Back in Los Andes

Sunday. What began as a rather quiet morning with high clouds that appeared to be clearing, by 11am had turned into a full on Andean blizzard. Before the day was done, one car nearly careened off the road and a second accomplished what the first could not and went right off the road and down a rocky escarpment. Before I knew it I was in the back of pick up truck, in a snowstorm, hanging on to the roll bar for a 1 hour plus, 6,000 vertical foot descent down the mountain road back into Los Andes. Another day of filming Breaking Trail draws to a close. 

The last 5 days have been spent living with the guides up at the El Arpa Refugio - Rancho Avalanchas - or the 'Rock Hut' as it's affectionately known. It is a small bunker tucked into the hill at 9,000 ft that serves as the on mountain base of operations. We've experienced it all the last few days, from blue-bird, to grey-bird, to complete sock-in. But the guests have been coming, and some epic turns have been had, and I've had a wonderful opportunity to work closely with the guides and embed myself in their day-to-day operations.

Guide Derek  hikes up Cerro Blanco toward the Filo Norm.

In addition to the regular guests that have been up here, El Arpa is also preparing to host the second stop on the Freeskiing World Tour. Representatives from MSI and The North Face stopped by to check out the venue. Here they are grouped at the top of Las Cornices - the first day venue.

After a hard days work, and the always dramatic sunsets, it's time to rest and get ready for another day. A hard days work is followed by some hard reading, staying warm and preparing gear for the next day. These times have given me a chance to move footage over to the computer and ready the equipment for another day of shooting. 

-Ollie