Penitentes

 

 

 

Los Penitentes is a mid-sized ski resort on the international highway between Santiago and Mendoza. Penitentes began operations in 1979 and fills the huge gap between Mendoza's local resort, Vallecitos, and the international-level development of Portillo, 30km (19 miles) west. It serves a national market of weekenders from Mendoza and ski weekers from the cities of Santa Fe, Córdoba, Tucumán, and Buenos Aires.

Penitentes is characterized by a few simple lifts which ascend the base of some magnificent mountains. With the summit of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, about 25km (15 miles) distant, it is easy to imagine the ruggedness of the terrain. Unlike Portillo which has a higher elevation, the snow at Los Penitentes is often thin even when Las Leñas and Portillo have good coverage. When it does snow, the avalanche problems at Penitentes are more severe than at any other ski resort in South America, and many local Mendocinos refuse to risk skiing these slopes.