Where do I begin? I mean, what an awesome experience. First, Chile is just amazing, second PowderQuest is just an extraordinary outfit. From the time we arrived, to the time we left we had fun. Our guides (Maxi and Christian) were serious and focused, but fun and entertaining and we have become lifelong friends. The culture was friendly and warm and left us wanting to return. The skiing and the views, were breathtaking. This, THIS was something I'll never forget. Thank you PowderQuest!

not many better ways to take a break from the late summer heat than to ski in S. America. Maxi and Christian put us on the snow and our group had a great time skiing, drinking wine and seeing S. America. I would definitely sign up for a return engagement.

Great trip, no fresh, but our guides Vicho and Mo found great stashes in fantastic lines, to say yea we didn't have any fresh, and at times were a bit springtime conditions, but the fun factor was high!

Accommodations were fantastic and all logistics were perfect.

Great S American skiing experience! The guides are great. Very helpful and knowledgeable. You are well taken care of and have lots of fun. I've made great long term friendships with others who have been on the tours. I've been 3 times and will go again!

My wife and I knew that we wanted to do something "different" for our honeymoon in 2014. We are both big skiers and love adventure. The only problem is that we were getting married in June and did not want to wait 6+ months for a chance to go skiing on our honeymoon.

I did some research and found a few different tours that offered something close to what we were looking for in South America. The first thing that I really appreciated is that PowderQuest was incredibly responsive to all of our inquiries. I initially worked with Suzi via both email and phone. She was so helpful in creating a custom package for us and relieved so much stress that we had in planning such an important trip. We ended up selecting the Summer Snow Escape Off Piste trip plus added some custom options. Suzi worked with us to add on a day of wine tasting/touring at 3-different vineyards in Chile and an additional 3-days of skiing at Nevados de Chillan. She handled all of the additional accommodations within Chile including the wine tour, ground transportation, and round-trip airfare.

Let me say that the trip itself was nothing short of amazing. Some people may think it was an odd choice to spend our honeymoon with a group of strangers riding in a van through the Chilean Andes, but I did propose to my wife during a 3-day camping trip to the Australian Outback, so this was right on par for us. Right from the point of meeting our guides, Philippe and David, at the airport they did a great job of bringing the group together ... and what a group it was. The group was a mix of young and old, skiers and snowboarders, but it did not matter one bit. The guides did such a good job of bring us all together right from the first stop we made to grab some empanadas and water before making the climb up into the Andes from Santiago.

The first stop we made was at the Powder Lodge where we would spend 4-nights. The staff here, including the owner, were so accommodating and friendly right from the first minute that we arrived to the last that we departed. Each day after skiing we would come back to some sort of apres-ski appetizer and drinks before taking a dip in the wood-fired hot tub. Each night the live-in staff would prepare a fabulous, delicious dinner in the open kitchen. Everything here was served "family style" at a large shared tabled and provided for a great opportunity to talk about the days activities while enjoying great food and drink.

The skiing during this part of the trip was a little rough due to the lack of recent snow. But, as we all know, with this sport we are at the mercy of mother nature. We did have blue bird days each day here and the guides did their best to find us the best snow on the mountain each day which is all that we could ask for. Our guides did a really good job of leading us on all of our off piste hikes and pushed each individual just enough to experience new things. The guides did not just lead us each day, but spent time in teaching and reviewing skiing techniques for the various conditions which I thought was above and beyond what the trip called for. I can honestly say that due to that experience, I am a much better and more confident skier in varied terrain.

After packing up and saying our good-byes to the staff at Powder Lodge we made our way back down through Santiago and towards Portillo where we stayed at a beautiful hacienda in San Esteban. The accommodations here were just as spectacular as the Powder Lodge, but with a different feel. The property itself was set on a large vineyard with spectacular views of the Andes. Our rooms were much more secluded, which was perfect from my newlywed wife and myself, but there was still a large area where we could all convene for meals each night and discuss the days activities.

Skiing Portillo was a great experience. With the knowledge that we had acquired in the days earlier, we were definitely ready to experience all that it had to offer ... even including the Roca Jack! Personally, I pushed myself the farthest here at Portillo. Up the Roca Jack I traversed and hiked over to one of their famous couloirs with our guide Philippe. Now, I did not go as far as the Super C, but instead we went for the S Couloir. I have never skied a couloir before and I did not want to leave Chile without experiencing it. On our last run at Portillo we got to experience the "Lake Run." The most difficult part of this run is paying attention and not being distracted by the scenery. It was definitely worth the hike out and the end to a great few days at Portillo.

After leaving Portillo we packed the van and headed back down to Santiago. We unloaded into our hotel before reconvening in the lobby and heading out for a night on the town with Philippe and David. They took us to an incredible Sushi Japanese/fusion restaurant where we had the freshest sushi we have ever had. My wife and I are huge sushi fans, typically eating it at least once a week. Since returning from this trip a year ago, we have only had it maybe half a dozen times because we know nothing will compare. We spent the rest of the night at a local bar with the group and laughed the night away as we drank and carried on. We finally returned to the hotel and said our good-byes as different members of the groups departed and different times the following morning.

Our trip continued in the morning and over the next week including the wine tour and more skiing at Nevados de Chillan. Since that was custom and on our own (unguided) I will not go into that other than to say that everything worked out just as Suzi had set up for us. I can say that if ever provided the chance, I would undoubtedly book with PowderQuest again. I hope that the opportunity presents itself to once again travel south and experience another unforgettable trip. My wife and I often reminisce about this trip and it's about so much more than just the skiing.

El Arpa was the highlight of the trip for me. I learned a lot about backcountry riding. All of the food and service was great. The drivers did an excellent job as well. I look forward to booking another trip with PowderQuest soon!"