In 1860, the footsteps of the travelling botanist Strobell took him to the valley located at the foot of the Torrecillas Mount. Dazzled by the beauty of the landscape and, making use of his knowledge, he chose a ligneous shrub that Mapuches aborigens called "Coli Mamul" ( Yellow Firewood) to name this region.
From that moment, this valley takes the mapuche name of the Adesmia Pinifolia: Yellow Firewood Valley.
For many years, a dream crossed the valley: the possibility of creating a ski center. Before the construction of the complex, experts worldwide conducted studies, made calculations and designed projects. All of them reached the same conclusion: this was an exceptional area to practice winter sports while its special microclimate, free of rain, was ideal to enjoy outdoor activities during the summer and the rest of the year.
So, with great effort and hard work, on January 20, 1983, the construction of the ski center was begun and on June 16, 1983, the center started operating with 400 beds in 3 hotels. Today, it boats 3047 beds and the prestige of being one of the major hotel complexes of Latin America.
Las LeÑas Telephone Numbers:
Buenos Aires office
1186 Cerrito St. 8º floor - C1010AAX
Buenos Aires- Argentina
Phone Number: (5411) 4819-6000 / Fax: (5411) 4819-6099
Mendoza- Argentina
Phone Number/ Fax: (5411) 02627-47110
Valle de Las Leñas is situated on the North-South point of the Cordillera de Los Andes middle zone, inside the department of Malargüe, in Mendozas province.
AT THE MOUNTAIN
- 13 lifts
- 27 ski and snowboard slopes classified as: beginners ( green), intermediate ( blue), advanced (red) and expert ( black)
- 0.9 miles of lit trails (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays till 8 p.m.)
- Trail signalling system with the latest techniques and materials
- One of the world’s longest slopes: the combined APOLO + NEPTUNO + VENUS trails of intermediate level
- 10 miles for free skiing
- Terrain Park of 0.9-mile extension with jumps, bumps and rails. It is clasified as a black trail
- Slalom stage
- Snowbus service (snowgroomer transport for the practice of off-piste skiing)
- 5 snow groomers for trail grooming
- 2 groomers equipped with seats (snow buses) for off-piste transportation
- 1 new state-of-the-art groomer equipped with winch for highly bumpy trails
- 3 check points for skiers and snowboarders for off-piste skiing
- Special road for snowmobiles
- 4.3 miles of pipes and 30 snow guns
- 3 high-mountain restaurants
- Some useful data:
- Extensive skiing area : 17.500 hectares, including on-track and off-track sectors (accessing top elevation by lifts available)
- Maximum skiable length: 4.4 miles
- Altitude above sea level:
- Base: 7347 feet
- Intermediate platform: 8530 feet
- Summit with access to lifts 11250 feet
- Maximum skiable bump: 3940 feet
SAFETY AND RESCUE
- Safety and Rescue mountain service with the latest evacuation equipment
- 5 snowmobiles for evacuation of the injured
- 3 aid and information points in the mountain
- 1 central information, safety and rescue office at the base
- Professional skier team for avalanche control
- 27 trail rescuers, a doctor on trails and 2 rescue dogs
- 2 snow-meteorological observers
LEARNING
- Ski and Snowboard academy with group and private lessons; over 120 instructors
- Workshop for experts
- Baby Leñas, Mini Leñas, Snow Kinder and Junio Sky Academy
AT THE BASE
- Accomodation: 5, 4 and 3 star hotels, apart hotels, apartments, dorm houses
- Las Leñas Institutional Museum
- Medical Center
- Closed circuit TV and Las Leñas FM radio
- Internal transportation free of charge
- Internal security
- El Leñito is the institutional pet of the mount and it is located at the base.