The Freeride World Tour (FWT) just announced a new Southern Hemisphere destination that will launch the 2016-17 Freeride World Qualifer (FWQ) schedule in South America this August.

A two-star FWQ event will take place on Cerro Castillo, an 8,776-foot peak in Chilean Patagonia. The Cerro Castillo competition, which kicks off the Southern Hemisphere FWQ season on August 7, will be the southernmost FWQ competition in history. The rugged, jagged peak, with a whopping 6,850-feet of prominence, will surely present a challenge for competitors—cliffs, tight chutes, lurking rocks, it’s got it all.

“It is remote, wild and raw. The venue is excellent and we are really proud to introduce the southernmost FWQ competition on the planet to the world,” explains Sebastian Munoz Molina of Freeride Sudamerica, representatives of the FWQ/FWT in South America.

With the region’s remoteness and extreme terrain, securing it as a contest venue presented challenges, but with the deal sealed, an air of excitement surrounds the upcoming event.

“We’ve been working hard with partners in both Chile and Argentina to develop high-quality, professionally run FWQ competitions,” says Tom Winter, FWT Americas manager. “This region has some challenges in regards to logistics and operational methodologies, but the mountains, the snow and the passion for freeriding are there, and we hope that by working closely with local and regional partners that we will be able to announce a full slate of FWQ events shortly.”

A handful of additional events are close to being finalized in South America.

For more, visit the FWQ event website.