Conditions Report
Definitely we do not handle the same level of powder Bariloche does right now. However, today was one of those days in Las Leñas. Not a single cloud in the bright, blue sky. Sunshine all day long. Perfect temperatures. No wind at all. All lifts operating, and almost all the terrain opened. What else can you ask for?
A big, big snowfall had left around 4 meters of snow around mid-July in Las Leñas. A few weeks later, another big storm dropped another 2 more meters of snow.
However, wind, high temperatures and even some rain (Yes, it rained in Las Leñas) washed out most of the snow of the base and the front of the mountain, from the top of the chair of Caris till the bottom of the mountain. Last week, it rained nonstop for two consecutive days, causing a huge avalanche in the Ceñidor off-piste, leaving it completely un-skiable.
But when it rained at the base, it snowed at the Marte sector. This means that the backcountry terrain of Las Leñas, most of it lift-accessed from the Marte chair, was pretty good.
Today, between Eduardo and Mercurio, the snow was fine (considering that there weren’t big snowfalls lastly). Maybe a bit hard at the morning and some “soup snow” after mid-day, but nothing too bad.
The Cerros Martin and Torrecillas looked excellent from the bottom. However, we didn’t make it up there.
Below the Marte chair it was too icy, as that face of the mountain has very little sunlight.
Locals sustain there is a big storm approaching the Valley, which arrives every year by this time of the year, and is called the “Santa Rosa’s Storm”. It is supposed to arrive next week, and would drop around one-more meter of new snow.
As to conclude, I would say Las Leñas is fine right now. But if this high temperatures continue, the snowpack won’t last too much. So better pray that storm to bring lots of snow so that the season can extend till October, as scheduled.
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