Chapelco

A massif above San Martín de los Andes

Chapelco, or Cerro Chapelco, is a mountain and massif in Neuquén Province in south-western Argentina. The ski station that shares its name lies 19 km from San Martín de los Andes, the resort town that serves as its base, and is reached by National Route 234.

History

The station was designed by Federico Graeff and established in 1946, and its popularity as a tourist destination grew markedly after 1970. The Graeff name lives on in the Graeff Lodge, the most important of the station’s numerous lodges. Chapelco has hosted international competition too: snowboardcross events of the FIS Snowboard World Cup in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

The skiing

The ski area is compact, with 28 km of pistes served by 12 lifts between 1,250 m and 1,980 m, a vertical of 730 m. Twelve lifts for 28 km is a high density of uplift, so queues should be short and the mountain easy to navigate. The summit sits just below 2,000 m, so snow depends on the winter rather than altitude; the season runs from June to October, the southern-hemisphere winter.

Chapelco is well set up for learners. The ski and snowboard school employs 200 instructors for all ages, and on-mountain services include eight restaurants, a rental and repair centre, boutiques, cybercafés and emergency services. Without a published difficulty breakdown, the small size and moderate vertical suggest an area best suited to beginners, families and intermediates, though the World Cup snowboardcross pedigree shows it can stage serious competition.

Character

The resort is listed for traditional charm and scenic views. Its long history, dating back to 1946, and the lodge culture around the Graeff Lodge give it an established feel, while the massif itself provides the backdrop. For visitors, the mixture of a compact ski area and extensive on-mountain services is the real story: 28 km of pistes is not a lot of skiing, but a school of 200 instructors, eight restaurants and a full rental and repair operation are the facilities of a much larger resort. That balance points to a station that puts teaching and comfort ahead of sheer mileage, and it explains why it has kept its popularity since the 1970s.

Getting there

Aviador Carlos Campos Airport, listed in our data as San Martín de los Andes (Chapelco), is roughly 19 km away as the crow flies and about two hours by air from Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires. That makes Chapelco unusually easy to reach. No official website is held in our data.