The snow bowl
Peaks over 4,000 m.
Andre Charland from Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Calamarcito — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ANDY ABIR ALAN — CC BY-SA 3.0 · el_aguila — CC BY 2.5 · Calamarcito — CC BY-SA 4.0
Las Leñas is one of the best-known ski resorts in Argentina and South America, set in a high Andean valley in southern Mendoza, ringed by peaks over four thousand metres, so in winter it looks like a giant snow-covered amphitheatre. Its base is at 2,240 metres and its top at 3,430 metres, the highest ski resort in the country. It has runs for every level, from beginners to experts, and Argentina's longest uninterrupted descent, about seven kilometres linking three runs. Experienced skiers know it for its steep off-piste terrain. On the road up are the Laguna de la Niña Encantada and the Pozo de las Ánimas sinkholes, both usual stops. The season usually runs from mid-June to September, with lift-pass prices varying between low and high periods, the highest during the July winter holidays.
Peaks over 4,000 m.
About seven km.
Lake and sinkholes.
Provincial Route 222, Las Leñas valley, west of Malargüe, Mendoza
Usually mid-June to September; the July winter holidays are the priciest weeks.