Featured Image: Maximiliano Artoni | Skier: Sascha Geist

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You probably read the headlines or saw the viral videos that have circulated on the internet over the last few weeks regarding South America. No, we’re not talking about Argentina’s Copa America win. We’re talking about the over-the-head, mind-blowing snow totals the Andes Mountains received to kick off their 2024 winter.

While the last two weeks have been relatively dry, the conditions freeride skiers have had were remarkable. Big lines remain filled in, and it’s still early in the season. Normally, South American winters in the Andes don’t reach their peak snow totals until August. Now that the powder fever and subsequent snow pack have settled and stabilized a good majority of high-alpine travel, we wanted to hear how it is, and how the previous weeks have been. FREESKIER went to the source, and got ahold of skier Sascha Geist. As an experienced skier and alpinist, Geist has been having one of his most memorable seasons in recent years —

“I live in San Martin de Los Andes, in northern Patagonia, an area of great lakes and volcanoes. This season started with big snow storms in autumn, which left a very good base in the mountains. The last few seasons have generally been good in terms of snowfall, although this season started earlier and with colder temperatures throughout South America. We saw incredible amounts of snow, dangerous at times.

With so much snow and some very wet precipitation earlier, there were big avalanches in unusual areas. It took time and we had to play it easy for a little, but these big storms gave great skiing once the conditions were stable! In this cold weather, I like to take advantage of skiing the eastern faces, which get the sun in the morning. And you can’t always find them. Where I live is a very good area with great channels and access to many mountains.“

The immense snowfall in previous weeks gave Geist a reason to explore his local resort, Cerro Chapelco. But once conditions settled and avalanche danger declined, he headed to the backcountry, where he spends most of his time.

“I usually prefer to ski in the backcountry although I also enjoy the local resort, Cerro Chapelco. It has very good access to the backcountry and nearby mountains. One of my favorite areas is Las Leñas in the north. It’s a backcountry paradise, although it can get very windy. Because of that, it takes a while to learn how to navigate it well. I also love the area of the lakes Chapelco, Catedral and Cerro Bayo. All three have nice scenery, and it’s usually worth the adventure even if the skiing isn’t great.”

Of course, it’s no secret that adventuring in the mountains is rarely a solo effort. Everything from the learning process to the journey itself takes the culmination of many people coming together, sharing knowledge and helping one another out. This is one of the things that make Argentina so special. The freeride community there is famously strong and passionate, coming together to better each other and learn. “The Argentinean ski community is very passionate. Many people do double seasons and ski most months of the year,” Geist told us. “What I think makes the Argentinean backcountry skier and community stand out is the perseverance it takes. The access to the mountains can be long and difficult when traveling through the Andean-Patagonian forests. You learn the ability to adapt to different snow conditions and routes, and to share that knowledge.”

A longtime backcountry partner of Geist’s, Maximiliano Artoni was right behind him ready to capture the beauty of this incredible season. Take a look at the photo gallery below to get a feel of the incredible terrain these skiers traverse through in the Andes Mountains. Cheers to what has been a remarkable 2024 winter in Argentina so far.

Sascha Geist’s Touring Set Up –

Daily Driver in the Backcountry: Zag Slap 104

Long Tour: Zag Ubac 95

Bindings: Plum Karibou 12

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