Birthday Trip to the Backcountry - March 2015

After a 2 month hiatus from snowboarding due to 2 broken ribs (the longest I've ever had in 17 years of snowboarding), I was itching to get back on the snow. My friends and I made plans to get out to an unnamed cabin in the Whistler backcountry for my 30th birthday. Expecting dismal snow, but just looking forward to a good outing, we were surprised to find some good turns at the upper elevations. After snagging a nice couloir, we retreated to the cabin for dinner, drinks, and dance parties. Everyone sleeping in the cabin complained that it was much too hot, and they had restless sleeps. I, however, had opted to break in my new tent I had recently purchased, and I was cozy and comfortable all night. The next day we woke up, and headed out to some hot springs, where more friends joined us and we had another great night of camping. I couldn't have wished for a better birthday, and a great welcome back to snowboarding.

South America Trip Finale

My 4-week trip to South America would conclude with 4 days in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Known for its European architecture and rich culture, there's a world of exploration to be had here.  I was staying at a hostel right on Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest street in the world, which was a good place to start from.  After many small towns and adventures, and 2 weeks of straight snowboarding, I was very excited to stroll around a huge city in flip flops and a t-shirt, and bask in relaxation, food and drink, and of course the good company of other travellers. If you find yourself with a few days to kill in Buenos Aires, be sure to observe some of the following: 1) Bike tour - Heading on a bike tour is definitely a nice way to see Buenos Aires if you don't have much time. You'll cover lots of ground, and the tour guides are really knowledgeable.

2) The Obelisk of Buenos Aires - built in 1936, standing 67.5m high, this is a pretty awesome landmark to see, and it lies right on Avenida 9 de Julio, which is a sight in itself.

3) La Recoleta Cemetery - this is a massive above-ground cemetery for the rich and famous in the Recoleta district of Buenos Aires.  The graves are for many rich and famous Argentines, and are very elaborate. Afterwards, head to the Palermo district, and eat at one of the many awesome restaurants there.

The above-mentioned activities were all staples for my trip that I had heard about before I arrived. But what I hadn't anticipated was some of the awesome nightlife I would find in town. An Irish friend I met in my hostel brought me to La Bomba de Tiempo, an awesome live drumming show held only on Monday nights. It's a 2 hour ordeal with about 10-12 drummers all in a line and a conductor orchestrating a wild, improvised concert. Definitely the highlight of my time in Buenos Aires.  After 4 wild days and nights, I was ready to catch my long flight back to life and reality in Whistler. Writing these posts about my trip has got me itching to plan my next excursion south already!

South America Part IV (plus a reminder to vote!)

Before I get into the conclusion of my trip, please do me a favor, visit the following link and give me a vote! With your help, I could win a hiking excursion to the Arctic! Voting is daily so every vote helps, thanks so much! http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/324364/voteable_entries/68689974

I had just arrived in Bariloche, and was excited to get my feet wet snowboarding. Luckily, my first day there I met a crew of people who would soon become my good friends and riding buddies. Staying at Hostel 41 Below, we would make our daily bus ride to the mountain and shred hard everyday. The riding was great, my friends Ryan, Trevor and I even went in a big air contest one day, and Ryan and I ended up on the podium. Every day's riding would end with a Quilmes beer and a Super Poncho (a 12 inch hot dog, wrapped in ham, with melted cheese and crushed Frito-Lay chips on top) before heading back into town and consuming mucho steak and wine, and cheese. It was truly 2 weeks in paradise.

I took my camera up with me one day on the mountain, and we had a bit of fun exploring. Other than that, it was purely a soul shred, packing in as many turns as I could for a South American adventure. After 2 weeks, I was headed onwards to the last chapter of trip - 4 days of boozing and sightseeing in Buenos Aires. Check the next post for the conclusion! Thanks again for the votes!

South America Part III (and please vote for me!)

Before the third chapter of my South American trip, please, if you don't mind, take a quick visit to the link below, and vote for my entry in a photography contest with MEC... it could win me a hiking trip to the Arctic!

http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/324364/voteable_entries/68689974

We finally reached Argentina, in a small town called San Martin de los Andes. Here I went for an awesome day snowboarding at a resort called Chapelco, inbetween a couple late nights enjoying beverages, live music, and new friends. This town reminds me of the Whistler area... skiing in the winter, fly fishing, biking and other activities in the summer, expensive market areas for rich tourists. Beautiful place. After 2 days in this town, we got to take a trip on the 7 Lakes Road. In BC, the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler is known as quite the scenic drive, but it pales in comparison to the variety of landscapes you get to see on this road.  What would make it all the more interesting is I was travelling this road 2 months after the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano that left many areas of Chile and Argentina coated in ash. I was told that these beautiful lakes I was seeing, were actually coated in a meter of ash shortly after the eruption. Much of the land was still covered, like I was in a desert.

The 7 Lakes Road finally brought us to Bariloche. Here, I would split from my travel group, and stay on my own for 2 weeks of snowboarding. After my group left, I found a new hostel (Hostel 41 Below... if you ever go to Bariloche for skiing or snowboarding, I recommend it. The owner shreds, and most people staying there are there to ride as well), and quickly found a family of new friends from all kinds of places. Bariloche would be my new home for the next 2 weeks, which would be filled with steak, wine, and snowboarding. More to come...

South America Part II with a Daily Vote Reminder!

Another quick reminder to help me out with a daily vote on this MEC contest! If you could simply click on the link below, and vote for my photography entry about hiking, you could help me win a hiking trip to the Arctic! Thanks for helping!! http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/324364/voteable_entries/68689974

Now on to the interesting stuff. I met up with my travel group in Santiago (check out GAP Adventures, they're a bit pricy, but if you don't speak the language well it helps a lot), and we headed south via an overnight bus ride to the town of Pucon, Chile. In my group were me, 3 girls (Lupita, Noora, and Janet), and our tour guide. The town of Pucon showed some rainy weather, so we could not climb the nearby volcano, Villaricca. Instead, we went for a soaking wet hike through a national park to a waterfall, which was pretty fun, given the circumstances. I probably wouldn't have done a similar hike in BC in those conditions, but you need to take what you get when travelling.

The next day we went for some whitewater rafting, followed by a visit to some badass hot springs, 2 activities that are extremely enjoyable in the rain. Afterwards, the guides brought us to their house for a BBQ feast; carne asada and wine in vast amounts. The hospitality down there was absolutely amazing. After 2 days in Pucon, we took off east, crossing the border into Argentina, first visiting a town called San Martin de los Andes. To be continued...