Argentina 05 Course Diary

Saturday 24th - Tuesday 27th September - The final instalment:

We waved goodbye to our friends at El Retorno - not just the staff who have made our stay such a pleasure, but also Julie, James and Victoria, Bernardo and his girlfriend Liz.  The rest of us headed off to Bariloche airport, with the exception of Rachael, who had opted to make the journey overland.   

On arrival in BA, we were met by Alvar and two buses - one headed with most of the luggage and a small number of the group directly to the hotel, the other made the all-important trip to buy tickets for Sunday's Boca Jnrs v Racing football match!  The rest of Saturday was spent 'free-riding' around Buenos Aires - with most people doing their own sightseeing until we met up at 8:15pm to go to dinner at restaurant Dora, a well-known eating house, popular for its extensive menu, seafood and wines. 

Thereafter, a few chose to sample some of the nightspots of Buenos Aires, which, even more so than New York, is a city that never sleeps!   But, the big excitiement was to come on Sunday. The group traveled to La Boca - the old city and original port area - famous for the birth of the tango and for Boca Juniors, the football team that gave the world Diego Maradona. 

After lunch in La Boca, it was time to brave the queues, marshalled by riot police, outside 'la bombonera' - Boca's stadium.  The game was a local derby with huge home and away crowds attending, and the 60 000 capacity stadium needed the shoe-horn of the police to get everyone into their places in a (more-or-less) controlled manner.  The electric atmosphere, non-stop singing and chanting and dazzling football that saw Boca go 2-0 up was an unforgettable experience and whilst not everyone coud see the pitch from amongst the dancing crowd, it was impossible to miss the fervour and energy of these world famous football supporters.   

Sunday's frenzied afternoon was followed on Monday morning by a visit to one of the more peaceful places in BA - la recoleta cemetery - a mini-city of elaborate and expensively designed mausoleums. The resting place of many Argentinian presidents, writers, scientists and sportsmen, it is also here that Eva Peron (the famous Evita) was eventually buried.

A shopping trip down the famous Florida street followed, with weary feet and empty pockets eventually ending up back at the hotel in time to rest up and prepare for our final dinner together.  

Alvar definitely saved the best for last in our whirlwind tour of Buenos Aires.  Bar Avila is the most famous flamenco restaurant in Argentina, and has been serving Spanish-style cuisine along with its show since 1962.  For all its fame, Avila is a small venue, but was packed with just the right ambience for our last night in Latin America.  The guitarists, singers and dancers were sensational, as was the food which just kept coming and coming.  The passion, energy and intensity of the flamenco show was a fitting end to our stay in this exciting country.

Friday 23rd September - Ed's Update:

It had to come eventually - the last day on the mountain for all except a lucky few who are staying on in Bariloche while the rest of us head off to Buenos Aires tomorrow.  The skiers and boarders had the option of freestyle instruction with Nico and Mariano in the morning, and after a final lunch in "Tage" at the base, Ivan was offering a 'bumps clinic' for the die-hards who had not yet had enough of the moguls!   

The sadness of leaving behind Cerro Catedral for the last time was lifted by the news that Rory - our drum&bass DJ, had been offered a slot at Pacha, Bariloche's biggest nightclub!  His set was due at 1:30am, which was perfect timing to coincide with the end of 'la ultima fiesta', the Peaks and CAB leaving party.  We took over a local restaurant to eat and party, and in between, to say our thank you's and goodbyes to all the fantastic people who have played a part in making our 9 weeks so much fun. 

Sam B. led the group through a selection of his repertoire of party games, and by the time the taxis arrived to take us to Rory's gig, everyone was well up for a big night.   Whilst we all knew Rory is a DJ by profession, to actually see him in action was very impressive and the group did their best to do the music justice on the dance floor, with surprise performances coming from the top skiing duo James L. and Myles!  Another impressive performance came from Julie!

Thursday 22nd September - Ed's Update:

Cuyin Manzano is approximately 35km from Villa Traful.  Here we met up with Ivan, Tety, Pety and Natalia, as well as Sam T. and his dad Roger, who had hired a car to meet up with us for the day.  The valley of Rio Cuyin Manzano is home to a few small ranches, and horses were loaned from several of these to seat all of us as well as our guides.   The road to Cuyin is a cul-de-sac, and the horse trail begins from this point and travels up-valley, following the river and crossing it at several points. 

After a couple of hours in the saddle, we turned and headed back to a spot not far from our starting point where some of our gaucho friends had an enormous asado well underway.  With the nearby river cooling the beers and a rickety table creaking under the weight of large salad bowls, bottles of water, wine, and 'gaseosas', we couldn't have asked for much more as we basked in the sunshine and ate our way through the assortment of meat that was grilled on the open fire by an experienced hand.    A short siesta followed the feeding and then we remounted and the horses obediently took their now-much-heavier cargo back to the starting point and the bus back to Bariloche and El Retorno.

Cuyin Manzano - Sam T. & Natalia		Guy Setting off on horseback
The group at the river crossing		Asado

Wednesday 21st September - Ed's Update:

After yesterday´s successes (and last night's party!) it was a weary but upbeat group of skiers and riders who boarded the buses bound for the slopes.  With the BASI course now complete, everyone was looking forward to meeting up with our Argentinian freestyle coaches and ripping up the mountain with a focus on hitting kickers and learning spins rather than teaching central theme!

The skiers were following Nico Lopez, a local instructor and freestyle maniac who regularly competes in - and wins - pro-am big air competitions. Within the group, the charge was lead - as always when the word "freestyle" is mentioned - by Doc James!

