Industry News
Kind of a good news, bad news situation out of Argentina this morning. PowerQuest is reporting that Cerro Bayo resort (near Bariloche, SnowBrains’ usual summer home), who previously said they didn’t anticipate opening at all this season due to the coronavirus pandemic, have said that if they do open, they will be opening for locals only. No tourists.
Back in April, the President of Cerro Bayo had this to say:
“The whole situation is uncertain, with the only variable being uncertainty in our perspective, in the end, we don’t think we’re going to have winter, not due to the climate nor lack of snow. We think it [Coronavirus crisis] is going to last a lot longer, the University of Buenos Aires already proposed classes to start on June 1st. This will change everything, it will be a complicated winter.”
Add to this the fact that Argentina has banned all internal and international commercial flight sales until at least 1 September due to the coronavirus pandemic it looks like the locals will have one hell of a winter.
Sadly if @cerro_bayo ski resort in Argentina is allowed to open, it will only operate for local residents. No tourists. This is a huge hit to our local hotel, restaurant and tour operator partners we have proudly supported in Villa La Angostura for over 20 years🙁 Fuerza amigos! Hopefully the locals can enjoy this beautiful paradise in Patagonia 📷 @danhudsonart 🏂 @getsalano on a PowderQuest trip with @chasewinter @hardinghama @jon_cartwright #industrynews #snowboarding #skiing #argentina#patagonia #skiresorts #cerrobayo #villalaangostura #2020 #covid19#tourism #backcountry
The fact that they’re considering opening is great news for the South American ski season and especially great news for those lucky enough to live close to the resorts. Will others follow suit and open up too? Elsewhere in the southern hemisphere, resorts in both Australia and New Zealand are gearing up for opening this week, primarily for locals too.
Las Leñas ski resort in Argentina announced a month ago that they will not be opening for the 2020 winter ski season. The premier ski resort nestled in the high Andes of Argentina said that it will not open for the 2020 winter ski season because of coronavirus concerns. Then, a few days later, La Hoya ski resort in Argentine Patagonia announced that they, too, will not open in 2020 due to Coronavirus.
“…we are obligated to inform you that we will not be able open La Hoya ski resort for the 2020 winter season.”
– La Hoya ski resort, 5/23/20
La Hoya is a very legit little freeride mountain that is never crowded and has unreal side-country terrain.
SnowBrains has spent our past 11 summers skiing at Cerro Catedral in Argentina – not far from La Hoya – and we are currently not planning on making the journey this season due to coronavirus.
