""Anton probably wouldn't call it cowboy, but it's pretty cowboy," Alex Taran said, one of the guides at Ski Arpa, Chile's only snowcat operation, located in a remote, west-facing Andean valley a couple of hours north of Santiago. The Anton, who might not call his "cowboy," is Aspen-based Anton Sponar, son of Anton "Toni" Sponar , an Austrian-American ski legend who purchased the terrain serviced by Ski Arpa about 20 years ago after discovering the two valleys while ski guiding in the area."
"After briefly considering building a more traditional ski resort, the elder Sponar settled on the lower startup cost option of establishing Chile's only snowcat skiing operation-a distinction it still holds. Ski Arpa has been (mostly) continuously operational during North American summers since then, serving a mix of Chileans and North Americans looking for a pure, barebones backcountry ski experience in the Andes."
Ski Arpa operates as Chile's only snowcat skiing operation in a remote, west-facing Andean valley north of Santiago. Anton "Toni" Sponar purchased the terrain about twenty years ago after discovering two valleys while guiding and chose a snowcat model over a traditional resort to reduce startup costs. The operation runs mostly during North American summers, serving Chilean and North American clients seeking a pure, barebones backcountry ski experience. Lodging is minimal and guides live off-grid in a converted snowcat shed, serving multiple roles as guides, mechanics, concierges, and grillmasters. The emphasis is squarely on skiing rather than luxury amenities.
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