Locked and loaded for SA

[TheOctopus]

The deal is done and Ms. Octopus and I are Las Lenas bound, leaving August 7th and returning on the 17th. Eight days of steep (and hopefully deep, if it ever resumes snowing down there) skiing await!

Any advice from LL veterans? We've also got a day to kill in Buenos Aires. Any suggestions for sights to see or things to do?

Glad we could put together such an amazing last minute trip. Anyone else got South American plans this summer (winter)?

[M@]

pix
updates

please
M@ :ducttape:

[DMC]

BA is a great place to pick up leather goods...
-When you deal with the locals - barter with the pesos. When you reach a price in pesos, pull out some good old USA greenbacks and bargin even lower..
-BA has a climate like San Fransico...
-I like a resturaunt that had the words "Pomme Frits"(fried potatoes) in it... It's like a fast food steakhouse...
-Check out their version of little Italy.. Good food and stuff there...
-DONT ORDER A HAMBURGER!!! Unless the waiter tells you for sure it's beef... I had horse and goat down there...

Las Lenas is great everything you'll need is there.. Lot's of really good skiing of the top mesa...
The front side has some marked steeps..
Be sure to jump the cornice facing the hotel.. Thats really cool...

Like anywhere else. Try to find someone who's been before and ask them to take you to cool spots..

[elwood]

Please bring your camera and give us a full update when you get back. I know Ms. Octupus will be with you, but pictures of latino women are always welcome!!! :D

[TheOctopus]

DMC -- thanks for the helpful information! We're totally psyched for this trip. Especially psyched now that I'm done with the 3-day Ohio bar exam (which I had to take after moving here even though I'm admitted in Massachusetts - argh!). This is a well-earned trip.

Elwood -- will see what I can do about the Latin women for you. No promises in that department. You might have to settle for pictures of a very attractive Mrs. Octopus hucking some cornice or skiing a steep couloir.

All y'all -- I *can* promise, though, pictures and a trip report. Getting a new camera for the trip and we're going to burn up a ton of film, with the idea that something good will come out. Last trip my friend and I took that approach and we shot 160 pictures over 4 days in the Sierra backcountry. Got some *amazing* shots.

[BladeGirl]

TheOctopus:
The deal is done and Ms. Octopus and I are Las Lenas bound, leaving August 7th and returning on the 17th. I confess my jealousy here. Blademan and I are off to Europe (France & Italy) later today for 11 days. Oh sure there'll be history, culture, great food etc. but NO SNOW! I mean, whats the point of flying all those hours, going through the security lines, customs, and so on if theres not going to be snow at the other end? *sigh* Have a great trip and I look forward to seeing the pix when you get back.

-BG

[Mumster]

BladeGirl:
[QUOTE] Blademan and I are off to Europe (France & Italy) later today for 11 days. Oh sure there'll be history, culture, great food etc. but NO SNOW! I mean, whats the point of flying all those hours, going through the security lines, customs, and so on if theres not going to be snow at the other end? *sigh*
-BG I totally agree. The hubby and I are off to Athens next week, and the notion of all that airtime, without :snowflakes: :skifemcool: , is depressing.

[M@]

Wow - so much travel on this board. We're going NO WHERE this year. Maybe NYC for a weekend, but with the little little kids we gotta stay near the home fire.

M@ :ducttape:

[RR]

Hey BG,

Take your blades if you can. La Marmolada has lifts running to get you up to the glacier. Trust me, there's a bunch of snow on that glacier, a whole bunch!

The lifts opened July 5th. We were in Venice on that day and the trip was nearly over, so we didn't get any turns. There's a little bit of walking involved, but a Tux veteran will not mind that in the least.

Have a great trip!

RR

[Castlerock]

I don't get it. How can you get from France to Italy and not go over the Alps. There must be at least 10 ski areas open for skiing now. Just do it!

[Mumster]

M@:
Wow - so much travel on this board. We're going NO WHERE this year. :ma: :ducttape: :
True, but you get to celebrate the "little bananas" birthday. I take it you are giving her a pair of skis???? Don't forget to take a :camera: . Little kids are SO cute on skis.


C'mon RR and Castlerock, you are making me jealous. How about some ideas for ski diversions in Greece? It isn't too late to pack our :skis: 's.

[Skilasnow]

TheOctopus:
The deal is done and Ms. Octopus and I are Las Lenas bound, leaving August 7th and returning on the 17th. Eight days of steep (and hopefully deep, if it ever resumes snowing down there) skiing await!

Any advice from LL veterans? We've also got a day to kill in Buenos Aires. Any suggestions for sights to see or things to do?

Glad we could put together such an amazing last minute trip. Anyone else got South American plans this summer (winter)? In the center of town Las Lesans, the shopping center La Pyramide, there is a french fondue restaurant called El Refugio. The owner, Eric Josserand co-wrote a book called "Ski in ... Las Lenas" It has three maps of off piste skiing. The owner (at least three years ago he still ran it) is ski patrol from Coucheval, France, and spent a lot of time and energy writing up the best of Las lenas. It is a must have for anyone seeking out the steeps and couloirs, he gives every named couloir on the maps a brief synopsis like this one:

Map 2, #5: Sin Salida (No Exit), An extremely dangerous couloir. The entrance is on the early part of Eduardo. It is relatively easy at first (40 deg.) with good snow, but it becomes progressively steeper (50 deg) with hard snow until and Ice waterfall blocks the decent.
- descent I Carne Cruda (Raw Meat), is very narrow with a 50 deg. slope
- descent II Vegetariano (Vegetarian), is more difficult than (I), being 1.9 meters (2 yards) wide. It is recomended to descend in parrallel steps, or perhaps by magical means.

I hope he is sill there and the books are still available, maybe I could send you mine, except that I am missing one of the maps.

[TheOctopus]

Las Lenas -- thanks for the tip! I've tracked down Mark Lizza's out-of-print book (South America Ski Guide) which gives some informtion about the goodies to be found off of Marte (and more importantly, how to find them). There's not much detail, though, nor is there a great depth of information. And there aren't any maps (I love maps!)

I hadn't heard of Eric Josserand's book, but it sounds like *exactly* what we're looking for. Hopefully we can get ahold of a copy of it down there. Did you pick yours up directly from the restaurant? Is it en espanol? (Although mine is lousy, Mrs. Octopus has a solid working knowledge.)

[TheOctopus]

Nearly done getting things together for the trip. Just finished tuning and waxing the skis. I love the smell of the wax, especially in August! Woo hoo!

After some deliberation, I'm opting *not* to take the heli-skis. Going with the more versatile R.exs. I figure, also, that this decision will guarantee a big dump that'll make me wish I'd a-brought the big boys....