Important information regarding your day at Ski Arpa
Before departing
for Ski Arpa
• On the day
of your visit you should make sure we are operating before you make the drive
to Valle El Arpa
• Please provide us with the name of your hotel where you will be staying
so we can contact you in the event of closure
• If it is raining in the valley chances are pretty good that we will
not be operating. We will contact you by 8am as long as we have your contact
number
• Please check the Ski Arpa website for current snow and road conditions
• We recommend the use of 4x4 vehicle to comfortably arrive to Ski Arpa.
We recommend that you contact Santiago Adventures for transportation and lodging
arrangements http://www.santiagoadventures.com.
Ski / Snowboard Rental
• Please bring all necessary equipment as we have no rental
equipment
Avalanche Safety Equipment
• If you have your own avalanche beacon, shovel and probe please
bring them
• We require the use of avalanche beacons and provide them to all skiers
and riders at no additional charge
• While you are preparing for your day at the Refugio, your guide will
provide you with an Avalanche Beacon and instructions on its use
• You are responsible for care of our beacon and will be charged $300
for a lost or damaged beacon.
Arrival & Preparation
• Please arrive by 9:30AM to prepare for a 10:15AM departure
in the first cat up
• We will wait 15 minutes but if you do not arrive by 10:30AM the cat
will depart
• If you miss the first cat up your reservation will be considered a
NO-SHOW and you will not be refunded.
• Keep in mind the approximate arrival times with good road conditions:
o Los Andes/San Esteban 1 hour
o Santiago 2 hours 15 minutes
o Portillo 2 hours 30 minutes
o Ski Arpa to SCL Airport 2 hours 15 minutes. (flights after 8pm on the day
of your visit are ok)
On the Mountain
• The cat ride from the Refugio to the top takes approximately 20 minutes.
Each run lasts approximately 20-30 minutes. In total with loading and unloading
each run takes approximately 1 hour
• Please follow guide instructions at all times. Access to the slopes
is controlled by the guides and you may only ski/ride where they indicate
it is safe. All descents are led by a Ski Arpa guide.
• If there are differences in skier levels we can split into smaller
groups led by different guides. We normally have 2 guides per cat so you can
expect approximately 1 guide per 6 persons.
• When you arrive to the cat road STOP - never go down the cat road,
wait there for the cat or for further guide instructions
• Our guides reserve the rights to dismiss any skier or rider for failure
to follow their instructions
• The day typically ends at 3pm back at Refugio Avalancha
Lunch
• Lunch is NOT included in your program
• Snacks and beverage are sold in Refugio Avalanchas
• The cat might not return to the refugio for lunch so it is best to
bring your lunch in your backpack
• You can leave your backpack on the cat while you ski
Water
• The tap water from Ski Arpa comes from our mountain spring and is
not treated. We recommend you drink the bottled water we sell at the refugio.
Additional Runs
• Additional runs will be made at the discretion of the guide at the
end of the scheduled runs
• Additional runs are paid in cash at the end of the day $30/person/run
in US dollars or Chilean Pesos
Refunds
• If we are closed due to weather you have the following options:
o 85% refund
o Change your reservation to the next available day
• If we are closed for mechanical reasons we provide 100% refund based
on the number of runs missed