Les Manley's blog

andes get snow

Les Manley — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:26:45 -0400

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las lenas is getting dumped on: http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Las-Lenas/6day/top

Euroland

Les Manley — Wed, 9 Apr 2008 13:14:08 -0400

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St. Bernard Pass

Verbier, Switzerland (home base) - Well things are winding up here. It's been well over two months and with some 20 days still to go it's not over yet. From Slovinia to Bulgaria, France, Italy and Switz it has been a blast. New zones like Ovrnez, Vicheres, Super St. Bernard, Vogel, Bansko and Crans Montana have all played host to a load off powder slashing, ski touring, and summit bagging not to mention freeride battling. Monks serving Montain tea, stektchy Bulgarian Airport pick ups, Milan and it's haut coutre, mythical Cham, sleepy Plans Mayens, and of course good ol' Verbier pretensious as it is but big and beggin to be ripped. Besides, Mont Gele may be one of the best lifts on the face of the planet; good to till the last drop after it's two hiatus. They offically quite spinning the lifts here on the 27th of April, but the rest of the four valley system closes on the 20th. Cham is open well into May, but it looks like I'm headed to the coast range to catch the end of the BC season. Alsaka if I'm lucky. I'll be back in December to finally get a taste of the early season in the Alps butI can't help feeling that I still have much unfinished business here. Something, I guess, which is only the product of spending more time here and more fully realizing the potential. Ps. It's snowing....

St Bernard Tunnel

Rockin out in SloviniaSkiers Prayers

The Quicksilver Freeride Battle - Vogel, Solvenia

Les Manley — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:41:05 -0400

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Quicksilver Freerdie Battle - Vogel, Solvenia

It had dumped 50 cms in Verbier and I passed up a chance to shoot with Jordan in Cham to instead get on a train, then two planes, and a car to get my butt to Vogel, Solvenia to compete - man its addicitive; in the Quicksilver Freeride Battle.

The Quicksilver Freeride Battle - Vogel, Solvenia

Red Bull Powder Kick

Les Manley — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:24:08 -0500

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From Feb 21st till the 24th the Red Bull Powder Kick will be held at the Bulgarian resort of Bansko near Sophia. The best Bulgarian Freeriders will go head to head against the world for a cash purse of 3500 euro. May the best win!

It's like I left yesterday

Les Manley — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:55:19 -0500

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Lima, Peru - Six months.....and how the time flies when your having fun. San Jose, Jaco, Montazuma, Santa Teresa, Guiones, Ostional, Playa Grande, Popoyo, Madera, El Rio Colorado, and Granda. Just a few of the spots I've passed through in the last month - I came back to the breaks.

Bought a board and sold it, rented two cars and ralleyed them, took six flights, and now looking to the future, to the powder. What will the winter bring; europe and beyond only time will tell.

Happy to reflect on the season in SA as it was better than ever, and ofcourse will miss the massive snaking backbone of the Andes like the deserts miss the rain. As always; I'll be back.

Managed to check out some new spots to ski next year in late Oct: Vallecitos, Las Penitentes, Caviahue....lifts closed but toured and saw the potencial. Much more to do here but it's over and time to move on. Time to sleep in the same bed for more than a few nights. Six months ski and surf vagabonding has it's ups and down but in the end I wouldn't give it up for the world. It's just too fun!

Word to the wise: it's not fun to have someone steal your credit card and bank card from your rental car and then rack up the charges so you can't even get an emergency cash advance, don't loose your passport and spend five hours looking for it in the airport and subsequently miss your connecting flight (yes it was lost within the security zone and it took that long to find it) and don't loose your paper airplane ticket (if it's an e ticket throw caution to the wind).

'the dead' - Volcan Lanin

Les Manley — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:43:11 -0400

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LaninparklotParque Nacional Lanin, Arg - In Maupuche the word Lanin means the dead. I skied off the top of 3776m Volcan Lanin, 'the dead', three days ago on one of the warmest days of the spring yet. The wind was blowing probably 60k on the summit but even so the ski run down had awesome corn and a bit of powder at the top. Lanin is the highest peak in the Lake Distirct and is climbed totally within Argentina even though it is a boarder peak. As such it commands an excellent view of what is northren Patagonia.