The riders were with all-time favourite Mariano.  Mariano is an excellent rider, instructor and most importantly, a freestyle guru, much to the relief of Mohican Dave who has suffered - not always in silence - through the "serious technical" snowboarding and has been itching to get into the terrain park!

The day on the slopes was brought to a close a little earlier than usual to allow for the 2-hour trip north to the beautiful Villa Traful.  This is a small village situated on Lago Traful and not far from tomorrows horse-riding destination, Cuyin Manzano.

At Traful, we stayed in fully furnished A-frame log cabañas and enjoyed fresh trout from the lake in the dining room of the main lodge.  After a long day, everyone was happy to chill out in the TV room watching Kill Bill 2, before turning in to rest up for our gaucho day tomorrow.

Tuesday 20th September - Ed's Update:

The final day of the BASI course arrived and with it came the examiners' decisions.  After 8 weeks of intense skiing and riding, the results are fantastic.

Congratulations to our 24 candidates - 18 of whom are now fully qualified
BASI instructors and 6 leave with trainee instructor certifications.

The personal improvements in skiing and riding technique have been immense for everyone, and so congratulations must also go to all the instructors who have been a part of this development.

The results were celebrated at the exclusive 'Talisman' restaurant in the Arelauquen Lodge, situated further along the shores of Lago Guttierez.  The chef,  Marcos Mallmann, is the nephew of the great Francis Mallman, an iconic chef in Argentina and beyond!  The meal was very impressive and a just reward for the hard work everyone has put in during their stay.

The 'after party' moved in to Bariloche centro - to the ever popular Wilkenny, where more of the program staff joined the group to watch a talented local band play everything from Radiohead to Los Piojos.  As always, Dave's mohican attracted plenty of favourable attention and we were granted more than our fair share of personal requests by the band.  Cheers Dave!

Friday 16th - Monday 19th September - Ed's Update:

The heat is on!  The final third of the BASI course is upon us and its now not just Julian who has a sweat on his brow! Several trainees opted to sacrifice their day off (and yesterday's asado) and take on-mountain practice. Others adopted visualisation practices - not unlike a Jonny Wilkinson kicking session (we do try and employ state-of-the-art psychological and physiological training!).

Saturday and Sunday came and went, passing as the party equivalent of Folkestone in January, and highlighted only by conversations about riding and skiing technique.  On Monday, all awoke knowing that they had only two days to prove just how much they had improved. We could not have been in a better place though - it was the 10th consecutive day of sunshine and yet we have had snow conditions that cannot be matched elsewhere in the world right now!  A great day to take into results-day Tuesday...

Thursday 15th September - Ed's Update:

Ah! A free day at last - and what weather!  Spring seems to have arrived with a vengeance - and therefore ideal conditions for an asado at Alvar's place. A man of many talents (interpreter, DJ, mountain guide, carpenter, table tennis champion, biologist) he has also built his own house in the 'burbs of Bariloche, with - as would be expected in Argentina - an area
dedicated to wood-fire asados.  Even as a South African, proud of our ability to 'braai' meat on open fires, I am humbled by the artform that Argentinians have made this style of cooking!

In bright sunshine and a relaxed atmosphere, we waded through almost 20kg of meat, a few bottles of fine wine and capped it all off with some excellent mate.  A big thank you to Alvar and Tety for their efforts, but most of all, a big thank you to Lucia, Alvar's partner, for being so welcoming to the 30 people who invaded her home. Muchas gracias.

Wednesday 14th September - Angela's First Day:

The last 2 hours of my flight to Bariloche provided me with the most spectacular "condor's eye view" of Argentina.  From the comfort of my window seat I had a uninterrupted view of the giant scale of the emptiness, divided by roads that seemed to have been drawn with a
protractor.  It was as I took off my headphones and switched my Spanish learning tapes off that I heard clapping and cheering; we had finally (and safely) touched down in Bariloche!

Ed and Alvar kindly met me at the airport and we drove the scenic route to El Retorno lodge, via the most stunning approach to Bariloche along the lakeside road.  Clear and intensely blue sky, glistening snow-capped peaks and blue lakes had been laid on to give me the very best first impression of this place, known in the 1950's as Little Switzerland.  Hand-crafted
chalets, shop windows filled with exclusive chocolates and the very latest fashions, stray dogs and beaten up cars and trucks hooting their horns and exchanging friendly greetings help to create the unique atmosphere.

The lakeside setting of El Retorno is stunning, with the backdrop of the Andes, still snow-capped despite the arrival of spring conditions.  After a quick tour round it was off to Cerro Catedral to see the start of the pairs duathlon (run and cycle race) from the mountain to El Retorno for the more energetic tainees (and those not too fussed about the style of their athletic briefs!)  An exciting end to the cycling stage added the finishing touch to a fun and impressive alternative to snowsports.

After a late night trip to Bariloche with Ivan to return some of the hired mountain bikes and a glimpse of temptation in the shops, we had a fun evening to celebrate my arrival with a good dinner and free-flowing Argentinian Merlot.

Friday 9th - Tuesday 13th September - Stage 2 of the BASI course:

The 'weekend' is now 'mid-week', and everyone is incredibly focused on developing skiing and riding technique.  Julian, Mark and Stephan - our dedicated BASI team - have clearly set the tone for what is expected of the group and everyone is so focused on practice and in the theory classes that certain individuals have become unrecognisable from the party animals
I met at the airport in early August!

But there have still been plenty of laughs on the slopes amid the intensity of lessons, and it is a credit to the instructors' ability to balance the serious requirements of snowsport professionals with the fun that is the reality of skiing and snowboarding.

