Inside Chile's Most Intimate Backcountry Ski Operation Where You Can Ski Volcanoes and 1,000-Year-Old Araucaria Forests - SnowBrains

"BackcountryFor most skiers, "all-inclusive" means a lift ticket and a buffet. Forrest Schmidt means something very different: a hot titanium stove in a tipi, filet mignon next to a steaming hot spring, and ancient araucaria trees holding cold smoke over a perfectly set skintrack. Schmidt, a 44-year-old "East Coast kid" from rural New York, runs APEX Andes (Andes Puro Exploraciones) out of Malalcahuello in Chile's Araucanía region. His guide service is small by design with"

"APEX is based near the Corralco ski area, in a landscape of active volcanoes and araucaria forests. Schmidt describes APEX as "the premier guide service in our region," with long-term relationships with Chilean landowners and Mapuche communities. The company offers day tours, volcano summits on Tolhuaca, Lonquimay, Sierra Nevada, and Llaima, plus six- to 11-day all-inclusive programs for intermediate to expert backcountry skiers and splitboarders. Even day tours are door-to-door."

"Most of the travel is human-powered, with occasional snowmobile shuttles to cut long, flat approaches. "Primarily we skin to shred," Schmidt says. "Earning turns on skins." What he leans on hardest is local knowledge-efficient climbs, smart terrain choices, and good snow. "When you come out, you're going to have the most efficient up and the best snow quality every single day," he says."

Forrest Schmidt runs APEX Andes from Malalcahuello in Chile's Araucanía, offering small, all-inclusive backcountry ski and splitboarding programs for intermediate to expert guests. Trips limit groups to six, provide door-to-door service, and include day tours, volcano summits, and six- to 11-day packages. Travel is primarily human-powered with occasional snowmobile shuttles to shorten approaches. Local knowledge guides efficient climbs and terrain choice to maximize snow quality and earned turns. Long-term relationships with Chilean landowners and Mapuche communities support operations in terrain of active volcanoes and araucaria forests.

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