Planning

Day 1 Get In, Get Ready
APEX Backcountry Guides will handle all of the logistics of your pickup at the Araucania Airport (ZCO) Temuco, from there you will ride through the countryside enjoying volcanic views in route to the town of Malalcahuello known internationally for it’s quaint ski area Corralco at the base of the Lonquimay Volcano. Settle into your home for the week at El Posada Del Rio (https://www.posadadelrio.cl/) where a welcome package awaits you with a local mountain map, t-shirt, hat, souvenir, local brew or wine, and earplugs just in case. Your guide will meet you at the “picoteo” or happy hour where you can get

acquainted while staving off your appetite until dinner is served. Enjoy the company and conversation while discussing the current conditions and fine tuning the weeks plan to meet the desires of your group. The excitement of the week ahead is palpable but get a good nights rest, you’re going to need it!

Day 2 Reconnect
Get off to a great start with a powerful breakfast or just your usual cup of coffee, today is all about loosening up your muscles and getting you reacquainted with your gear. Corralco Ski Area is waiting with its iconic summit easily within reach from the top T-bar. After maxing out the resort we’ll either summit the volcano where you can see 10 volcanic summits including Tolhuaca, Sierra Velluda, Antuco, Callaqui, and Copahue to the North with the Sierra Nevada, Llaima, Sollipulli, Villarica, and LanIn to the South. Slightly North East you can see the Christmas Cone, Crater Navidad which began erupting on Christmas Day 1988 and over 13 months grew over 700 feet skyward. If the summit isn’t calling we will tour the beautiful side country to visit Crater Navidad for a look into the crater before making a descent and skinning back to the resort. Throughout the day avalanche safety will be a hot topic in order to inform you of the actual conditions and to serve as a refresher continuing your growth as a backcountry recreationalist. Either way a famous Corralco Sour with piñon infused pisco is in order to celebrate the first epic day on snow! Dinner out at Nalcas Parilla Argentina will give you the first taste of delicious South American Asado in a relaxed atmosphere.

Day 3 Fun & Ride
The first full day of randonnée/splitboard on the itinerary brings us to La Fusta, known for its colder temperatures and ability to conserve snow with many different routes to solitude. Access is easy utilizing old logging roads that tell stories of past logging operations and their impact on the landscape. During the ascent you will learn about the native trees and the Araucaria which gives our region its name and which can reach up to 168 feet high. Its genetic history dates back 240 million years with the oldest one in the world scientifically aged at 1021 years in the nearby Conguillio National Park. Once out of the trees the upper bowl appears in all it’s splendor with a dozen distinct micro-zones, from the lunar appearance of “Moon Patrol” to the strict 50 degree “DJ Fran Lee” you’ll be dancing all day with easy ups in a zone with options for everyone. From the summit you will appreciate the incredible Andes landscape with views stretching to the Argentinian border. Lunch in the bowl or on the summit followed by another drop before making turns all the way back to the vehicle. Enjoy an après drink while savoring the view of Lonquimay to the North before returning to town. Dinner at Trafwe will recharge your body with delicious handmade pasta dressed in authentic sauces accompanied by you choice of protein, add one of the best pisco sours around to complete the experience at this local favorite.

Day 4 Cultural
Let’s get to the skinning and skiing first with a mellow objective including up to 3 descents before we shift gears. We will pass through many indigenous communities while traveling in the Araucania where many of the families continue to live the way they have for centuries. Adding depth to the experience of travel fuels us to open up the world of our guests with a first hand experience of a culture profoundly respectful of our Mother Earth. A traditional meal will be served for lunch in a Ruca (hut) where our host or hostess will share stories of indigenous history and belief. We have fantastic relations with the communities of Peñi in our zone, they have always welcomed us with smiling faces, humility, mate, and conversations. Working with various families allows this program to benefit several communities while getting to know their individual cultural nuances, it also allows us to pick what zone is best during the week that you are here. Win, win!