On Saturday, away from the slopes of Cerro Catedral, our own Tety Sahores finished a very impressive 2nd in a national 'tetrathon' (skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and running) championship in San Martin de los Andes - completing the gruelling event in just under six hours. Felicitaciones Tety - we are very proud to be working with you!

Thursday 8th September - Chris Durham's update:

To try and mess with our fragile minds (5 weeks of skiing takes its toll) the powers that be decreed that today, Thursday, was actually Sunday and therefore a rest day.  Whilst most were fooled by this and took the day off, a few of us were having none of it and headed up the mountain.

It was a beautiful sunny day with hardly a cloud in the sky, the obvious downside being that the snow was less than ideal.  We've definitely been spoilt by all the powder earlier.

Anyway, we had a bash around the slopes and some of us (not I) met the British Ski Team including Alain Baxter - which was nice.  Myles was especially excited and when we met up for lunch the grin on his face was ridiculous even by his standards!

The afternoon saw everyone doing their own thing until we met up at 7pm for the last three talks in the so-called 'Fountain of Knowledge' series of lectures.  Bayju explained the deep psychological side of Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) - and apparently its my manly insecurities that lead me to fall back on 'throwing a rock' more often than not.

Bayju staged a tournament in the mould of the RPS world championships and Myles, the wily Scotsman, with his deadly paper/scissor combination won yet another event!

Alex then told us of his experiences as a volunteer fireman at Gordonstoun, which was pretty cool.  They never had any of that when I was at school!  It certainly presented Alex in a new light although much to the disappointment of the ladies in the group, he didn't have the uniform with him.

We finished up - playing musical chairs and pass the parcel - which could be seen as a cop-out by Kat as she didn't technically give a speech - but c'mon - pass the parcel and musical chairs - quality!

Alvar cooked paella for dinner.   It was very good of the man.  He seems to have a bit of a talent for cooking and should therefore be drafted in for more sessions. A nice end to a good day and the quiet before the BASI storm that is to begin tomorrow.

Sunday 4th September - Ed's update:

A free day today gave the opportunity for Alvar and Mercedes to take the group up Cerro Otto.  Barlioche lies between this mountain and the lake, Nahuel Huapi (Isle of the Tiger).  It is also the birthplace of skiing in the region, imported by Otto Meiling, who built Refugio Berghof on Cerro Otto and which is one of seven mountain cabins operated by our hosts Club
Andino.

The refugios provide a haven for hikers, climbers and crosscountry skiers across the region.  Although we cheated and drove up to Berghof, we were provided with delicious picadas, goulasch and mate.  The large fire inside was very welcoming to those members of the group who made the journey on the back of Tety's pick-up!

Saturday 3rd September - Dave Brown's entry:

Saturday was officially dedicated to completing the practical component of the mountain first aid course, and a minority amongst us wished it included a 'nursing a hangover' section!

However, for me the night promised to be a momentous event.  While most of  the others headed off to sweat it out at the evening gym session, Alvar and I headed to the temporary residence of 'el arka' - Bariloche's  finest local radio station where I was due to present on the evening show.

The playlist progressed from the chillout anthems of Bob Marley and the Wailers, the defining sounds of the Skatalites, through the two-tone stylings of The Specials and on to the modern ska punk movement: for example; Voodoo Glow Skulls, Rancid and a few tunes from my own band back home...

As my castellano is confined to offensive slang and non-sensical sayings, I was a bit nervous at first, but Alvar seemed to be translating accurately and my jitters melted away.

It was great to hear The Jurassic Ska Bandits on air again even if no one else heard.  And after a taxing set of tango lessons, it was awesome to hear music I could actually dance to!

Check out Dave's band on www.thejsb.com

Friday 2nd September - Myles Bax's entry: The rise and fall of the third instructor!

Day 2 of the BASI trainee instructor training and the end of a long week.  Back to basics for everyone today.

The skiers, down in number by four, worked on snowplough turns on nursery slopes. One run startled a rival beginner group by progressing to parallel turns within minutes!  Light relief from this surprisingly taxing task was provided by mogul runs and carving practice.

The boarders also started with the basics - identifying which people on the slopes were skiers and therefore fair game in a wipe out! They then progressed quickly onto sitting on the side of the piste looking trying to look cool and arguing with liftiesabout being banned from the T-bar lifts.

Despite the significantly reduced speed of the day, not everyone escaped unscathed.  Dave Brierly managed a slightly too realistic demonstration of an accident during accident training and Stephan, our BASI snowboard examiner was used as a soft landing for an unruly skier on a high-speed cat track.  Stef's ribs and the six angry boarders will take a while to forget the incident!

Truly a day of unexpected extreme activity.

Thursday 1st September - Ed's Update:

Today was the first of the five 'trainee instructor training' days that make up the preliminary part of the BASI course.  Freeriding was put on hold, and the emphasis was on basic skiing/riding and teaching techniques.

The evening was rounded off by talks from drum and base DJ Rory and Dave Brown who managed to entertain the group with yet another hidden talent...

Wednesday 31st - James Thomson (diego's) entry:

It was the third and final day of the BASI examiners trainng days before the commencement of the serious stuff tomorrow.

'Technique, technique, technique' was the echo around the mountains and the cries of despairing skiers and boarders could be heard through the whiteout conditions.  It was rumoured that the weather had been specifically requested so that none of the examiners could actually see what the rest of us were attempting to do.

The cloud lifted towards the end of the afternoon allowing our instructors to realise they'd been instructing an entirely different group to the one they had been assigned!

After dinner, tango was on the menu and yours truly took to the dance floor like a natural. Some great Argentinian folk singing from one of the other guests in the hotel finished another day.  With order restored, Dave and Diego returned to the bus.

