As every year, the desire to ski is strong. It always happens that in September, with the end of summer and shorter days, we start thinking about snow and carving turns in the powder. Then, in November, the usual first snowfall hinting at a (false) snowy winter makes us pull out our gear, and just to touch the first snow, we go for a climb on wet and heavy snow just to say: "first time of the season."

Then, a stroke of genius hits us: "Why not go skiing in September?" And so, on September 16, 2024, we set off towards winter in the other hemisphere, Chile!

We fly to Santiago de Chile, a comfortable 13-14 hour flight landing right in front of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Andes. Temperatures aren’t even cold here, and in shorts and a T-shirt, we stroll around the city hunting for local food and a SIM card for our phone.

Our plan is to ski, see as many places as possible, and enjoy the trip without great ambitions. In the end, we’ll cover about 3000 km, from Santiago heading "Al Sur" to Puerto Montt, at the border with Patagonia, passing through valleys and volcanoes along the way.

We quickly realize that the weather forecast won’t be the best; we’ll have to make do with what we can and hope for some luck during our trip.

On the first day, we ski straight away with jet lag still in our system, climbing a 4000-meter peak near Santiago. Starting from the ski resort of La Parva, we ascend to the namesake Cerro under conditions of little snow, gusty winds, and overcast skies. Certainly not the welcome we had hoped for, but at this latitude, we realize these are conditions you’d find in the Alps in late April. Although the skiing wasn’t fantastic, the landscapes, rocks, and colors were still incredible, and the wind in our faces made it clear that here, the wind is king.

Good, the first tour is done; now we head south toward the volcanoes, choosing our routes based on maps and photos and letting ourselves be inspired. Taking advantage of a rainy day, we spend 8 hours in our car to reach the surroundings of Chillan. The next day, we ascend the twin craters of Nevado de Chillan (Nuevo and Viejo), again facing clouds, strong winds (and some stomach troubles due to the food).

However, the snow starts at lower elevations compared to the first day, and some clearings reveal that further south, the mountains are even more snow-covered. Finally, heading toward true winter!

Another two days of bad weather. We drive countless kilometers, occasionally stopping for culinary detours, seeing the ocean, and stretching our legs and backs. With four people in the car and all the gear, it’s not the most comfortable trip of a lifetime.

Trusting the weather forecast, we head to the far south, and by the end of the first week, we reach Puerto Montt, where the roads end and resume hundreds of kilometers further in Patagonia. Here, it’s truly winter, with snow at low altitudes, and morale soars as we see that the next day promises sunshine and little wind! The much-awaited day.

We wake up and head straight to the Osorno volcano, snow-covered and with the typical shape of a volcano you’d imagine as a child. After some sliding, we reach the parking lot, where two now-closed chairlifts sit with a meter of frost on their seats. The day is fresh, but finally, there isn’t a cloud in the sky! Below us, a 40 km diameter lake... green forests and regular slopes at a steep 40 degrees covered in snow. This is the day you realize the trip was worth it. Slowly, we climb the 1600 meters of elevation to the summit, at times struggling due to ice balls that even the crampons couldn’t handle. The final meters are truly icy, with "Patagonian-sized" frost forcing us to leave the skis below the summit. But bad luck is around the corner... Just as we reach the summit, fog envelops the volcano’s peak. Everything freezes quickly, and after a while, we decide to descend anyway. The regular slopes with softened snow we had eagerly anticipated suddenly transform into a white sea where we literally couldn’t see beyond the ski tips, forcing us to descend slowly, following the trace on our watch. What differentiates volcanoes from our mountains is the lack of reference points; the volcano is round and uniform, and it’s truly disorienting in a whiteout. Nevertheless, with some motion sickness, we lose altitude, and midway down, clearings allow us to make beautiful turns in Chilean powder. That brief window was enough to have a lot of fun!

In the following days, bad weather alternates with better ones, and we seize the moments to climb the famous Villarica and then LLaima. Two exceptional volcanoes that offer unforgettable skiing.

The first is very famous and fairly crowded, even by people climbing it on foot with a guide. It’s an active volcano, so check if it’s safe to reach the summit... ask upon entering the Park. Despite the crowds, it’s a beautiful ski descent on velvet-like softened snow with endless views of the Andean range. LLaima, on the other hand, is more isolated, though it also has a small ski lift. We found no one on the route, and for the second time, we had a sunny, windless day that made everything more enjoyable. Additionally, we were tempted by its steep face, descending almost directly from the summit—a beautiful slope at 45-50° with perfect snow! The show continued lower down, skiing on velvet snow through the Araucaria forest, without GPS tracks, just following our instincts and enjoying the best slopes.

Two and a half truly frame-worthy days.

Our journey continues as we slowly head back north, making extra stops for thermal baths and more touristy visits.

For one reason or another, we end up exploring the wild Maipo Valley, not far from Santiago. Here, we feel more at home, with steeper and narrower valleys and mountains, the kind of paradise for heli-skiing in mid-winter. A long approach, crossing a couple of streams, leads us to a beautiful valley where inspiration comes from the surrounding mountains. We aim for three stunning and evident parallel couloirs on the south face of Cerro Arenas. Of the three, we choose the center one, which seems to have better snow and a 600-meter drop—quite a journey. We stop just before the summit, and despite windblown snow, we enjoy a great ski descent on firm snow. The long return, with ups and downs, finally brings us back to our car, which we find with a flat tire for the second time...

For several reasons, this marks the end of our ski trip, and we decide to relax in the remaining days in Valparaiso. A couple of days trying to surf, drinking lots of water, and exhausting our shoulders and backs, before catching the flight home, satisfied with an amazing trip.

Some tips and advice from our trip:

• Logistics are fairly easy; car rental booked in advance. Make sure to have a good 4x4.

• A SIM card for one month’s internet is cheap and can be purchased in Santiago. Best options are Movistar and Entel, not the others with poor coverage.

• Accommodations were always booked through Booking and Airbnb, often at short notice, and we always found a place to stay.

• Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but having some Chilean pesos is helpful. Exchange them in local centers.

• Best time: probably October for spring snow-weather conditions. Mid-September also has the national holiday (lasting a week), so finding open grocery stores can be challenging.

• Cost of living is slightly lower than in Italy. Apartments for 4 people are cheap (€60-80 per night), while groceries are similarly priced to ours.

• Carrying a good supply of medicines (e.g., intestinal antibiotics) can be helpful. Local pharmacies are fairly well-stocked.

• Bring repair kits for skis and boots (we brought one extra ski as a precaution). Don’t rely on finding large sports stores.

• Backcountry ski gear similar to spring trips in the Alps (crampons and ice axe are essential for reaching volcano summits). Often, the last 100 meters are steep, icy, or exposed, and skins often wear out. Good sunscreen is essential. Water is abundant in the mountains but still boil it or use chlorine tablets.

• Bring equipment for tire replacement; finding car repair shops in the middle of the Andes isn’t easy. If it rains, the unpaved roads can become challenging to navigate even with 4x4 cars.