From there Nikita, Pete, and I took the lift up the mountain. I'll let the pics do the talking.