Day one after messing around renting crampons for a friend and being held back a day by Argentinan mother's day (all the expedition agencies were closed), we hired a taxi and took off to the Argentinan customs an hour past Junin where the climb begins. 5hrs of sloggging up a steep bowl we reached the military RIM 26 hut and stayed the night. The following day an alpine start put us on the summit by mid afternoon. The strangest meeting I have ever had in the mountains though occured just before leaving the hut in the morning when Marcus W., a buddy of mine from North Van rolled up to the hut solo. I was like hey dude, what the ·$%· are you doing here? He had rented a car, ditched his girlfriend, and was soloing around Volcanos in Arg. He was great company to have along.

The following day I jumped a bus to Zapala but slept through my stop and ended up in Cultral Co (don't ask), where a wind stop do to insane gusts and blowing dirt held the bus from going back to Zapala for three hours. After finally getting to Zapala later that night, I caught another bus to Caviahue (1700m). That wind blew a storm through this desolate out post town and dumped some fresh snow beside it's emerald green lake, on the millenia old Arucarian arucaria trees that dot the hillside, and on the volcano above but the winds were too strong to go up Copahue (3003m) today. Tommorrow fingers crossed it will go but till then it's hanging out in the only Hotel/thing open in town which happens to be government run, really afforable, and straight out of the Shinning.

Frey Sessions

Les Manley — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:25:19 -0400

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canalettasBariloche, Arg - Tuesday, all day, it snowed here in the Andes, dropping some 36cms at the Frey Hut in the Catedral range near Bariloche. Wednesday a bunch of powder got skied under sunny skies. Face shots in Oct a few days after the lifts shut to skiers for the season put smiles on all of our faces - the 2 girls from Utah (sorry never caught your names), Mike 'heli' Hamiliton, Sunny from Alaska, Camilla Parker Bowles, and my own.

It's snowing again this afternoon in the mountains around the lake here. 10 more days or so in Argentina for me this season. I'm on a mission heading northward to the boarder with Chile in the pass. Hoping to ski Lanin and then something near Vallecitos before hitting Santiago.

BELOW: Refugio Frey sits in the low col.

freyvalley

springpowder - below: the corn before the storm!ps. freysessions

Can you break the Spell back to your own world...

Les Manley — Mon, 1 Oct 2007 21:20:04 -0400

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lookingtochileSan Rafeal, Argentina - The sun set on dusty San Rafeal for another time this evening, the spring breeze fluttering the leaves of the southren beech trees that line every street. The vistas of the Pampa and some of Argentina´s, and the Andes highest peaks on the way out of LL, swam in a surreal blurr before my tired eyes. This exit from the Valle every season never ceases to remind me of what crazy life it is that I live and how lucky I am to have found it. For Las Lenas it was a somber day as the lifts finally crept to hault, bring the skiing public to their last great runs in El Valle. For a lucky few the time skiing endless corn with no one around will go on, too bad they have to pass exams and sit sessions to do it. Twinkies have all the fun but my last run was free. Willing things onwards and downards as I finish up a two week ski holdiay in the Andian North and point my ski tipps south again to the Lake District, the prospect of a late spring finish to the season at resorts like Catedral, Bayo, La Hoya, and Cerro Castor draws me deeper into the web of gliss. The skiers crystal ball is not is ever present clear self, but the later closing dates of the resorts in Patagonia and the chance of climbing a number of epic volcanos bolster a fine finish to 2007 in the Andes.

Going Solo Otra Vez

Les Manley — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:32:37 -0400

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singleliftVilla Angostura, Argentina - Sweet memories of the days pow turns fill my conciousness as I look forward to the big haul back to LL. It's been fun in the south this season, checking out many new lines and always finding a little bit of the deep stuff to keep happy.

By the sounds of things the snow is on it's way out in the northren Andes but it's hard not to go back to my favorite place to ski in the world. If things are anything like they were last year Lenas will keep getting dumps until late in October whether the lifts keep running or not. The word on the street is that they will spin Marte for the last time on the 29th of this month. After that I planning on doing some big overnight tours to ski peaks like El Plumo and Santa Elena. Later on I may work my way back down to Patagonia but until then I will remeber all the good turns I've had down here and all the great people I've shared them with.

Tommorrow afternoon I head to Bariloche, spend the night then catch an overnight semicama to San Raf, from there another transfer to the Valley. I can't wait, big lines and big fun are on the way.

Santa Rosa

Les Manley — Mon, 3 Sep 2007 11:13:54 -0400

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Mt. Thunder - Bariloche

Esquel, Argentina - Strong winds and snow have finally made their way to the southren andes of Patagonia. It's a down day in the sleepy hamlet of Esquel, and skiers pace the hotel lobby waiting to hear if the lifts will open in the afternoon. With 60 centimeters or more in the forecast people are excited. The six day forecast shows rain after the big dump, but we all know how accurate those six day predictions can be. If one thing is for sure it's that Santa Rosa is here once again right on schedule and what a welcome blessing of snow it is this season; a decent season that has been much colder than usual if not a bit dry, but surely good.