Tuesday 30th August - Sam Thompson's entry:

As if to illustrate the extremes of Bariloche weather in microcosm, yesterday's near total white-out was followed today by spectacular blue sky - probably the best conditions seen since we arrived. A foot of fresh powder and well-groomed pistes provided a perfect backdrop for the first day of full BASI activities. Having recovered from their jetlag and recovered their missing luggage (more or less), the UK instructors swung into action. Balance, posture and edge control were key words on the agenda, and the group tackled a variety of exercises designed to get them carving.

Post-piste video analysis gave much food for thought, and with the evening first aid lecture postponed at short notice, a mood of calm reflection set in. In all, then, an intense day of hard work for a team mindful of challenges soon to come.

Monday 29th August - Ed's update:

Today was the first opportunity to impress the BASI examiners with skiing and riding skills.  The skiers turned up on their best behaviour, with the intention of demonstrating expert control of line and speed. The boarders opted to impress examiner Stephan Wiehe in one-piece outfits from the cutting edge of winter sports fashion.  Needless to say he observed them from a distance today...

Sunday 28th August - Kaspar Stettler's entry:

Today as an exceptional day of free skiing/riding.  Everybody was hit the fresh new snow with enthusiasm except a few boarders who preferred to involuntarily discover new ares of the mountain by hiking and bamboo-swimming!

But the most important event of the day was the arrival of the three BASI instructors.

Al hend gmeint es segide gar gfuerchigi aber daen sinds doch na ganz drolligi Type gsi.

Pendant le diner le t-shirt dargentinia etait donner a Ed a cause de son fantastic navigation au vinde pendant un sortir a Esquel.

Finally the day was rounded of with gripping talks from Guy, Owain and Sam T. about the Seven Summits Challenge, In-line hockey and Irish music.

Saturday 27th August - Alexis Northam's entry:

After finally arriving from Chile at 7:00am, we all made our way to our rooms with our overloaded ski bags.  For most of us it would be the last we saw of them until we woke up in the evening!

I had managed to sleep the whole bus journey (including the breakdowns) and so by 10:00am I was fully awake.  As today was Saturday, I decided not to go skiing and to just relax and go
into Bariloche for a bit.  Dave Brierly and I took a taxi into town with Kat and Bayju around 2:00pm, and ventured to the hairdressers to get our hair coloured.  It took quite sometime to explain what we wanted done, and only after an hour and a half were Kat and Bayju able to come and check out our new hairstyles!

Then it was on to one of the most amazing chocolate shops I have ever seen. It was the equivalent of a Metro Tesco's with a really nice cafe at the back.  We ordered toasties, smoothies and cheesecake to fill us up until supper.

We just managed to get back to the hotel in time for the 5:30 meeting about the arrival of the BASI instructors, which eventually took place at 6:15 with only half the group as so many were still asleep!

After the meeting it was off to Pehuenes for our Saturday evening gym session.  Afterwards, just managing to drag ourselves back into the mini-bus, we headed back to the hotel for dinner.

The majority of us went to sleep straight after, with a hardy few going into Bariloche for dinner, and a few more contesting top spot on the table tennis ladder deep into the night!

Friday 26th August - Bernard Paines entry:

The gang woke up in the Pacific costal town of Chaiten.  A small, yet spaced out sleepy fishing port, which was surrounded by lush mountains rising out of the morning mist.  The keen amongst us were up early for a walk along the beach, the majority chosing breakfast at ten prior to a short bus ride to some thermal water baths.  A pleasant couple of hours was had by all lazing in pools of bathing temperature, sporadically interrupted by many by lying in the adjacent cool mountain water in the river.  The acrobatic highlight of the day was the omni-keen Myles, his skill and agility allowing him to act the fairy on our three tier human pyramid.

With heavy hearts we re-boarded our home for the chillie trip, more prolonged encarceration in our mobile jail was in order to get back to Bariloche that night.  The twenty hour journey wasn´t without its highlights though.  The movie passing our window serving a constant reminder to the opulant verdance of Patagonia.  Glacial mountains of transluscent blue giving way to dense forrests of infinite botanical variety.  Rivers of cobalt blue flowed into expansive lakes of equal lucidity.  On board there were various games of poker, slaps and eye Spy.  Music was a constant often provided courtesy of the twinkling hands of Sam Thompson, his light hands dancing on the fret board like a fairy engaged in ballet and equally entertaining.

Perhaps one could even include the inumerous breakdowns amongst the journeys entertainment, each one providing a sleep drugged alter-reality of camerarderie and disbelief.  Happily we found the fan belt and were able to keep going.  Our 7 am arrival in Bariloche signaling the end of an epic journey.

Thursday 25th August - Rachael Miskin's entry:

Boarders crossed = 1
Kilometres       = 180
Duration         = 9 hours
Average speed    = 20 km/h!!

Midnight Pacific Standard Time; Chaiten, Chile.

"The expedition began at 8am when with a hearty breakfast in our bellies, and songs in our heads, we loaded the 4x4 with supplies...STOP!"

"Make that: We all crawled on to the bus at sometime just after sunrise, the use of watches having temporarily been dispensed. Rumours circulated that we were heading for Chile, and with friendly banter about the previous night's asado, the bus shuddered - like its passengers - to life.

What was meant to be a few hours journey first took us through a 'Welsh' village - Trevelin - where much to Owain's dismay, his attempts to greet local shopkkeepers in the tongue of his fathers was not met with the same understanding as in Carmarthen!

