Cerro Castor Ski Resort

Cerro Castor at a glance

The world's most southerly 'proper' ski area opened in Argentina's famously southern tip Tierra del Fuego, uin 1999 following a $10 million (US) investment by a variety of bodies. Although there are, or have been, three ski lifts operating independently at several separate Antarctic bases, they cannot compare with the three brand new quad chairs the worlds most southerly, and one drag lift at Cerro Castor, 27km (17 miles) from the regional capital of Ushuaia City (South America and the world's most southerly city). Following twelve years of study of snow conditions, the site has been passed for reliable natural snow cover between June and October each year, and the lifts have been built between 195 and 975 metres, giving a healthy vertical of 780 metres. Together the four lifts, which have been built in Andorra running over towers constructed by Poma in France, provide an uplift of 5000 skiers per hour and serve 400 hectares of terrain that has been graded 20% beginner, 65% intermediate and 15% advanced. All other construction work and materials have been produced and supplied locally. Although there are two other ski areas in the district, neither are comparable for size. Indeed the two areas, Club Andino and Martial (together) have a combined area of 3 hectares served by a few small surface drag lifts, whilst expansion plans in the pipeline for Cerro Castor, envisage 1200 hectares of lift served terrain.