My bags were packed and I was on a bus for 24 hours heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the first leg of my trip home. As we drove away from Bariloche, I watched the mountains disappear in the distance and the piles of snow turn to volcanic ash. For the past month and a half, I have been in full-blown winter, blessed by an incredibly consistent snowfall at this year's Sass Global Travel's ski and snowboard camp. I settled into seat 18 and reminisced on the amazing season spent in Argentina while I tried hard to ignore the giant snowflakes falling outside.
The eruption of Chile's Puyehue volcano in June directly affected the town of Bariloche, Argentina, which drove tourism down by 70 percent. The volcano forced several ski areas in the surrounding area to close as well as the local airport. But the efforts to clean up Bariloche and to operate Cerro Catedral were enormous and by the time we arrived in July, Cerro Catedral resort was in full operation. The SGT coaches and campers reaped the benefit of the low tourism on the mountain -- no lift lines and endless untouched powder laps.
Michelle ParkerMauri Cambilla, a ski coach at SASS, hikes to some fresh snow.Camp ran from July 23 to Sep. 3 and there were only a handful of days that our search for powder failed. The moment we ran out of untracked runs it would inevitably snow again. With the lack of lift lines, there were days when my legs could hardly keep up with the snowfall.
This year, we brought more clients deeper into the backcountry and focused on teaching them valuable skills to negotiate terrain safely. Watching clients ride lines far beyond their comfort zone definitely makes me appreciate spending my summers in Argentina and sharing that experience with them. While the skiing is what brings campers and coaches to South America year after year, the culture rich country of Argentina creates an unforgettable adventure.
MUST READ
Just because winter is over doesn't mean you have to stop skiing. Sign up for a summer camp. Summer camp guide 
Ingrid Backstrom camp
- Gallery: Spring training | Closing day
- Interviews: Torin Yater-Wallace | Chris Davenport
- Gear: Arc'teryx Quintic | Saga Outerwear
- Video: BC Boys | X Games expansion
- Freeskiing home » Action Sports home »
MORE FREESKIING
- JP Auclair
- Getting to know the thoughts, dreams and fears of skier JP Auclair
- Tioga Pass
- Skiers and snowboarders flock to Tioga Pass, despite low California snowpack
- Kaya Turski
- A video interview with Winter X Slopestyle champ Kaya Turski
FREESKIING ATHLETES ON TWITTER
You must be signed in to post a comment