Finally getting back after it.

I live my life pretty capriciously, letting strange suggestions lead me wherever they do. Such is the case with Las Trancas, a friend mentioned it in passing as he listed off all sorts of areas. I was interested solely because he mentioned that Craig Kelly had been here, and returned a few years in a row. In terms of SA all we generally hear about is Portillo, las Lenas and Bariloche, but these places are touristy and busy. Which is typically not my style. Although I will visit and probable enjoy.

Craig Kelly had been a claim to fame of mine as we had double dated many years back. At the end of this double date, while I drove my Volkswagon through Vancouver, unbeknownst to us, he and his girlfriend thoroughly “enjoyed” themselves on the bed in the back. This was a surprise to me when I found out years later and a bit of a funny story about this huge celebrity/ hero of the backcountry. Sadly enough, as we all know, he died in the mountains.

Anyhow, if he had been here and returned than it must be Good. And so far I am impressed with its ability to precipitate here. It rained so hard for 20 hours the other day and had it been 6 degrees colder it would have amounted to a huge snowfall. And today I headed up and experienced some serious wind. 60-80km an hour. Super windy and then raining like mad at lower elevations. Finally it turned to snow and was falling at 5cm an hour. Dumping.

It was a burly day, the worst of the year so far. But I persevered and toured 7500ft, which felt great to actually gain on my goal and not loose more vertical. I should have a vehicle figured out by tomorrow which will make things much easier.

Ciao

P.s. So far I cannot understand a word of Spanish, I can accomplish what I want but when people talk to me I have no idea what they are saying. Grunts and pointing seem easier.

And we have landed in Las Trancas

Well a 4 hour flight to Toronto, a day with Traceys family, then a red eye flight to Santiago Chile, a night there, a 5 hour bus ride and then an hour in a taxi. Voila we have landed in Las Trancas. A foot of wet snow lies on the ground and our cabin is warm and cozy. The kids are in bed and we have cracked a bottle of red wine.

Tomorrow is fathers day, so we will enjoy ourselves, making snowmen and playing in the snow and getting acquainted with the area. 

If I can organize our car we will go skiing the next day and I will begin to explore the area.

All for now.

A photo of our cozy cabin.
and the mountains in the background

Last laps in NA before SA

Well the week has flown by and I am on my way to Toronto. I was planning on 4 days to bring me to 900 000 but I ended up loosing a bit of psyche and playing golf and going mountain biking. But then I toured a 15 000 foot day and a 12000 footer, which brought me to 880800. So I am 5 days behind and about to go 5 more into debt. All good though, because I will be in Las Trancas Chile by the 19th.

How and why Las Trancas? Well I heard Craig Kelly used to go there,  he was an acquaintance and an amazing man. If he returned there a few years in a row then it should be decent. There are natural hotsprings around, some you can ski tour to. Which, has been on my list of things to do for awhile, ski tour, shred some nice lines, drop into a hotspring, relax, and then ski home. There are a couple of volcanoes around and looks like a variety of terrain for me to play on. After a month we will most likely travel to another small town and explore some more.

 I said, WE, because Tracey and the kids are coming with me. A family trip; with a small side mission to accomplish. But I have not seen enough of my kids for the last two months, and I recognize how integral they (&Tracey) are to my happiness, life is a bit empty without them.  Somehow Tracey is accommodating to my strange dreams, and is OK with this.

I have updated greghill.ca, I was always frustrated by how my movies were not organized, now they  are organized into seasons and folders.  I like the new look. I am wondering about moving my blog to this same site, making it an “all inclusive” site. As long as I can keep the 4 years of blogging and information and transfer it all over; it may happen. As it stands this blog is a guide book of sorts to all the peaks I have skied over the years, type in a Selkirk mountain and you will probable get a photo and trip report, which can be pretty useful.

All for now. Time to board my flight to Toronto.