South America is known for its tropical rainforests, sunny beaches, and iconic destinations like Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands; nonetheless, the southern continent is much more. Most of us haven’t thought about the exhilarating snow-covered wilderness of the June-to-October winter months of the southern hemisphere.
It might surprise you that there’s an amazing selection of exhilarating winter season sports and activities here, especially in the majestic Andes Mountains and the untamed Patagonian region. On the southern continent, you can snowboard and ski, and climb glaciers or ice formations among breathtaking, often untouched landscapes – and usually without hordes of tourists running into each other like in Europe or North America.
Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a nature lover, South America will keep you busy hitting the slopes, exploring the icy wilderness, or simply getting away from the increasingly intolerable heat of the northern summer.
Below, we’ve highlighted the top winter sports activities in South America and the best places across the continent to enjoy them.
Resort-based skiing and snowboarding: Where ‘going south’ is a good thing
In terms of winter activities, skiing and snowboarding are clearly two of the most popular on the planet, and South America delivers top-tier experiences for both.
Located in the world’s longest mountain range, the Andes, modern ski/snowboarding resorts offer world-class facilities with access to high-altitude and deep-powder slopes. In addition, they accommodate a broad spectrum of adventurers at various skill levels, from relative newbies searching for a groomed slope to experts seeking deep snow and powdery descents.
On the continent, the best-known ski resorts (ones like Valle Nevado and Portillo in Chile and Cerro Catedral and Las Leñas in Argentina) are top destinations when it comes to hitting the pistes for your downhill rush.
Located on those pristine slopes, luxury resorts such as the Portillo boast alpine lodges feature private fireplaces, gourmet dining, and paradisaical spas. Some lodges even offer heated outdoor pools, personal ski butlers, exclusive après-ski lounges, out-of-this-world trekking, and ultramodern fitness centers – all set against breathtaking mountain backdrops.
For chasing snow year-round, think South America for your next skiing and snowboarding adventure.
Backcountry skiing and heli-skiing: Learn the ABCs (“Always be carving”)
Many seasoned skiers look for even more thrills by escaping the confines of traditional resorts. They find that adventure activities like backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and heli-skiing are right up their alley. To experience these, skiers make their way to natural, ungroomed, unmarked wilderness areas, well away from the spruced-up grounds of ski lodges.
In these remote areas of the Andes Mountains, they find their own paradise in long, steep descents. Away from the crowds, the backcountry offers untouched powder and pristine landscapes. Here, one can create a connection to nature deeper than what’s possible back at a resort.
Nevertheless, because of the terrain’s unpredictability, given unknown snow depths, avalanche risks, and unanticipated cliffs, backcountry skiing requires more skill, knowledge, stamina, and equipment. Despite this, it’s all worth it to veteran skiers anxious to break from the crowd and carve their own tracks through untouched snow.
Some of the best South American backcountry skiing on earth — such as with travel companies like Andes Heliboarding — can be found and thoroughly enjoyed in Chile. Heli-skiing literally takes skiing adventure to new heights as skiers fly out by helicopter to distant, otherwise unreachable, mountain sites. Carefully selected drop-off locations are chosen in advance after the snowpack has been evaluated to confirm its safety. At these locations, a helicopter can safely land and allow all members to exit. (This runs counter to the persisting misconception that skiers somehow jump out of the airborne helicopters to land onto steep and dangerous slopes).
Once carefully dropped off at a predetermined site, the small group of skiers will be led by highly skilled professional guides who strive to minimize any risks associated with this activity. This allows skiers/snowboarders to enjoy the natural environment and the infinite joy of heli-skiing with a feeling of security.
At the site, you’ll then watch the bird take off, each skier feeling the percussive thump of the rotors in their chest. After kneeling in the snow with everyone shielding their faces from the blast of wind and swirling snow, silence soon rushes upon your group. From that moment on, you’ll practice your stem turns and eventually carve your way through knee-deep powder, delighting in the long descents down some of the most stunning slopes on earth.For the ultimate backcountry skiing adventure, think South America.
Ice climbing in South America: Where it’s not the summit that matters, but the ascent
If someone’s asked about winter sports in South American, at best they’ll come up with the idea of skiing. It’s hard to imagine that the rather obscure sport of ice climbing would come to mind. Nevertheless, this activity is slowly popping up as an attraction to cool-blooded outdoor enthusiasts in search of new challenges.
For those unfamiliar, ice climbing is a suspense-filled adventure sport that consists of —as its name implies— scaling walls of frozen water. For this, the climber relies on an arsenal of specialized items; equipment such as harnesses, modern ice axes, ice-gripping crampons, rope lines, helmets, belaying devices that serve as a safety brake on ropes, and deep-penetrating ice screws that can remain firmly bolted into the ice in case of a fall. But more than tools, the sport demands both strength and technical precision. These qualities allow the climber to scale their objective safely and successfully.
The “routes” or walls for ice climbing vary significantly. These include anything from seasonally frozen waterfalls and permanently frozen alpine couloirs (mountain crevices) to ice-covered rock faces and even large hanging icicles.
Though you might be surprised, some of the world’s most demanding and rewarding opportunities for ice climbing can be found in South America. This is thanks to South America’s towering Andes, its enormous yet snail-paced glaciers, and frigid Patagonian weather.
Indeed, Patagonia offers ideal conditions for ice climbing. In this vast area, experienced climbers dream of Argentina’s Cerro Torre Mountain and Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Further north, however, Peru’s Huascarán mountain and Ecuador’s dormant Cayambe Volcano also promise unforgettable high-altitude ice-climbing experiences.
In short, the thrill of ice climbing in combination with the beauty of South America and its exotic cultures makes the continent an awe-inspiring must-visit destination!
