Las Leñas

Las Leñas sits alone in a stark, treeless valley of the southern Mendoza Andes, a purpose-built cluster of hotels beneath towering rock faces and steep, open bowls. The lower and mid mountain offer plenty of straightforward pistes, but the resort's fame rests on the enormous expanse of steep, high-alpine off-piste that opens up when the top lifts run. Dry, high-altitude snow, big vertical and serious terrain give it an almost mythical status among expert skiers, while the small, self-contained base delivers a surprisingly wild social life. It is remote, exposed and uncompromising, a mountain that rewards ambition and punishes complacency. There is little polish here, and that is precisely the appeal.

Las Leñas is a pilgrimage for advanced and expert skiers chasing world-class, lift-accessed steeps and couloirs in a raw, high-Andes setting, and for younger crowds drawn by its party reputation. It is less about groomed convenience and more about big terrain, adventure and atmosphere, best suited to those who come for the challenge above the treeline and the buzz at its base.

Through the austral winter the high, dry Andes deliver cold, light snow onto the resort's steep, bare faces, with storms that can shut the upper mountain for days before clearing to brilliant blue skies. The exposed terrain is heavily wind-affected, so the celebrated off-piste comes and goes with the weather and avalanche control, making patience and timing part of the game. When it aligns, the skiing is exceptional.