The village quickly melted away into wide open plains where in between dreams we spotted pink flamingoes.  Through the border and into Chile. The last traces of the comforting Andean snow-covered peaks vanished and were replaced by rainforest.  Dripping wet vegetation, sporadically interspersed with snow led some to speculate that now - 7 hours into our
'short' journey - that we'd taken a wrong turn.  There was however, only one road to the Pacific and we followed it all the way.  Entertainment thankfully provided by Sam T. on the guitar made the journey more bearable (plus a brief interlude of ping pong at the Chilean border control saw those desperate to climb up the group table tennis ladder, improvising with passports for bats.

So we arrived to Chaiten, the Pacific and great seafood. 

Wednesday 24th August - Julie MacPherson's entry:

After the shorter slalom gates and controlled turns of yesterday, Ivan and the crew prepared a Giant Slalom course for the skiers.  The snowboarders were tested on their carving skills through gates on a nearby slope and boarded over a cornice drop on a back country run.

Each of the skiers had three timed runs through the gates which started off close together on the steeper slope, testing our edges to the limit and then widened out at the bottom for a speedy finish.  The competitive spirit was running high as everyone, including myself, was trying to beat Myles' time.

The final results of the day for the boys was:
1. Myles
2. Mark
3. Sam T

Ladies final:
1. Me
2. Alexis
3. Kat

The day ended with a back country hike and we dropped down through a natural half-pipe that took us all the way to the base.

The days most memorable event however was Sam B.'s 21st birthday which was celebrated that evening with a superb asado prepared by our drivers, pisco sour and the prize-giving.  The festivities continued at Moe's Bar in Esquel, a local hot spot that was soon stripped of champagne (and a few members of the group were stripped of their inhibitions, much to the
astonishment of the local patrons!

Tuesday 23rd August - James Laban's Esqual entry:

Our second day skiing in La Hoya, near Esquel.  The bus made the journey up the mountain with greater ease today, and we were all soon carving our way down the perfectly groomed slopes.

The skiers had a morning of slalom - occasionally bemusingly interrupted by random, spatially unaware Argentinian holiday makers.  Myles, the flying Scotsman, raced down into first place, whilst Ivan demonstrated how to - literally - take the course apart.

The afternoon was spent in the snow park.  Mark G. (with his new blue-rinse powers), demonstrating how to nail the rails.  The boarders, meanwhile, took on a back country hike over lunar landscape, to shred powder in a natural half-pipe gulley.

Some of the more sprightly members of the team decided to run down the mountain.  Myles, ever the flying Scotsman, managed to beat the bus home.

The day was rounded off, in Argentine tradition, with half a cow each and a bucket of dulce de leche.

Monday 22nd August - Esquel according to Kato:

Our first full day in Esquel (which is Mapuche for 'bog').  After Sunday's 5 hour bus trip, we had a late start although some people were woken early by the military band since Esquel is home to numerous army barracks.

Soon we were on the coach on the way to neighbouring La Hoya ski resort. The Welsh influence of Esquel became very evident as we passed through the hilly landscape: in fact it is Wales - without the grass, the sheep (and Tom Jones).  We passed the tiny Disneyesque railtracks of La Trochita, an ancient train averaging less than 30km/hm and which has in the past been derailed by high winds, ice and a cow (the engine driver at the time was Señor Bovino) - a trip on La Trochita is planned later in the week, hmmm... After grinding through half the clutch on the first steep corner of the dirt track, we safely arrived in La Hoya.

A much smaller resort than Cerro Catedral in Bariloche, La Hoya is pleasantly empty and surprisingly well-groomed, more like the European Alpine resorts.  After a few warm up runs, the snowboarders soon found the terrain park with tons of rails and tabletops.  We consequently spent most of the day trying tricks although I was mostly on my poor arse!  Some skiers bravely attempted the rails later in the day but failed miserably.

After a full and eventful day, we headed back to our cabañas in Esquel.  A mad rush for the showers before dinner saw a few people (like me!) end up with no hot water.  Then it was off to another restaurant in town, La Luna, for food in a pleasant and cosy envrionment.

'La Gilada' was won hands down by Maia with her nunchukka-style attack using ski poles on a fellow skier that resulted in a trip to the dentist for the unfortunate Alex to get a temporary cap on a chipped front tooth!

With fat stomachs, we all headed to bed, shattered from another great day on the mountain!

Sunday 21st August - Marc Junemann's entry:

Rain, rain, rain - some Argentinian Sundays should be called Raindays! And some woke to this particular Domingo with real mementos - like the kindly donated, very interesting Katsuit!

After a late breakfast/early lunch we packed our ski's and boards and a few bags and went on a six-hour bus ride to Esquel.  For most it was a welcome opportunity to catch up on some sleep.  On arrival at our cabañas, James L. was devastated to discover his and Victoria's room was in the house with six other girls!  Whether this will affect his chances of ever using the bathroom, or his performance on the slopes, remains to be seen!

A few tired souls went straight to bed, whilst the rest headed into town for a late night dinner at a local restaurant and were rewarded with excellent Chubut cooking.  When the nominations for 'la gilada' came around, Mohican Dave's socks - although having caused concern amongst local health authorities - could not take the prize from a very deserving and impressive performance from Kat!

Looking forward to skiing and riding this little-known mountain tomorrow...

Saturday 20th August - Guy Hurwood's entry:

Owain started the day in a sorry state after A-level results lead to a few 'quiet ones' in Wilkenny's with Mohican Dave!

Editors insert - congratulations to all the school-leavers - what is it with so many A's being achieved? Back to Guy - sorry.

Saturday skiing became a secondary issue for most - lots of cloud prohibited the usual speed and trickery of the skiers.  The snowboarders spent their wisely practising their new trick "fallen idol" which is pretty cool and made us skiers feel very unworthy!

