Ski Touring to the Hot Springs in Nevados de Chillan

he best skiing day in Chile and a top ski touring route with easy access, great snow, exciting descents, and wild hot springs. I finally made it to the Aguas Calientes valley, screamed with delight on the perfect descent, and plunged into the hot waterfall. Photos here (https://t.me/vsesrasy/583?single).

This is a ski touring route from the Chilean resort Nevados de Chillan (about 6 hours south of Santiago by car).

📍https://maps.app.goo.gl/U8uc68tAMzzZ6zfU7

A hot water river runs through a valley adjacent to the resort. To get there, you need to climb a bit higher than the top lift station and then drop into the other valley, choosing your descent to your liking.

Route on FatMap:
🗺 https://fatmap.com/routeid/2806731/aguas-calientes

Fitness enthusiasts can do the entire route on foot, ski touring along the resort's slopes in the first part of the route. But I recommend taking the lift and spending more time in the Aguas Calientes valley - there you can make several different interesting descents.

The resort offers a "Randone" option - a ski pass for one lift on the Otto lift, which goes right where you need it. It costs 15,000 pesos (about 15 USD). You can't buy it online, so you'll have to go to the ticket office.

From the lift, go left and ride a bit on the blue piste. There is usually a small area, markers, and even a bench to comfortably switch your gear to ski touring mode. There might even be a packed trail up. If there are no fresh tracks, it's still hard to get lost - start climbing, aiming for the area between the two volcano peaks. The route first goes straight up, then traverses to the right. The terrain is recognizable on FatMap, making it easy to know when to turn.

When you reach the Aguas Calientes valley, you can assess the slopes and choose a route for yourself. There's an easy descent with a moderate slope (also the path for returning to the resort from the valley). There are more interesting slopes that require climbing a bit higher.

The slopes descending into the valley face south and can offer excellent snow (remember, this is the southern hemisphere, and a south-facing slope here is like a north-facing slope in Europe). In my case, the start of the climb from the resort was terribly icy, and I didn't expect such fantastic soft snow on the other side.

The next quest is to find a spot for bathing. The descent ends at a hot stream, with quite deep pools and waterfalls. The water temperature varies in different spots. Choose to your liking, but be careful - snow can cover the streams, and there's a risk of falling through.

Soaking in the hot water and covering yourself with healing mud, don't forget that you need to return to the resort area before dark. The return is along the same path.

I definitely recommend this to all ski touring enthusiasts and more. If you have independent ski touring experience, you can go with your group. If you need guide support, these guys can help: https://www.instagram.com/backchillan?igsh=Nnk1N3F4eWdqczBo