Ahh that was fun…..

I awoke yesterday morning unsure of what I was going to do, I was planning no at least ten thousand feet but not particularly psyched to go up off the hill. So I called Jorge, and he said he was taking some clients up to Cerro  Chall-Huaco. The idea interested me and I followed his advice and ended up ahead of them on the 4*4 road. Jorge said that it would be plowed, which it was but Argentinian style, so I was driving way up into the mountains in full four by four mode, deeps snow trenches, puddles, narrow slippery bridges. It had been plowed by by a tractor, but he left a lot behind, anyhow slightly stressful but eventually Jorge caught up and we both made it up to the Refugio. I had thoughts that I would meet up with them on the fist summit but once I stood on top of it and looked west at Blanco’s SE face I could not wait and I was off and down an Ok run and then up this.

It was a super fun up, beautiful and fun to work through the terrain and then I skied down the  west side which was fast but not really creamy, a little catchy.  Then I skinned up Cerro Huaiquitun, as I went up I knew I had to ski back down because the snow was creamy and nice. It would be well worth the effort of skinning up it.

After Huaiquitun, I climbed up and traversed over to summit Cerro Nireco Sur and ski this nice line down. The winds had  slabbed it up a bit so it wasn’t as creamy as my last but still fun to ski.  By now the day was getting on, the sun had burned me a bit and tired me out and all I wanted to do was get home. Some struggling to get up and around toe Cerro Chall-Huaco and then back down to the refugio and home. 10500ft, 4 summits taking my total for the year to 56 summits.

This area impressed me a lot, the whole 4*4 drive had cool ski touring right off the road, and then the area that I skied through was endless, 1500-1900 foot runs, and lots of them. I am truly glad that I came here before I left, it showed me how much there really is to do out of this town.

Home to quickly shave and then go out for our second anniversary date, a month early since I will be missing it in Sept. Super tasty 7 course meal, with a gorgeous date, and then home.