After an early lunch, most of us went into town, with the language barrier saving many locals from having to put up with Kaspar's and my banter. However, entertainment was provided by Mohican Dave, Mark G. and Sam B.  visiting a 'peluqueria'. Mark and Sam came out blue and red respectively, whilst Dave's mohican is now in the blue and white of the Argentinian flag!

The evening was spent at the mountain base at the 74th anniversary of CAB.  It was an emotional evening for many of the longstanding members.  For some of us it was an opportunity to practice the art of castellano, whilst others practised the art of love.... Alexis won "la gilada" for an unprecedented second day in a row!

After the dinner, town beckoned for most, which lead to the standard Argentine Saturday night of fiesta to the early hours, and we finally hooked up with our new on-mountain friends, the Slovenian ski team.

A good time had by all...

Rory - straight air		Owain - Welsh indie
Mohican Dave - backside 360		Kato - Sushi fight

Friday 19th August - Victoria's Update:

Today the skiers and boarders got together for the second part of the mountain safety course.  We took the lift to Dos Mil piste, and hiked up to the top of one of Cerro Catedrals reknowned back country routes, La Laguna.  The weather seemed to be closing in on the ascent, with yet more snow starting to fall, but as we reached the top, it cleared; revealing stunning views of Lake Nahuel Huapi and snow-capped peaks beyond, as well as clear sight of the massive powder bowl below us.    After a discussion with Nico and the rest of the mountain safety team about the safest path to take, we carved our way down through mountains of powder - beautiful!  After negotiating snow-tipped tress at the bottom of the run, the boarders went to do their 'thing' and the skiers went in search of more powder.  We followed Tano through beautiful fresh snow, in and out of trees, on and off-piste.  A perfect way to end the week!

Thursday 18th August - Ed's Update:

Today presented more fantastic conditions and we had a few freeride runs to warm up before joining mountain guides Nico, Matteus, Frankie and Alvar for a practical look at avalanche safety precautions.  After eating packed lunches on the mountain, the lessons concluded and there was time to enjoy the powder.

The group split in two, with most joining Mercedes and Tano for a hike off-piste and then a drop into one of Cerro Catedrals reknowned powder bowls.  Bathed in sunshine, we skied and rode (admittedly, I was the solitary boarder in the group!) hard to the base.

The second group comprised of the boarders and three 'freestyle-maniac' skiers (namely Rory, James L. and Victoria) opted to build a massive kicker and style it all afternoon!

A great day in great conditions!

Wednesday 17th August - Mark Gregory's entry:

I got my laundry back today which was lucky as otherwise I would have been skiing in my shorts!  The day originally appeared uninspiring with rain falling and a severe lack of orange juice at breakfast.  Little did our merry band of jesters know that today we would ride in some of the best snow experienced....Ever!

The weather forecast said light snow, but we weren't at all surprised to arrive at la montaña in a blizzard!  The fresh snow was soon put to use in a large scale snowball fight that saw James L's rebel troops easily destroyed at close range.

The morning was spent practising slalom.  This proved to be tricky as I could see approximately nothing (except snow).  Just before lunch however, the real skiing began.  A short traverse lead to an awesome descent through thick trees and even thicker snow.  Brilliant.

Once Myles had finished trying to eat the restaurant out of business, it was back to powder and hardcore skiing!

Ivan lead us to an area of off-piste called "2nd lomo" and after a short dispute with the ski patrol, which Ivan won resoundingly (who argues with Ivan in this part of the world?)

The run was covered by soft powder that easily came up to my knees and therefore everyone else's waists!  Personally I think I skied it with elegance, styly, perfect technique and a little "je ne sais quoi?  Roughly halfway down we were provided with the days comedy - donated by Guy - who selflessly skied into a tree for our bemusement!  Bravo sir, the shirt will be yours!

This brings me to the end - I did however I promised to mention Owain, who managed to text his girlfriend for the first time today - congratulations son!

Tuesday 16th August - Owain Edwards' entry:

The day began with Dave 'Mohican' Brown complaining that he looked fat in the 'la gilada' - after he was awarded it for forgetting his lift pass, returning to the hotel by taxi to collect it, and discovering it was in his pocket all the time!

On the mountain it looked like more snow, cloud and freezing temperatures.   Little did we know that the day would be filled with crazy powder runs through the trees, empty pistes, no queues and no holiday-makers in matching outfits to cut you up!

Lunch was late as the boarders had opted to feast on powder instead.  The skiers (aka wanabee boarders) took shelter from the cold and spent nearly two hours eating lunch. Or maybe they were just hiding Sam B. from the angry old man who had a different interpretaion of the Alpine Code!

Helo i pawb yn Cymru, rwy'n joio mas draw rwy'n

Monday 15th August - Chris Durham's entry:

In my limited experience of working for the soul-less capitalist machine, I always dreaded the sound of my alarm on a Monday morning, and I couldn't help but let out a groan when it went off this morning.  But despite being a wee bit nippy up top, I soon realised that this is the life - out on the mountain with nothing more to do other than try and ski as well as you can!

We had a substitution on the instructor front with Huere (can't say it, let alone spell it) being replaced by Tano (why not John or Steve or something!) Although I didn't get to ski with him, the mans sounds like a legend, ripping up the slopes and prepared to ski no matter what. Rumour has it that as a kid he skied to the base with a broken leg!

The morning's skiing was good, but it got progressively colder and started to snow quite a bit.  By lunchtime it had turned into a blizzard with very little visibility and really cold!  I managed to hit something - I don't know who or what it was as I couldn't see it/them - which threw me headfirst into the snow and no one in our group was complaining when we headed indoors for lunch. I think we might have set a Peak Leaders record for the longest lunch break!

