Valle Nevado Ski trails and lifts information

Trails Information

Valle Nevado has 1 cable car: the gondola; 5 saddles: Prado, Vaivén, Mirador, Andes Express and Embalse; and 9 chair lifts (dragging): Tres Puntas, Inca Valley, Anchor, Ballicas, Escondida, Candonga, Telecuerda, Carousel and Baby. The exclusive means of elevation for beginners are: Prado, Vaivén (that also serves to arrive at the base of the center), Telecuerda, Carousel and Baby. In addition, in the Bajo Zero sector there are magic carpets for both adults and children.

Mirador and Escondida provide us with access to intermediate and advanced ground. Also from the top of both ways we can get back to the hotel skiing. From both tops we can access training tracks (Foxtrot). These give us access to the mountain restaurant, Bajo Zero, which we can also access by the Andes Express, or via Gondola in case you are not skiing. Andes Express gives us access to intermediate tracks, advanced and only experts. This chair lifts provide us access to classics such as La Momia (only experts), El Sol (Advanced) and La Luna (advanced, bumps). La Momia is a track for advanced or expert skiers, with a good slope to practice wide turns but you have to be careful as it is one of the popular tracks. El Sol begins halfway to La Momia; you have to follow a small path and then enter the track which is quite long as it reaches the Prado base. Extra points: with a moderate slope and being a wide track, is one of the most entertaining in the center. Mention aside the access to off-piste areas that we can access from here. If we wanted to go to the ski center El Colorado, we can pass from the middle of the track (it is signposted); Or from the top Andes, following backwards. Andes also gives access to the El Eclipse track. To enter it, we must go behind the lookout chair lift booth, climb a little (it is not necessary to take off the skis, but you do have to take off the board in case of being a snowboarder) to get to the beginning of the track.

It is through the Andes that we can reach the back area of ​​Valle Nevado, in particular Valle del Inca (or Inca) and Ancla, as well as Tres Puntas, Ballicas and Embalse. Inca gives us access to Ancla, one of the best kept secrets of Valle Nevado. As Ancla is not very visible, few are aware that it is really there. The interesting thing here is that there is always little public, which automatically transforms it into a delight to ski. But if there is no snow in Inca, Ancla does not open (there is no other way to get there). The Ancla tracks are for advanced skiers. The tracks are not very long and allow to practice carving at high speed.

In Inca, the slopes are for advanced or expert skiers, due to the slope that we find here. Cascada and Adrenalina are two spectacular tracks, they are fast and entertaining. The only counter they have is that they are too short. La Pirca is a red track, entertaining and with little public. It is a delight when it is freshly trodden. Through Ostras we can reach the returns, that take us to the hotel without having to take another chair lift.

 

 Going back, we have the wonderful sector of Tres Puntas. For those who don’t know, the area is called this way by 3 small mounds that are at the top and not by the back peaks (among them El Plomo) as most believe. There are many who think that because there is a blue track anyone can go up. Make no mistake! Although there is actually a blue track, it is not recommended that intermediate go to this area, this because the chair lift is very long and tiring, and is constantly stopped by users who fall on the line among others.

 

In Tres Puntas we find 3 tracks and a path: The three tracks are the Vals, Shake and Twist; While the road is called the el Camino Inca, and leads to the base of the Inca chair lift. At the top there is a watchtower and formerly there was a kebabs stand called Parador Tres Puntas.  It’s been years since it doesn’t work however the installation remains, although quite deteriorated and is used to save the material that is used in the tracks. On the terrace of the Parador there is a bench, ideal to sit down to have lunch in case you prefer to bring your own lunch instead of having lunch in one of the restaurants.

Going track to track, in the Vals there is a blue track (intermediate), with very little difficulty. What I like most about this track is its landscape. El Plomo is there, almost within reach. It is an incredible landscape, almost northern. You feel the solitude of the mountains and you can see how vast they can be. Overwhelming. On the other hand, the Vals allows access to randonée tours, due to the presence of other peaks that are slightly beyond the path. As we continue descending we will find the entrance to the Camino Inca. From here you can see the Twist and its off-pistes. For those interested in doing off-piste tracks, first go down the Vals and observe possible routes, as well as snow coverage and possible traps.

 Then we have the Shake, which is almost stuck to the chair lift line. When Tres Puntas opens, the Shake will always be open. Caution must be exercised on this track, as it is a track indicated only for experts and when there is no fresh snowfall the track becomes very hard.

 

Then we have the Twist. Normally we will not find it trodded, which is good for those who like things a little more difficult. It has a little less slope than the Shake, but gives us access to better off-piste opportunities. Here what looks white is skiable, and you can see a lot of white. As a bonus track we have La Ola, a great off-piste that is accessed from the top of the chair lift, going to the right (passing Las Tres Puntas). It is recommended to go with someone who knows, because those who don’t know the exit can end in the valley of the Cepo, which place is outside the ski area and the rescue runs on the part of the involved. When you reach the base of the Tres Puntas chairlifts, you will find another drag called Ballicas. When Ballicas is open to the top (it requires a lot of snow as well), we can access Tango 1 and Tango 2, two very entertaining tracks that are used as training tracks by the instructors and monitors of Valle Nevado. Both are tracks cataloged as intermediate - advanced.

Apart from these two tracks, we have the Milonga and el Beso. Ballicas is handy to return to the Mirador area or the returns to the hotel, and is faster than climbing in Embalse.

Embalse is usefull to leave the back sector of Valle Nevado towards the Mirador area. It is ideal for those skiers who are tired and are looking for a chair where they can rest. When there is good snow, we can access Oxigeno, another track without trodden and very good when the ideal conditions.

Valle Nevado currently has 2 snowparks and a boardercross. The first park is located right under the hotel, under the line of Vaivén. Around here was the extinct Halfpipe. This park is ideal for beginners as it has boxes and jumps of lesser difficulty. The second park and the main one, The Gap, is behind the Bajo Zero and has a chair lift almost exclusively for the park: Candonga. This park has medium and large jumps and boxes; It is here where the competitions are made and it is handled by a group of experts so its maintenance is first level. The same applies to boardercross, which is also home to multiple international competitions.