South America Snow Sessions, now flying under the umbrella of SASS Global Travel, is back this year to provide you with epic guide service, backcountry education, and cultural exploration in Argentina. For you students out there, SASS also offers a college program through Sierra Nevada College, including Spanish, AIARE Level 1 certifications and Freeskiing with professor and pro skier Michelle Parker.
New for 2011 is slopeside lodging at the base of Cerro Catedral (which means a short stroll to the gondola, and more time getting faceshots). Also, they’re switching things up from 2-week sessions to week-long sessions; this allows more people to fit a trip to SASS into their schedule, and into their budget.
Sessions will run Saturday-Saturday from July 23-September 3. Packages start at $1895, and include 7 nights of slopeside lodging, a 6-day lift ticket, 6 days of guiding and coaching (5:1 max client: guide ratio), daily breakfast and dinner, weekly asado (traditional Argentine BBQ), a backcountry awareness seminar, and airport transfers to and from Bariloche International Airport.
After a killer 2010, SASS is stoked to get you back down to Argentina for backcountry hut trips (to famed destinations including Refugio Frey), to build backcountry kickers all over the mountain, to shred park, and of course – to ski some serious pow.
If you’re looking to step up your game into the big mountains with pros like Michelle Parker and Garrett Russell, and to get more involved in backcountry skiing, you should be giving this program some serious consideration.
Check out a full gallery of images.
Official Press Release
SASS Global Travel Launches 2011 South America Snow Sessions Program
South America Snow Sessions moves to slopeside lodging and week-long sessions with the same legendary guided backcountry experience.
February 3, 2011 – Hampton, NH – SASS Global Travel, the leading action sports adventure travel company, is proud to announce the launch of the 2011 South America Snow Sessions program, to be held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina from July 23-September 3rd, 2011. SASS retains its legendary guided skiing and snowboarding experience and college program while taking over an entire hotel at the base of Cerro Catedral ski resort a hundred yards from the lifts with full-service breakfast and dinner, indoor/outdoor pool, game room and other resort-style amenities.
SASS pioneered summer freestyle and backcountry ski and snowboard trips to Argentina in 2004 and quickly grew in size and popularity. Now in its seventh season, SASS has introduced hundreds of clients ages 14-50 to backcountry skiing and snowboarding. From avalanche equipment use and safety protocols to backcountry travel techniques and jump building, clients often experience their first cliff, chute, or run shredding deep powder. SASS enlists a professional staff of backcountry guides and professional skiers and snowboarders to keep clients safe and bring their skiing or riding to the next level. Skylar Holgate from Silverton Mountain returns as Head Guide, and Andrew Burns returns as Head Coach. Other notable athletes like Chris Coulter, James Heim, Michelle Parker, Garrett Russell, and Natalie Gough have coached at the program as well.
2011 also marks the third year of the SASS College Program with education partner Sierra Nevada College. Students can enroll in a variety of college-accredited classes like Spanish in the Field, AIARE Level 1 Avalanche and Backcountry Skills, Winter Adventure Photography, Winter Adventure Video and Freeskiing/Freeriding. Students can also undertake an internship in Ski Business Management and work directly with the SASS staff. College Session A lasts two weeks from July 23-August 5th, and College Session B from August 6-19th.
SASS will operate week-long, Saturday to Saturday sessions, allowing more clients to fit the program into their schedules. For more information about the program including photos, videos, testimonials, and booking information, visit www.sasnow.com.