When we did eventually leave there was a bit of powder to be found and by 3pm the conditions were awesome and everyone had an excellent time playing in the powder, tackling tree runs and making some fresh tracks.  Now we are all hoping for some snow overnight to guarantee a full-on powder day tomorrow.

We ended the day trying to fold our aching bodies into all sorts of unnatural positions at the gym.  For any more exciting news, you will have to wait for tomorrow.  I´m done now and off to get some food...

Sunday 14th August - Maia Dunn's entry:

The day started off at Wilkenny's after a monstrous feast of the Argentinean staple diet - hordes of steak, accompanied with mountains of match stick thin french fries and an overload of salad...oh, and not forgetting the essential empanadas!

It seemed impossible that after a huge meal anything else could have been crammed into one's stomach but many had no problem partaking in a few cheeky beverages in the heaving Irish pub.  It was here that, thanks to Bayju, we were able to put our feet up in the cordoned off VIP area whilst the rest of the pub grew busier.

Mercedes, Alvar, Huere, Lucas and Pety were also additions to the Peaks Party Pack, with one member causing a bit of a stir amongst the ladies.  No names mentioned.  It certainly provided easy entertainment for the others.  A 'hardcore' group formed at about 2:00am (just the start of a Saturday night out in Argentina!) and made their way to Roket to dance away until the early hours to Argentinean tunes.

A total of approximately 8 hours had elapsed before we started to emerge from our slumber - emaciated after having danced off the previous night's feed.  I imagine breakfast was somewhat deserted!

After a late lunch we traveled to the peninsula of Llao Llao for a hike through thick bamboo forest that gradually got steeper leading us up an enormous hill.  The clambering over uprooted coihues and cyprus trees, wading through a swamp, dodging rocks and plants was enough to cure anyone's hangover.  The view across Lago Nahuel Huapi was just divine, with
snowcapped mountains breaking up the deep blue sky and the water below with blankets of greenery.  As we enjoyed the scenery we stopped for a well deserved break and munched on delicious pastries and drank mate.

We continued the journey downwards and finished up on a beach by the lake as the sun was setting in the background and suddenly the air became cold. What a day!

Ed's Update:

Friday night saw the introduction of 'la gilada' a garment to be worn by the person nominated by the group at supper everyday for the silliest action or comment during the day.  Because it has taken a few days to arrange it (an Argentinean football shirt with bells sewed onto it) there has been a backlog of nominations to deal with!  First recipient is Sam T. who on arriving at Buenos Aires airport, left his passport at the Aerolineas information desk and only realised it once we had transferred to the domestic airport an hour' drive away.  Fortunately Alvar´s prompt action enabled the blessed little document to be couriered over to our airport two minutes before our plane took off for Bariloche!

All sentencees must wear it on the outside of their ski or other attire for twenty-four hours before the next nomination!  The second nominee was Rory who, as recorded previously in the diary, failed to make the slopes after a night out.  An unpardonable sin. Rory accepted la gilada at a group dinner in Bariloche's internationally renowned parrilla (steakhouse) 'El Boliche de Alberto' and carried it off with panache the whole night out!

All winning nominations will henceforth be recorded in the daily diary.

Saturday 13th August - Alex Dewey's entry:

Today the group enjoyed a morning of free-skiing.  We went up early and the slopes were sunny and not busy at all.  After an afternoon break we all went to the gym for stretching, weights, swimming and football.

In the evening, we went out for supper in the town (steaks sent from the gods) and then most of the group went to Wilkenny - a popular Irish/Argentinean pub frequented by the local mountain professionals.  Bayju impressively got the entire group of almost 30 into the VIP area, providing the ideal arena for team bonding and generally relaxing and having good fun!  A good night had by all!

Friday 12th August - Dave Brown's entry:

Although the rooms are comfortable and incredible there is just too much going to close your eyes for more than a few hours.  I have placed a personal emphasis on moderation and another rule I have found myself living by is that although the skiers in the group can never be as cool as the snowboarders, its not fair to constantly deride them for it and therefore "trash-talk" is best left on the hill.

The snowboard class is very small and the six of us have benefited hugely from Pancho´s tuition.  My favorite day so far was Thursday because we rode with Pety and Mariano and their groups so there must have been roughly twenty riders cruising around while James and I played 'follow-the-leader´ with a 13 year-old superstar called Santiago.

Getting to know everyone here has been awesome, staff included.  Each Saturday we get to listen to Alvar´s radio show whilst at the gym which is really good fun. Watch this space!

The lake here is looking perfect today so I'm off to sit on the pier and listen to my ipod

All the best from Bariloche, Dave

P.S. Send more money, I need new socks!

Thursday 11th August - Dave Brierley's entry:

On the way to the mountain, conditions looked ominous, with visibility not more than 4 or 5 metres.  In the queue for the chairlift, Kat took the opportunity to talk to the group behind us and we discovered they are the Slovenian race team, training in Argentina as a part of their preparation for the next Olympics.  They fancy themselves as party animals and we hope
to hook up with them on Saturday night.  Good work Kat!

From present Olympians to former - Ivan´s group was strongly challenged this morning, with exercises ranging from skiing with your poles behind your knees, to going down the slope with only one ski.  The group struggled with the latter exercise and each successful turn was celebrated.  Ivan though, still skied better on one ski than the group could on two!

In the afternoon, with conditions deteriorating, the session was cut short, allowing the group to take a well earned rest with hot chocolate and empanadas the order of the day.

Last nights lecture by Bernard on the history and rules of poker has inspired the start of a tournament.  He might have given away too many trade secrets in his talk however, as he was one of the first players knocked out in the early rounds.  It was rumored that a few of the group might even do a recce of Bariloche's casino, but I know nothing about that...!