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Snowshoeing and cross-country trekking:Where the journey’s as compelling as the destination
For those looking for an adventure in the continent’s winter wilderness — but at a more relaxed, one-step-at-a-time pace — snowshoeing and trekking through South America’s stunning landscapes is a peaceful and immersive way to experience it.
When on a trekking adventure through areas of deep snow, hikers are kept from sinking thanks to wide, modern, lightweight snowshoes. These allow travelers to make their way across the deepest snow covers to reach even isolated areas where they can enjoy the sheer beauty of the continent. Also, snowshoes are great for beginners and young families wishing to discover South America’s winter wonderland since the shoes require almost no training.
Snowshoeing and trekking in general can help reveal the breathtaking nature of Patagonia. So where are some of the best spots? We’re always drawn to El Chaltén, Argentina’s trekking capital. Here, you’ll have your pick of countless trails meandering through snowy foothills. But there’s also the almost legendary Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Patagonian region, as well as Peru’s Ausangate peak and Bolivia’s Cordillera Real. All of these are dream-like worlds for astonishing hikes over snow-covered terrain.
Far off from traditional and well-worn tourist routes, the wild side of South America’s winter wilderness can be experienced by those willing to lace up their boots, strap on their snowshoes, and head out on a brisk morning trek across newly fallen snow.
South American glacier trekking: Walking in a winter wonderland
Glacier hiking is the exploration of massive, snail-paced flows of ice by walking across, climbing inside, scaling up, or rappelling down these frozen goliaths. Through glacier trekking — which includes elements of mountaineering, ice climbing, and snow trekking — adventurers can witness some of the planet’s most stunning, surreal and ethereal environments.
Unlike cold-weather South American sports enjoyed during the Southern Hemisphere’s June-September winter, the safer and more comfortable season for South American glacier hiking is actually during the December-through-March summer months. During this season, glaciers are “dry” (with little or no snow), which allows trekkers to more easily identify hazards such as gaping crevices in the ice through which they could fall. You can also more easily avoid jagged house-sized pinnacles of unstable glacier ice called “seracs.” All this is to say, it’s generally considered safer to hike along such dry glaciers.
The best South American glacier trekking sites include the Perito Moreno Glacier, a crown jewel of Argentina; along with the Grey Glacier, located in Chile’s famed Torres Del Paine National Park – experiences you’ll never forget…
Andean mountaineering: Conquer the continent’s range of peaks
Spanning seven countries to form the longest mountain range on the planet, the Andes is South America’s most famous landform. Extending close to 4,500 miles across the continent, it’s home to the world’s tallest mountains outside of Asia.
Given the sheer abundance of mountains and volcanoes found here, it’s easy to understand why the Andes hosts so many incredible mountaineering destinations. What’s more, the continent’s mountains are vastly different, boasting a range of options for mountaineers of every skill level.
The Andes’ smaller peaks are ideally suited for first-time climbers. Modest peaks here in Ecuador serve as the perfect spot for people looking to learn all the necessary skills to become a mountaineer. The post-card-perfect Cotopaxi Volcano, for example, requires a relatively low level of technical abilities. Added to the fact that it’s located just outside of Quito, the country’s capital, Cotopaxi is one of the most popular mountaineering destinations for travelers en route to the country’s Galapagos Islands.
In terms of more intermediate climbing challenges in Ecuador, there are the Cayambe and Chimborazo mountains, which are more challenging due to their steep slopes and their area’s unpredictable weather. (As a side note, Chimborazo’s summit is technically the highest point on the planet. Its peak is the farthest point from the center of the Earth due to the planet’s spheroidal shape. This means a climber can brag to friends they’ve conquered a mountain higher than even Everest.)
Still, South America’s most difficult mountain is generally considered to be Cerro Torre. Situated on the border between Argentina and Chile in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, its technical and challenging ascents up sheer walls of rime ice and granite rock pose real challenges to even expert climbers.
So, whether you’re simply seeking a new adventure, or you’re a budding novice climber or an expert alpinist, South America has something in store.
Winter kayaking in Patagonia: Connecting with nature to find inner peace
Though we usually picture temperate rivers or calm lakes when we think of kayaking, winter kayaking presents an opportunity to paddle amid an icy region’s most dramatic scenery.
During the Southern Hemisphere’s frigid June-to-September months, the waters turn icy, tourism slows, and the summer crowds thin out. Those who remain are mainly paddlers. Though they’re able to explore the striking frozen landscapes, one of the greatest attractions of winter kayaking is its sense of peace and solitude.
While many travelers might delight in the wintertime of, say, Iceland or Maine, plenty travelers head to the other half of the world to experience the unique character and solitude of South America’s winter waters. Travel here comes complete with elements of adventure, unique wildlife, and jaw-dropping beauty that’s not so easily experienced elsewhere.
No matter if you’re an experienced kayaker or a curious beginner, this winter adventure is one you won’t soon forget.
The takeaway: South America, an overlooked gem for winter adventure
Take it from me (the pride-filled guy in red in the photo below): South America is a paradise for adventure travelers.
The continent offers a whole host of activities set among the world’s most beautiful and incredible winter-season landscapes. For those who would love to carve fresh tracks in the Andes, scale ice walls in Patagonia, or trek across the vast Chilean glaciers, South America’s winter destinations are experiences that can live in your memory forever. The continent possesses a perfect mix of rich modern facilities, natural beauty, and thrilling sports activities that should place South America at the top of any adventurer’s list of June-to-October “winter” travel destinations.
Alfonso Tandazo
Alfonso Tandazo is President and CEO at Surtrek Tour Operator. Surtrek Tour Operator is a well-established firm, specializing in custom-designed luxury tours in Ecuador, the Galapagos and throughout the rest of South America. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
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