MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lack of snow postpones beginning of Chile’s ski season

The winter sports industry eagerly hoping for “bad weather”

Ski addicts will have to wait a little longer this year before they can begin gliding down Chilean slopes. Although ski resorts were set to open this week, the lack of precipitation - and consequently of snow – has forced ski resorts to postpone their openings until at least the end of June.

“For the past three years we have opened at the beginning of June,” said Rodrigo Vega, marketing director of ski resort El Colorado-Farellones. “But this year we don’t have a clear idea of the opening date. We are waiting for the snowfall or for the conditions making it able to ski,”

The ski resort Valle Nevado, which had announced its inauguration for June 12, has also postponed this date because of lack of snow, said its general manager Ricardo Margulis.

Despite its high altitude (2,850 meters), ski resort Portillo is experiencing a similar situation. In 2008, its season started on June 14. This year, the ski resort opening was fixed for June 20, but company officials meet this week to decide whether this date will be kept or postponed because of the lack of snow.

Still, the winter sports industry is eagerly hoping for “bad weather” this week end, so that snow will fall and let the season begin.

The lack of precipitation has also complicated the situation in the resorts in southern Chile. The club Andino de Osorno, managed by Ricardo Rettig, needs a 30-centimeter base of snow to operate. “We were supposed to open this week but there is still no snow,” said Rettig.

Despite the delay, the industry remains optimistic. Operators say that opening the resorts later than the other years does not necessarily mean the season will be bad.

“We think that despite the delay, we are going to have a good season, with enough snow in July,” said Vega. He expects visitors to his resort will grow by 10 percent this year and that 180,000 ski passes will be sold.

La Parva's manager Thomas Grob said that even if the snow never comes, they are already making artificial snow.

Valle Nevado's managers are not worried and trust there will be excellent snow this year. “We expect to receive 150,000 visitors and the few days of delay will not affect growth,” said Margulis. Santiago Times