When is heliski season in Argentina and Chile?

Mid-July through late September. August is usually the deepest and most stable. September brings the longest weather windows and spring corn at altitude.

Solo skier's signature track carved down untouched powder in the Andes

Heliski, Argentina & Chile

One line.
No one above you.

South America is the world's best-kept heli-ski secret. Four proven zones, a southern-hemisphere season that flips your calendar, and a lot fewer skiers per peak than the Alps or BC.

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Season

Jul → Sep

Zones

4 across AR & CL

Vertical / day

1,500 to 3,000 m

Group size

4 to 5 skiers

Why the Andes

Everything North America has, minus the crowds, plus a flipped season.

Volcano flanks dropping into lenga forest. Big alpine bowls above 3,000 m. Continental cold-smoke in Mendoza, maritime cream in Patagonia, high-altitude corn in central Chile. Four very different zones, one short flight or drive apart.

And because the season runs July through September, you get a second winter every year without overlapping anyone else's. That alone is why most of our heli clients keep coming back.

Our heliski brand

SoloHeliSki, the world's largest platform matching solos into exclusive heli groups.

SoloHeliSki is our sister brand and the engine behind every heli trip we plan in South America. We charter the helicopters, lock the lodges, and match solo skiers and couples into small, well-paired groups, so nobody loses a day of vertical waiting for the right partners.

Curated trips. Fixed dates. Real spots, with prices and availability you can see before you commit.

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Patagonian ski lodge living room with vaulted wood-beam ceiling, stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the valley

Where we fly

Four zones. Four very different trips.

Each zone has its own snow character, its own access logistics, and its own sweet spot in the season. We help you pick, or sequence two together.

Helicopter on a snow-covered summit landing pad in the Patagonian Andes

01Argentina · Chubut

Cholila, Patagonia

Access: 4 hours by 4×4 from Bariloche
Season: Late Jul → mid Sep
Terrain: Alpine bowls + lenga treeline
Best for: Lodge weeks, solo skiers, couples

Our flagship Patagonia program. A private valley deep in northern Chubut, with a small mountain lodge as base and one of the most consistent storm cycles on the continent. Long top-to-bottom runs from above 2,400 m down through lenga forest.

This is where the solo / small-group model shines: a single helicopter, a single guide, five skiers, five days. No queue, no shared ridge with another operation.

Wide alpine bowl in the southern Andes covered in fresh ski tracks

02Argentina · Malargüe, Mendoza

Las Leñas

Access: Fly Mendoza, 5 hours by road
Season: Mid Jul → late Sep
Terrain: Big alpine, dry continental snow
Best for: Freeride trips, mixed lift + heli weeks

The most established heli program in Argentina, run as an extension of the resort. Long descents off the back-country drainages above the Las Leñas valley, couloirs, big open faces, the terrain that built the resort's freeride reputation.

Pair it with resort days on storm days; the lift-served terrain alone is world-class, so you ski no matter what the helicopter does.

View through a helicopter cabin window of a high Andes summit ridge

03Chile · Andes above Santiago

Valle Nevado

Access: 90 min from Santiago airport
Season: Jul → Aug
Terrain: High-altitude alpine, 3,000 to 4,500 m
Best for: Day-trip add-ons, Tres Valles weeks

Heli runs as a day-trip add-on for guests staying in Valle Nevado, La Parva or El Colorado. The terrain sits between 3,000 and 4,500 m, high, exposed, and stunning on a clear day.

Not a stand-alone heli week, but the easiest heli day to bolt onto a Chilean resort trip with no extra travel.

Single S-shaped powder track on a pristine, untouched Andean slope

04Chile · Andes near Los Andes

Portillo

Access: 2.5 hours from Santiago
Season: Jul → Sep
Terrain: Steep, rocky, all-inclusive ski-week format
Best for: Lodge skiers, mixed-ability groups

Heli flies out of the iconic yellow hotel on Laguna del Inca during the classic Saturday-to-Saturday ski week. Limited capacity, limited weather windows, but when it goes, the lines off the Tres Hermanos and adjacent peaks are unforgettable.

Best paired with the full Portillo all-inclusive week. We help you sequence which days to push for heli, which days to ski lifts.

Off the snow

A heli day is six hours. The other eighteen matter too.

We base our Patagonia trips out of small, well-run mountain lodges, vaulted ceilings, real fireplaces, the kind of dinner table where the day gets debriefed properly. Wine country, hot springs and city days in Buenos Aires or Santiago slot in either end of the trip if you want them.

Who it's for

→Travelers who can flex a 7 to 10 day window around weather.
→Solo skiers and couples who'd rather join a small matched group than charter alone.
→Skiers chasing a real second winter, July to September.
→Anyone who wants the line all to themselves, not a queue at the top.

Probably not for you if

×Tight 4 to 5 day trip with no buffer for a weather day.
×You need guaranteed deep powder on a fixed date, heli is weather-driven anywhere on earth.
×You'd rather charter a whole helicopter privately than share with three or four other skiers.

FAQ

Quick answers.

When is heliski season in South America?

Mid-July through late September. August is usually the deepest and most stable; September has the longest weather windows and spring corn higher up.

How much does it cost?

Day-trip heli runs roughly USD $1,200 to $1,800. Multi-day lodge programs run USD $7,000 to $16,000 all-inclusive depending on zone, helicopter and vertical guarantee.

What if the weather is bad?

We pair every heli week with a backup resort base nearby (Catedral, Las Leñas, Valle Nevado, Portillo) so you're skiing either way. Reputable operators also offer guaranteed-vertical or partial-refund terms.

I'm solo, do I have to charter a private heli?

No. That's exactly why SoloHeliSki exists: we match solos and couples into well-paired small groups so you split the cost without losing flight time to mismatched abilities.

How fit do I need to be?

You'll ski 8 to 12 runs of 600 to 1,000 m vertical for several days running. Six weeks of cardio or skinning before the trip makes a big difference.

Is it safe?

Heliskiing has inherent avalanche risk anywhere on earth. South American operators run conservative programs with certified guides and mandatory beacon, probe, shovel and airbag protocols.

Join the waiting list

Leave your details. We'll be in touch.

Tell us where and when you'd like to ski. The moment we have a trip that fits, you'll hear from us first.

Prefer to browse what's already on the calendar? See upcoming trips on SoloHeliSki →

One line.No one above you.