I finished out my time by the beach courtesy of the very hospitable Fernadez family. Longboarding almost every day, running on the beach, eating good food, and good people. On the tuesday following I loaded up and headed to the bus station. 
Met my bud Tomas at the station in Santiago where we crammed all my stuff into his 4dr civic. PLUS his stuff and food as we were headed to the mountains. I was so ready to get up there and out of the concrete jungle.
As we started up the road the sun was setting and tunes were bumping. After the checkpoint for chains I twisted one and we started up the 40 some switchbacks on the way to Farellones.
A funny note about climate: I was all plugged up with sinus junk but when we hit like 5000ft, the air dried out, along with my greenery, and I was clear headed. My body loves the elevation, to be high.
We arrived in Farellones in the dark with no problems except for dragging by bags down a snowpacked hill to the old school A-frame which would be my home. Amazing view of the city in the distance and tons of beds. I think this place could sleep 14-16 people bunked up in each room. Big deck, fireplace in the middle of the living room with a hanging chimney hood by chains which we made a barbeque on my first night. Vino, Chori-pan, and live music from Vale and Tomasito who are very talented. It was a cold house in Celcius, but not in life. Now that I'm not there, I am missing it.
The next day I woke early naturally and did my rookie cleaning job as I felt fit. It was a blubird day and happened to be a promotion at the closest mountain El Colorado. 500 pesos for a ticket with a Bank of Chile card. Thats less than a dollar!
It took a while to get a pass but we managed to get 2.5 hrs of blubird fresh pow runs~ YEAH it was at that time that I re-visited my excitement and reason for coming to the Andes. I love the mountains and being in them, up and down, all around good vibes.
So my time in Farellones after that consisted of walking the town from the bottom up as our place was at the lowest point, and a friend and internet access where at the top. So many different dwellings...it's a very unique place. I also managed to get some work done at the restaurant. Office with a view.
On my third or fourth day I hitched ride to Valle Nevado which is about 20 min. away and 15 or so more switchbacks. As I was walking out of the house I saw a VW golf stuck in just a bit of snow and its solo driver struggling to get it out. He was in my path so I helped him out. Turns out he was one of the off duty forest service officers. In exchange for my efforts he started driving me up to Valle until we came across a tour bus group stopped to take pics. He spoke with the drivers for me and for about 10 dollars I scored a ride up and back down at the end of the day!
The bus was filled with Brazilians who make up 80% of the tourists to the resort. They were elated by the snow and somehow owned some of the raddest One-pieces I've ever seen. The Brazilians here are def. The SUPER GAPERS. But its these people who keep our resorts alive. So we must respect them, hopefully from afar.
We arrived at the resort and I started to scope out the market. There was a dome/yurt type building for ski rentals in the parking lot. I went in and asked about the ski shops. There are only 2 rental locations. I started for the main hotel area and found very small shops with 240 dollar Crowbars and only one store that sold skis, BlackDaimond. I talked with the shop folk who were very helpful, but not much work appeared to be avail. I spoke with Juan Carlos in the main rental shop which was fully computerized. Something that Christy Sports has not managed to jump on board with. Juan Carlos review my resume and was excited to hire me! BUT he had to speak with the boss about hiring a foreigner.
The answer was NO. I was bumed. I went up by the pool to get a WIFI signal and took care of some internet stuff and it was time to get back to my transport. I returned to Farellones and went back up to the internet at the one restaurant/bar in town. I sat and worked on my websites and managed to meet the bother of Powderchile.com who is my target market for getting Liberty Skis here. And the owner of the best Hostle in town who offered some co-marketing. My doors of opportunity seem to be automatic for me on this trip. Everything has been laid forth so easily. I feel like the forces of the universe are on my side.
The next morning I was woken up by my phone....ringing. It was Juan Carlos from the rental shop. I GOT THE JOB! He asked me to come up at 8:30 the next day to sign my contract and start work. Well, the starting work part I didn't catch. I rolled up by hitch hike at 7:30 am and the first truck stopped. It was an older instructor dude. 50s. Driving a 4dr Toyota Pickup that looked all too familiar. It was a 1986 22r. Same year as my 4runner almost exact same interior. Crazy.
I was early which always feels nice and after my talk with the boss on Salary and how I was responsible for my visa, I was thrown into the busyness of the rental shop. Something very familiar to me, but not the language. Lunch came, dinner thereafter and it there was no way I felt like getting back to retrieve my bags. Not all bad because now I had 3 meals a day and a place to stay. But that night....It snowed. The next day, it snowed, that next night, it snowed. The roads were closed.
When they finally opened I was faced with a challenge, get down and back for work the next morning. I stood on the road for a while with my finger out and even money in my hand....nobody stopped. The stream of cars was slowing and day light was soon set. I saw a single dude taking off his boots in a department store bag next to his newer Audi wagon. I approached him and asked if I could get a ride to Farellones. He said no problem and didn't accept the 4 dollars I had in my hand. The sunset was killer and we talked about his passion for skiing and life in the city.
As we approached the turn for Farellones there were 3 buses with no people waiting to head up to Valle. I got out and asked about getting a ride the same night. The said “sure you have only a bit more that an hour”.
OK so I hiked it up to the house maybe 1//3rd of a mile which was surrounded in knee deep snow. Then started the packing frenzy. Said my farewells to the peeps and met some new kids from Spain that took my spot.
So I had all my stuff by the door and realized this was going to be the biggest challenge of my trip so far. Coming to the conclusion that I needed help, I remembered I had offered my new Spanish bro a free binding mount on his ARGs. I asked for immediate payment of the favor and he was down with it no questions asked. We drug my bags post-hulling through the snow 100 yards to the road....made it. Then down the hill to the crossroad. This whole time not looking at my time limit, just knowing that I had to get there. And we did, I made it. I was going back in the same night, and even could make it to the first employee party. What came next was the sketchyest one lane, 2 car driving I've ever seen.
Not a scratch on an auto. We made it and I realized that the 11,000 pesos I thought I gave my skilled driver was only 2,000 in the confusion of the night.
I had the key to the repair shop for my tools and skis, and was able to drop most of my load before returning to the sardine can that will be my home for the next few months. All good though, I had my clothes and we partied, danced and I felt super lucky for my open doors I encountered to get me where I needed to be.
