Where is Mallin Alto?

The base of the mountain is located only 23 km south from San Carlos de Bariloche (home to Cerro Catedral Ski Resort) in Patagonia Argentina, but it’s a world away!

The staff will pick you up from Bariloche airport or your Bariloche hotel. The initial part of the trip is in a 4WD vehicle. After passing the land owner’s little shack the real adventure begins as the vehicles head over little river crossings and plenty of other fun bumpy 4WDing challenges. The staff drive to the snowline and then you’ll be transported up to the top of the mountain to the refugio on a snowmobile or 4-wheeler (so pack lightly!). The trip can take anywhere from 2 hours up to 3:30 hours depending on conditions and a whole variety of other elements. Getting to and from Mallin Alto is half the fun!

Mallin Alto Booking Terms & Conditions

Deposit and full payment

• Deposit is 50% of the cost of the trip
• The remaining balance is due one month prior to departure
• Payments can be made via direct bank transfer to a USA account or via Visa Card, Master Card or American Express
• Credit card payments attract a surcharge of 5%

Cancellation Policy

• 30% cancellation fee for cancellations made more than 3 months before the start of the trip
• 50% cancellation fee for cancellations made between 1-3 months prior to trip departure
• There is no refund for cancellations made less than one month prior to departure. 

Cancellation by Mallin Alto
In these 6 years we never cancelled a program due to bad weather or complications with the route....however in the unforeseeable circumstance that a trip had to be cancelled, Mallin Alto would provide a full refund for the cost of the tour; however, Mallin Alto is not responsible for any additional expenses incurred in preparing for the tour (i.e., airline tickets, equipment purchase or rental, hotel reservations).

Mallin Alto Sled Skiing

Glamping in the Mountains of Patagonia Argentina

Lyndell from Powderhounds.com headed to the wild and magical Mallin Alto, a sled skiing operation that offers a unique and boutique glamping experience in the remote backcountry of Patagonia in Argentina (August 2016)

After standing in ridiculously long lift queues at the Catedral Ski Resort in Bariloche, I was craving a crowd-free Patagonian ski experience and was really looking forward to heading to Mallin Alto.

Whilst I’m not a complete princess, I had never “camped” out in the snowy backcountry before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I was up for something new.

Getting up to Mallin Alto was half the adventure! Manu picked us up from Bariloche in a rickety old 4WD vehicle and we travelled along a bumpy dirt track. We stopped in at the land owner’s shack, an amusing legendary old man who lives with gauchos and tries to make something of the arid land. They were cooking some sort of armadillo-looking creature in a pot, and the smell was disgusting so it was time to get out of there! The road became even bumpier as we crossed rivers and rocks, and when we reached the snow line the daylight had faded and we transferred to snowmobiles and an ATV 4-wheeler (thank god we’d packed reasonably lightly!). Sure we got bogged in a creek along the way which now provides an adventurous tale or two, but we finally arrived safely at the warm hut at the top of the mountain to be greeted with snacks and a bevvie.

The lodging definitely wasn’t “camping” but I’m not sure “hut” is the best way to describe it either. The main section was like a cubby house with dome tents attached to it. The accommodation was uber rustic yet it had more than enough creature comforts to keep this little princess very happy. We stayed in the private “honeymoon suite” (a separate dome tent) which felt somewhat luxurious with its wood fired heater. Our tent had a large window and that night I could see the small glow of snow-capped mountains. It wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning when the sun started to rise that it was evident that we were perched up high in a beautiful mountain setting. I found it difficult to continue sleeping because the windows afforded the most amazing views - I just couldn’t stop gawking at them!

After a nice cooked breakfast we headed out sled skiing, but unfortunately the snow wasn’t primo. A big dump of snow had hit the Bariloche area a couple of days ago, but then the temps had uncharacteristically warmed up. The terrain was pretty impressive and the sled skiing was fun, but the snow continued to soften during the morning, making snowmobile access challenging and the skiing more than spring-like.

After a few hours we decided to can the skiing and return to the hut for some lunch and R&R. The hot tub was also calling! Perched on the corner of the deck, it afforded spectacular views, and it was wood fired which added to the inimitable experience. To top it off, we soaked in the rustic hot tub whilst sipping some fabulous Mendoza wine. The rest of the afternoon consisted of sitting on the deck gazing across the mountains, more food and wine, and an obligatory siesta.

The food at Mallin Alto was pretty impressive (especially relative to the armadillo looking creature that the gauchos were cooking up!). Our chef (we called him the Argentine George Clooney) was a bit of a marvel at creating lovely food with an artistic flair, especially considering the remote location and that he only had a wood fired stove to work with. Lounging around in the communal tent for dinner and drinks was incredibly relaxing and pretty entertaining. Between the three guests and four staff, there were three different languages flying around the dinner table. And one upside of the high staff to guest ratio was that there was always an eager person to top up the drinks.

It was a bit of a shame that we didn’t hit Mallin Alto with bucket list powder skiing conditions, but it seemed that skiing or snowboarding at Mallin Alto is really only one small part of the experience. Staying way up in a remote part of the mountains, in unique lodging with beautiful food, phenomenal views, and delightful people was truly magnificent and a definite highlight of our ski trip to South America! It was amazing!