Yesterday saw us skiing Lenas style lines all to ourselves at La Hoya, hiking dry alpine scree slopes to drop straight 1500 ft shots on supportable corton, powder, and spring corn. Lines with names like Las Agujas (the needles), Cerro Carbon (Mt. Carbon), and Aero Silla (Air Chair) pumped everyone up (props to my friend Monica for coining this ski phrase).

With another day on the schedule here in Esquel and then road trippin´ to Bariloche I'm stoked to check out some deep pow in the trees at Caterdal for the rest of the week. Only time will tell if Santa Rosa will bless us with her goodness, so cross your fingers and hold on this could be a big one.

Patagonia

Les Manley — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:11:19 -0400

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incayalBariloche, Arg - It's ment to snow in Villa but when I get the freezing levels going to rocket. Sure it's only centimeters but there's percip out there - it's just got come here. After an 11 day tour of Patagonia's best which capped off 22 days in the northren Andes of Chile and Argentina I'm looking at another 20 day stretch in the cold south. The snow has been stellar and with fingers crossed I hope it's going to continue.

Santiago Sessions - The pre party

Les Manley — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 05:02:23 -0400

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So after touching down in SCL for the second time in 2007 I was stoked to catch some sweet turns on valley Nevado. Ya it cost me an arm and a leg and the bus broke down on the way back to Santiago but I did ski some light non-wind affected pow in the Andes in July yesterday.
Mark Lasseter rolled into town last night and so we had to celebrate the joint return to SA in proper Argentian style and nearly saw the sun come up on a smoggy Santiago.
Tonight was entertaining again dancing the night away with American friends.
Tommorrow will see us (Mark and I) shredding La Parva and sampling some of its' more secret spots.
Ripping around Santiago tonight in a rented Toyota sport hatchback I was feeling quite like the privilaged Santiago resident this evening...

La Sierra

Les Manley — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:29:47 -0400

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Quito, Ecuador - Blogging from my phone for the first time so I'm stoked to be free and mobile. Rolled into Quito last night at 1 am, wandered around trying to find a 5 dollar hostel till 3, met some English girls this am and talked smack about the big football match between Argentina and Brazil today. I fly back to winter in Santiago this evening. The cold is going to be a huge shock. Quito sits at some 2800m above sea level so it's cold at night, but being smack dab on the Ecuator it's fairly hot during the day. It feels good to be back in the mountains after a month on the beach, but it reminds me that I still have unfinished buisness in the Cordillera here - I must come and ski Cotopaxi and Chimboraz; two of the biggest volcanos on the content.

Planet Atacmes

Les Manley — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:23:43 -0400

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Atacmes, Ecuador - Reaggaton, loud and in your face. Heat all the time. Open air bars for a 1/4 mile. Waves, bikins, and palm trees. For some its' paradise for others it a world of pain.

For me Atcames was a double edged sword. I loved the beach, many of the people I met, and I was surfing everyday. With hardly any gringos around, I spoke Spanish all the time. It was hard to get used to the sweaty nights and the relentless mosquitos; some of them carrying deadly disease like Dengue Fever and Malaria but with time the place really grew on me. THe cockroaches in the street at night were as big as two silver dollars.

Atcames for better or worse was not without its' challenges. I was travelling without a guide book and so ended up at a random hotel on the beach, cheap no, five bucks a night. Well things started out ok but bad led to worse as after a week and half into my stay I realized the hotel owner/manager was an alcholic with a taste for two day binges. One night he decided he needed some money. So at like 3am or something he knocked on my door. I of course didn't answer, not wanting to find out who was knocking on my door at such an early hour in the morning. Well buddy just pulls his key out and opens my door. So there I am, laying in bed worried that the wavering alcholic standing over me is going to do something random. We stare at each other for a moment and he leaves only to come back an hour later asking for money, and again a few hours later asking for more money.

Now this money was suppost to go to pay my rent but instead it went to his booze and off course the next day he is trying to tell me I never paid him etc. Thank god for his wife, the voice of reason in the house hold - thats a whole other story for another time, but she believed me.

