Central Andes · Winter
Tres Valles Backcountry
Ski Touring · El Colorado, La Parva & Valle Nevado
At a glance
Three days of guided ski touring from El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado, about an hour from Santiago, with avalanche safety gear included.
- Duration
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Highest objective
- Cerro El Cepo, summit 4,309 m (14,137 ft)
- Difficulty
- Intermediate–advanced ski touring
- Group
- 2–6
- Season
- Winter (June–September)
- Start
- Santiago, pickup point confirmed at booking
- End
- Santiago, drop-off point confirmed at booking
- Accommodation
- Mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva (2 nights; property confirmed at booking)
- Guiding
- Guided
Overview
The three ski resorts above Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado, sit about an hour's drive from Santiago, and their boundaries open onto high, ungroomed Andean terrain. This three-day trip uses each resort as a starting point for a different backcountry objective: Santa Teresita from El Colorado, Falsa Parva from La Parva, and Cerro El Cepo from Valle Nevado. You leave the groomed runs behind, skin up into the high terrain and ski down lines chosen by your guide.
A certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) leads all three days, and avalanche safety equipment (ARVA transceiver, shovel and probe) is included, as is a resort lift access ticket where a day starts from the lifts. You spend two nights in a mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva, so there's no daily drive up from the city, and transfers to and from Santiago are included. The terrain here is high: El Colorado's runs span 2,430–3,333 m, La Parva's village sits at 2,750 m and Valle Nevado at 3,025 m.
The trip is aimed at intermediate to advanced ski tourers who already know how to skin and move in off-piste terrain and want to ski the Andes close to Santiago without committing to a long expedition. It runs from June to September for groups of 2 to 6. Ski touring equipment isn't included but can be quoted on request, and meals are not included, so you can eat in the village restaurants or bring your own food.
Highlights
- The Santa Teresita touring line from El Colorado, including the "Chanchito" freeride competition spot
- A tour to Falsa Parva and a descent via La Chimenea from La Parva
- A backcountry day toward Cerro El Cepo from Valle Nevado, with views of the east face of Cerro El Plomo
- Certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) and avalanche safety equipment included
- Two nights sleeping in the mountains, about an hour from Santiago
Is this trip for you?
- Level
- Intermediate–Advanced ski touring
- Group
- 2–6
Intermediate to advanced ski tourers who want guided backcountry terrain close to Santiago, for a short trip or as part of a longer stay in Chile. It works for groups of 2 to 6. If you don't have ski touring experience or prefer groomed runs, the Tres Valles Resort Ski Tour is the better fit.
Itinerary
Day 1
El Colorado: Santa Teresita
Your transfer picks you up in Santiago at the point agreed at booking and drives east up the road to Farellones, which climbs 40 hairpin curves after the Corral Quemado bridge. During the ski season vehicles must carry chains, checked by Carabineros at La Ermita; your transfer takes care of this. From El Colorado, a resort whose runs span 2,430–3,333 m above the village of Farellones, you skin up to Santa Teresita with your certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) and ski down its slopes, including the "Chanchito" spot used for freeride competitions.Overnight · Mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva
Day 2
La Parva: Falsa Parva
Day 3
Valle Nevado: Cerro El Cepo
Where you'll stay
- Nights 1–2Mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva
Lodging in one of the mountain villages above Santiago, close to the three resorts; the exact property is confirmed at booking. Farellones is a mountain village of stone houses, named by Chile's ski pioneers in 1932; La Parva is a ski village at 2,750 m.
Dates
Private departures on request, winter (June–September).
Hours of daylight · 33° S (Santiago)
Included and not included
Included
- 2 nights in a mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva
- Certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification) for all 3 days
- Avalanche safety equipment (ARVA transceiver, shovel, probe)
- Resort lift access ticket where applicable
- Transfers to and from Santiago
Not included
- Ski touring equipment rental (quotable on request)
- Meals and drinks not specified
- Travel insurance
What to bring
- Ski touring setup (skis or splitboard, touring bindings, skins, touring boots, poles), or ask us to quote rental
- Layered ski touring clothing: waterproof shell, insulated jacket, base layers, two pairs of gloves
- Helmet, goggles and sunglasses
- High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm for high-altitude sun
- Touring daypack with room for the included shovel and probe
- Water bottle or thermos and food for the day
- Travel insurance documents that cover backcountry skiing
Good to know
- You need ski touring experience: skinning, kick turns and skiing ungroomed snow are part of every day.
- Avalanche safety equipment is included; ski touring equipment is not, but rental can be quoted on request.
- Meals and drinks are not included, so plan for breakfasts, trail food and dinners in Farellones or La Parva.
- The terrain is high (El Colorado's runs reach 3,333 m and Cerro El Cepo's summit is 4,309 m); if you're flying into Santiago, give yourself time to rest before day 1.
- Chains are mandatory on the Farellones road during the ski season; your transfer handles this.
More in the Central Andes: the Central Andes travel guide, with when to go, the places and every trip in the region.
SOURCES · Vertic field notes · santiagoregion.com · elcolorado.cl · laparva.cl · vallenevado.com · andeshandbook.org · Daylight computed with the NOAA solar equations for 33° S (Santiago), 15th of each month
Ready to go?
FAQs
The resorts are about an hour from Santiago. Transfers to and from the city are included.
Intermediate to advanced ski touring. You should be comfortable skinning uphill and skiing off-piste.
No. This trip is for skiers who already tour. If you want to ski the same resorts on groomed runs, see the Tres Valles Resort Ski Tour.
Yes. The ARVA transceiver, shovel and probe are included. Ski touring equipment rental can be quoted on request.
A resort lift access ticket is included where applicable.
Two nights in a mountain lodge or hotel in Farellones or La Parva. The exact property is confirmed at booking.
No. Meals and drinks are not included, so you'll eat at your lodging or in the village restaurants.
In winter, from June to September.
2 to 6 guests, with a certified mountain guide (UIAGM or national certification).
Santa Teresita from El Colorado on day 1, Falsa Parva with a descent via La Chimenea from La Parva on day 2, and Cerro El Cepo from Valle Nevado on day 3.
No. Travel insurance is required and is not included. We recommend World Nomads for travel insurance and Global Rescue for evacuation and medical support in remote terrain. Both are optional partners, never part of the trip price.