Francisca
Marketing · Vivencias Travel
No, you do not need to know how to ski. Playing in the snow and skiing are two different trips: where to go for each, what a first lesson is like, what to pack, and why July is not the best month for a beginner.
If you have never seen snow, the first trip carries a question nobody answers properly: do I need to know how to ski? No. And understanding that changes the whole itinerary, because the two plans are quite different.
Playing in the snow and skiing are not the same thing
They are two different trips, and mixing them up is the most common mistake first-timers make.
- Playing in the snow means arriving, paying an entry fee and spending the day on sledges, tubes and walks. No lesson, no ski equipment, no lift pass. It is what most families with young children actually want.
- Skiing requires a lesson, equipment rental and a lift pass. It pays off, but the first day is about learning, not scenery.
You can do both on one trip, and that is what we usually recommend: one snow park day and one lesson day. If you are still choosing a destination, compare Bariloche or Santiago and Buenos Aires or Santiago, and see where to find snow with just an ID card and what to do in Chile in winter.
Where to go the first time
- To just play in the snow, Farellones is the pick near Santiago: about 36 km out, the closest of them, and the entry ticket already covers tubing, sledging and zip lines, with no lesson to book and no equipment to rent.
- To learn to ski, El Colorado, where around 70% of runs are easy or intermediate, with one of the largest schools in the area and classes for children from age three.
- In Bariloche, Cerro Catedral has flat sectors for a first day and lessons in Portuguese, and Cerro Bayo, in Villa La Angostura, is known for being kind to beginners.
What the first lesson is like
It usually runs two hours and does not start with any descent. It starts with learning to clip into the equipment, to get up after falling (you will fall, and that is part of it) and to snowplough, the position that controls speed. Only then comes the first descent, on an almost flat run.
Two things help more than any technical tip: take the lesson midweek, when there are shorter queues and emptier runs, and book the lesson and equipment ahead, especially in July.
What to bring
The rule is thin layers on top of each other, not one enormous coat: a thermal base layer, fleece in the middle and a waterproof outer shell. Add a hat, waterproof gloves, a scarf and thermal socks. The full checklist is here.
Two things Brazilians always underestimate:
- Factor 50 sunscreen. Snow reflects up to 80% of ultraviolet radiation back at your face and altitude increases exposure: skin burns in below-freezing temperatures.
- Sunglasses. The glare can cause photokeratitis, a burn of the cornea.
How much time to allow
A snow day is not a full day on the mountain: it is going up, getting kitted out, enjoying it and coming down before late afternoon. For a first time, the sensible plan is two mountain days within a five-day trip, leaving one spare in case the road closes after snowfall. The Santiago winter itinerary lays that out day by day.
The best time for a first trip
Not July. July has the most reliable snow, but it is the busiest and priciest month, and learning with a queue at the school and a packed run is worse. August or September, midweek is usually the best moment for a beginner: there is still good snow, the days are longer and the mountain is far emptier.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to ski to experience snow?
No. Playing in the snow and skiing are two different things: at snow parks like Farellones you pay the entry fee and spend the day sledging and tubing, with no lesson, no ski equipment and no lift pass.
Where is the best place for a first time in the snow?
Near Santiago, Farellones for playing and El Colorado for learning to ski, where around 70% of runs are easy or intermediate. In Bariloche, Cerro Catedral has flat sectors and lessons in Portuguese, and Cerro Bayo is known for being kind to beginners.
What is a first ski lesson like?
It runs about two hours and starts with learning to clip into the equipment, get up after falling and snowplough to control speed. The first descent comes only after that, on an almost flat run. Take the lesson midweek and book ahead.
When is the best time for a first snow trip?
August or September, midweek. July has the most reliable snow, but it is the busiest and priciest month, and learning with a queue at the school and a packed run is considerably worse than with good snow and an empty mountain.
