Report from 11/16/22

When we pulled into Ushuaia, Argentina’s port yesterday morning from Antarctica, I immediately saw that the Godoy Central Couloir still went…

Right then, I made my plan to ski it the next day.

We got our of the hotel at a casual 10am today and zipped straight up to the Martial Glacier and started hiking.

Our hope was the skiable gully below the chute would still be holding snow.

After a 45-minute hike we hit the end of the trail and instantly saw that the gully was mostly devoid of snow…

Damn…

We continued up to the chute and the only snow in the area was in the chute.

Not ideal, but the main goal was still intact.

The booter up the chute wasn’t too bad split between two and soon enough we were standing on top.

Just before the top, 2 adult condors (2nd largest flying bird on Earth) started circling just below us at times buzzing us only 40 feet away.

We took it as a good omen.

Especially since we are just about to begin our Patagonia road trip pilgrimage to El Chalten to gaze up and ski near the Fitzroy towers.

The clouds had been in and out all day, but a big blue hole opened just as we finished our transition.

I dropped first and the snow was absolutely perfect!

I skied the chute as hard and fast as I could with my eyes glued open as big as they’d go.

The chute skied hot, fast, and splashy.

I was pumped at the bottom and got to watch Gabe rip it top to bottom non-stop.

We high-fived, hooted, and Gabe tried to get me to hike back up it and hit it again.

I was tempted…

In the end, we headed home and I think it was the right call because the sun never came back out the rest of our day there.

The walk home was a bit longer due to there being no snow anywhere on our route but in the chute, but we were in very high spirits after the epic conditions in the couloir.

Whatta day!

Thanks, Argentina

NOVEMBER 2022 REPORTS FROM ARGENTINA, CHILE, ANTARCTICA

IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Tierra Del Fuego

Photos