The homestretch of the journey to Eleven Rio Palena Lodge begins in Santiago de Chile, where towering Andean peaks dwarf the capital city and its glittery high rises. Over the next couple hours, the onslaught of natural beauty only ramps up. An aerial pass over Chile’s fertile central valley ends in the small city of Puerto Montt. There, you realize you’re really in for it.
Storybook fjords convolute the coastline into strips of mountains split by dark blue ocean waters. From here, continuing by charter plane to the tiny town of Palena reveals massive, snow-covered volcanoes and spiky crowned peaks. Even travel weary skiers can’t help but stay glued to the window to size up couloirs, spines, and wide-open faces as untouched ski line after untouched ski line passes by.
Eleven’s A-star B3’s assist with the last leg and by the time your heli settles on the green lawn between the Palena River and the namesake lodge, your senses are just about shattered. Sure, the chance to ski the Andes — and in Patagonia at that — is the initial lodestar, but this journey and gradual stacking of spectacular scenery will wreak havoc on expectations. Once your feet touch the ground, it’s clear that Rio Palena Lodge is a place like no other.
