Los Penitentes is a
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...
in
Mendoza,
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
about 25 km off
Paso de Libertadores, which marks the border between Argentina and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, and 180 km from Mendoza Capital City, at the foot of Mount
Aconcagua
Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in the Southern Hemisphere with a summi ...
on Ruta 7.
Etymology
The name Los Penitentes (The
Penitents
Confraternities of penitents ( es, Cofradía Penitencial; it, Fratellanza penitenziale; pt, Irmandade Penitencial) are Christian religious congregations, with statutes prescribing various penitential works; they are especially popular in th ...
, in English) comes from the curious forms the ice on the mountain sides, which remind the viewers of "
penitents" climbing the mountains or praying on their knees.
History
In 1978, Emilio López Frugoni, a ski lover from Mendoza, bought 51 hectares of land and started a project to build a ski centre next to Mendoza City. The ski resort was inaugurated in 1979. Today the ski runs (25 in total) cover a surface of about 300 hectares, for all-level skiers and with ski lifts to reach different levels and runs. About 1950 people can be accommodated in Los Penitentes since there is a variety of facilities provided, such as apartments, apart hotels, and hostels.
Weather
In winter, the average temperature is about 1 °C, ranging between -4° and 7 °C. The weather is dry and sunny on most days.
Activities
This centre has 25 runs of different lengths and drops for beginner, advanced and expert skiers. The season ranges from mid-June to late August. The activities that can be carried out there include ski, snowboarding, and heli-skiing.
There are also a number of services available, such as a ski school, snow garden, shopping center, restaurants, hostels, hotels, kindergarten, and disco.
See also
*
Cerro Castor
*
Chapelco
*
Las Leñas
Las Leñas is a ski resort in Argentina, located in the western part of Mendoza Province.
It has reliable powder snow and climate for extreme and off-piste skiing. Construction of the ski center began January 1983, and by July 1983, it opened wi ...
*
Cerro Catedral
Cerro Catedral is a mountain located from San Carlos de Bariloche, and inside the Nahuel Huapí National Park, in Patagonia, Argentina.
The mountain is the biggest ski center in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere, with a skiable ...
*
List of ski areas and resorts in South America
External links
Official Site
at welcomeargentina.com
Sport in Mendoza Province
Ski areas and resorts in Argentina
Buildings and structures in Mendoza Province
Tourist attractions in Mendoza Province
{{MendozaAR-geo-stub