So the following night which I had prepaid, I get back from dinner around 12 am and dude is still drunk. He starts telling me that there are a bunch of new people in the hotel, and.....they might rob me! He repeatedly asks me if I intend to stay the night. Sure I tell him, hell I paid already right. He tells me to just shut my door, I'll be fine he says, I'm strong. So feeling a little uneasy I turn in for the night. A few hours later the 'people' show up. They are completely wasted, yelling and screaming, running up and down the hall, baging on my door and trying to force it open. I'm freaking, almost at the point of wedging my bed up against the door. That wedging not wetting hehe. It seemed the owner had told these dudes to rob me, crazy. I passed a sleepless night and hit the road. To top it all off dude had the gall to hand some buisness cards to me in the morning and suggest I reccomend the place to my friends. Ya right. Fat chance.

So, collecting my thoughts, I sat on a dusty roadside at the terminus of Planet Atacmes waiting for a bus to take me down La Routa del Sol and onwards to the place they call Canoa.

Dutchie

Les Manley — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:30:57 -0400

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Babalon, Ecuador - This is my bro Peter. He knew Trevor P., lived and skied with the BC Brothers in Cham. Made it to Whistler once. When I met him on the beach in Montanita, Ecuador he had been chasing waves around South America for almost 4 years. And if that wasn't enough he was headed to Central America and Indo for a few more. He had ski bummed for more than twenty years and at some point his body just start to give out. So he traded two boards for one and went to the waves. "Never forget the swell bro, when your done with the powder in September come find the breaks, come find surfing again" he told me as I prepared to skip town - wise words from one of the early old skoolers I thought to myself.

A viajar es a vivir

Les Manley — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:36:31 -0400

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sick sky line

Santiago, Chile - Flying tommorrow morning to Quito. It's been an interesting 10 day stay in the city thats blessed with some of the best skiing in SA. None of the resorts are open yet so after partying a few nights away in classic Chileno style (Chacay lluevon?) and checking out neighbourhoods like La Legua, Bio Bio, Bella Vista, Manuel Montt, Vaga, Santa Isabel, and sights such as the Virgin, Museo de Belles Artes, and the Cemetario I'm travelling again. Lots to mention but one friend got pickpocketed; they just slashed her bag and took her wallet. Brutal.

$2 liters of beer at the bar and dancing till 5 am will make your headspin the next day, but it was great to get out and enjoy the lifestyle Santiago has to offer. Not to mention the minas.

With some time to go until the ski resorts open I'm booking it up to Quito, Ecuador and then catching a bus to Atacames on the coast to surf some waves and get a tan. Hopefully when I come back in a month, the snow up on Santiago's version of the North Shore will be deeper than ever. ((( Baile latina

Dropping in to the first big dump

Les Manley — Sat, 2 Jun 2007 21:29:29 -0400

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back in saSantiago, Chile - Flying in to SCL from the Great White North I was surprised to find that it had dumped on the high andes. In fact I found out later it had dumped all the way to Tierra del Fuego, with Termas de Chillan seeing the biggest accumulations. Getting out of the plane in my shorts was a bit shocking to say the least. No less shocking were the fashion trends of the youth in Chile at the moment - something between death metal chic and funeral black. Also eye opening was the spectactle of old men in suits and sweaters eating ice cream, people sitting around in hords on park benches doing almost nothing, and the ridiculous amount of food you can buy the family run restaurants in the Mercado Central.

With the early season dump and the sight of people wearing parkas and sweaters I am already stoked for the upcoming season, almost so stoked that I might have to cut my beach trip to Brazil a bit short - I'll be keeping an eye on the weather forecast the whole time up there.

Tow ins to big mountain freeride and spring corn

Les Manley — Thu, 24 May 2007 22:33:42 -0400

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Whistle, B.C. - Seven days to go till my six month trip to South America and I'm stoked to have been able to freeride perfect spring corn with friends here in Whistler with the help of a little tow in to our favorite outer reef.

Culture Shock

Les Manley — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 15:07:51 -0500

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Iqueque, Chile - You know when contsruction sites, sky scrapers, and perfect, palm tree lined board walks make you feel safer your culture back home is messed up.

Chile is not Peru. The taxi driver said Pinochet was a great man, he got rid of prostitution, drugs, and crime. He also said he didn't like Peru.

I thought that that smacked of facism, and what I knew about Pinochet made me uneasily scan the old mans face to see if he was really serious about what he was saying. He continued to chat away, a smile on his ghostly white face.

So the rumors arn't all true; there is snow in Europe

Les Manley — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:03:15 -0500

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Check Cham out this past week -

http://www.freeride.se/forum/thread.php?t=34548

Cudos to Anna-Karin: tillbaka i Chamonix ......that's Swedish for "back in Chamonix". Like you knew.