Wednesday 10th August - Sam Birkbeck's entry:

The birthday party turned into a late night for some and in the morning there were a couple of weary faces and one obvious absentee - Rory. The heavy rainfall had left us expecting bad conditions but as we slid off the chairlift, we realised the conditions were nearly perfect!  Rory you should of got out of bed!

At lunch everyone was talking about how hard they were being pushed and how much they were improving.  The afternoon brought several comical moments:
Tall Mark (Mark G.) deciding to take up ´tree hugging´ with Mercedes; Bayju falling and sliding halfway down the mountain; and German Marc (Marc J.) discovering the biggest crevasse on the mountain and opting to drop into it - will instructor Huere ever be able to stop laughing?

A brilliant day of skiing. I would tell you about the evening activities, but I fell asleep at 5pm!

Tuesday 9th August - Myles Bax's entry:
The weather this morning looked promising and all the group were ready for another day of skiing and boarding in magnificent powder. That is, all the group except for Mark G. and Owain, who after noticing one of the buses leave the hotel, realised that they had slept in!

The sight of snow being whipped up in a hurricane-like twister at the top of the sextuplet chair lift curtailed the optimism somewhat as we realised that lifts were likely to be closed due to extremely high winds.  Sure enough, after one run to the base, we discovered all other lifts closed and were forced to stand in line for some time listening to the dodgy jokes of James L. and Sam B. (Don Juan).  The longer than average queues lead to a longer than average lunch that lead to a Spanish lesson from Instructor Huere. Despite her tutoring, Sam B. still managed to ask to have the waitress for dessert!

The evening session, after tostados and tea, was followed by a mountain safety briefing by Nico and his team, and after dinner, the day was rounded off with a fun-filled birthday party for Marc J., David Brierly, and Chris.

Monday 8th August - Rory Atton's entry:

"The skiers had a filming session today - long turns, short turns, snow plough :), 360 spins and backwards riding.  Surprisingly there were only a couple of falls.  Watching the video back in the evening was good for comparing techniques etc and got a couple of good laughs!  Part of the afternoon was spent watching the ´Reef´ Big Air competition - skiers pulling out some serious spins, grabs and flips."

Sunday 7th August - After a group trip to the gym yesterday evening, and a few hours in some of the Bariloche nightspots, most of the group opted for a day away from the mountain, although a few hardy souls did venture out with skis and boards.  Having mountain bikes at the hotel and use of Mercedes´ kayaks on the lake, there is always something to do, even on ´rest days´.  Tomorrow will see the lessons commence in earnest, and from now on the group will take turns to update the daily diary.

Saturday 6th August - What a day! Whilst yesterday had fantastic snow but poor visibility, today was born out of a foot of overnight snow and with not a cloud in the sky! Apart from enjoying fresh powder, everyone was able to appreciate the spectacular views of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the Andean range extending into Chile and the north, and our own Lake Guttierez on the shores of which Hosteria El Retorno is situated. Everyone has skied and ridden hard today and the gym session tonight is vital for the recovery process.

Friday 5th August - Fresh snow was the perfect welcome for the Peaks group to Cerro Catedral.  Our hosts are boasting of the best conditions in ten years and so instructors were happy to assess the skiers and riders freeriding over all the open pistes and some off piste too.  The standard of the group is excellent and we can look forward to some exciting weeks ahead.  The 18 skiers are in three groups, lead by course director Ivan, mentor Mercedes and freeride champion Huere.  The boarders are currently working with Francisco (or Pancho, or Franky as he is better known) and director Pety Figola, who joins us next week.

Thursday 4th August - We woke up to heavy snowfall and great anticipation of the day´s conditions.  However, strong winds on the mountain meant it was closed until lunchtime. The locals are saying its the best agosto snowfall in 10 years! Now that passes are sorted out, we will make the most of the new snow tomorrow!

Wednesday 3rd August - We have arrived at Hosteria El Retorno with no problems - much rejoicing to be met by Alvar in Buenos Aires.  This evening we have had the initial brief and the trainees have met almost all the CAB team.  We are now on our way out for the introductory meal in Bariloche.

Happy Birthday to Marc Junemann from all on the Argentina course - we will soon see if the youngsters can keep up with him on the mountain!

Cerro Catedral has a foot of fresh snow at the base!  Tomorrow after sorting out lift passes we will have our first crack at the Andean slopes!

Tuesday 26th July - Only a week to go before Peak Leaders Argentina Ski & Snowboard Instructor Course gets underway.  There are already good winter conditions out there - former Olympic skier Ivan Bonacalza says that 3 metres of snow have fallen on Cerro Catedral. The Peak Leaders mentor this year is Ed Archer.  Ed is a fitness training professional and has worked in Formula 1 and with Gloucester Rugby Club. He is currently doing an MSc in environmental studies.  Ed will be at the airport along with Angela Purdon, Peak Leaders Schools coordinator, next Tuesday to meet the group before flying out to Argentina.

Friday 18th March - We are delighted to announce that Peak Leaders will be offering BASI instructor qualification on our course in Argentina later this year.  Yesterday Peter Kuwall, the Chief Executive of BASI said:

"I am delighted to be able to announce a new initiative to run courses culminating in BASI qualifications in 2005 in Argentina. Working with Peak Leaders UK Ltd, the Scottish based gap year and time out training company and also with The Andes' Mountains' Club, Bariloche, BASI trainers will provide training and accreditation for their ski and snowboard instructor courses in Argentina. Courses run from 2 Aug - 27 Sep 05."