Ski areas in South America have started to open for the 2022 season, in some cases for the first time since 2019.
It is also the first ski season since 2019 that Argentina and Chile have opened their borders to skiers and snowboarders from overseas. Pandemic restrictions have eased, but international arrivals are being asked to prove they have comprehensive travel insurance, including medical repatriation costs if needed, upon arrival at the border.
Ski areas in the Andes reported up to one meter of snowfall during the first half of June. Portillo in Chile, which has barely been open for two winters, started its 2022 season a week early to celebrate the reopening of snow and borders. Las Leñas in Argentina opened for the first time since 2019.
Catedral, the continent’s largest center by uprising, pictured above, also opened. It opened for periods for locals during the pandemic and was the first to open in the Southern Hemisphere for 2022 over a weekend in late April after an unusually large snowstorm in early spring.
The start of the 2022 ski season in South America means that although there are around 50 ski areas open in a dozen countries around the world, it is currently, briefly*, possible to use the lifts to access to snow slopes on six populated continents both outdoors ( *the last center still open in Asia is expected to end its season in early July Ski centers are also open in Europe, North America, Southern Africa and in Australia/New Zealand.
Tignes opened for six weeks of summer skiing this weekend, joining Les 2 Alpes in France as well as Zermatt in Switzerland, Passo Stelvio in Italy and the Hintertux and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers in Austria. There are also three glacier areas open in Norway (including Galdhopiggen, pictured below) and with Cervinia due to open next weekend, that will mean 10 glacier ski resorts will be open in Europe, back to two numbers, although Cervinia and Zermatt access the same summer Region.
Tignes has warned skiers and boarders not to buy tickets more than two days in advance as it is unclear how long the snow cover will last due to below average winter snowfall and spring temperatures above average. Its neighbor Val d’Isère has decided not to offer summer skiing at all this year for the same reason.
While the number of summer glacier ski areas keeps dropping, there are now so many indoor snow centers open all year round that you can ski at more locations in over 30 countries inside. , on six continents, all year round.