Day 5 Flex
Relax or flex your muscles the choice is up to you. Upgrade to head back into the mountains to keep the streak alive under the power of your own legs or with a heli-bump (date dependent) to put you deep and at the top of a drop to start the day off with ease. Choose to chill out in the naturally heated hot tubs of Manzanar overlooking the Cautin river with flowing stops at the waterfalls Salto del Indio and Salto del Princesa along the way. This floating day is decided by the group and used when desired to give a rest or to maximize the perfect day with helicopter access. End the day in a pub atmosphere at El Randonnés with a South American Style burger or Veggie Burger both locally sourced and mande in house. Regardless of your preference there is an ample beer and drinks list to make a perfect pairing.

Day 6 Sierra Nevada Volcano to Termas Cañon del Blanco
This incredible tour starts with breakfast burritos and coffee in route to the Sierra Nevada. Heading South we utilize the smooth ascent along the ridge as we skin through ancient stands of Araucaria trees gaining elevation effortlessly as our object comes into sight. Continuing up the gradual ridge while enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and volcanos until we arrive at the crux. With crampons and stable footing we work our way up the last section to the summit where we are greeted by breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevada Glacier, Conguillio Lake, and Llaima with its twin volcanic peaks. From here the decent to the hot tubs heated by the same volcano on which you stand can be seen. The dream decent will keep your excitement levels peaking from top to bottom as you ski your way down to the Araucarias below to stop for lunch and a mandatory photo session of your smiling face in the magnificent beauty that surrounds us. Descending into the trees as they change from Araucarias to Coíghue we reach our destination of “Los Baños del Toro” or The Baths of the Bull where a next level picoteo awaits with frosty beverages, towels, and slippers. After soaking until completely relaxed, towel off and put on fresh socks for the short cruise back to the vehicle. To top off this experience in style we’ll stop by for an “Asado del Gaucho” with organic local lamb and vegetarian delicacies roasted over a fire pit.

Day 7 APEX DAY
You’ve seen our beloved Araucanía Andina and we give you this day to propose any objective. Options abound from the most challenging Volcanic Summits to the most remote seldom if ever skied zones and first decent opportunities waiting around every corner. Your group sets the tone for this day with all objectives considered and analyzed. If you’ve seen something in particular that caught your eye and peaked your interest we are here to make that happen for you if at all possible. Interested in going for a completely exploratory mission? Put your boots on early, fire up your headlamp and follow as your guide leads you on a once in a lifetime experience through a landscape that impresses more and more with each step. Take the Heli to access that peak “a la chucha” and spend your time on the boarders of Argentina creating lifelong memories. We encourage you to push us to go where we haven’t been while relaxing and enjoying the immersion in the Chilean Andes. Sleep in and get a late start to pull a reverse cycle by ending your day on a summit as the sun sets finishing with headlamps and beers at the vehicle while ordering the best delivery pizza in Chile. This day is an ongoing topic of discussion throughout the week so be comfortable speaking up when you hear the “call of the mountain,” we’re listening!

Day 8 Fun & Ride
Our final day on snow brings us back towards the Lonquimay Volcano and the Malalcahuello National Reserve where we will ascend to Cerro Cautin to access the paradise that lies to the east. Keep the pedal down with a myriad of options including steep rocky zones with roll overs and airs from cliffs in “Freeride” to snakey turns between rocks for a more intimate descent through “The Strainers.” Or relax for the final day with few more steps to the North and enjoy “The Pyramid of Cautin” with a long exhilarating decent to the middle of the valley and “The South Easterlies to The Forests of Gnarnia” where at the National Reserves limit the Cautin river begins its journey to the sea. Hot laps or longer shots, the vertical drop is dictated by the group in a zone perfect for crushing lots of turns or for reflecting in this sacred indigenous valley while perfectly aligned with your surroundings. When the time is right return to the vehicle while enjoying the views of Volcanos and making the last turns count. All that is left to do is send it into the night by returning to El Randonnés for a hold onto your hats party with Miércoles de Actitud where all the locals and tourists go to get loose!!

Day 9 Goodbye Breakfast
It’s been a blast! American Style breakfast with mimosas or Irish coffee is the perfect way to close out this incredible time with your group before loading up and rolling to the airport. Be sure to book a window seat on the right side of the plane so that you can look back on all the peaks you ripped during your Backcountry Fun and Ride Tour!! Those views like so many others you’ve taken in over the last 9 days will be with you forever and we’re sure you’ll be back for more.