Ski Touring in the Andes: A Beginner's Guide
A beginner's guide to ski touring in the Patagonian Andes — what it is, the gear, how fit you need to be, and where to start.
Ski touring is the fastest-growing discipline in the Andes, and for good reason. You earn your turns, you escape lift lines, and you see parts of Patagonia that no chairlift reaches. But if you're brand new to touring, the learning curve is steeper than most people expect — and starting in the wrong zone can turn a great trip into a miserable one.
This guide is for skiers who can hold their own on groomers and moderate off-piste, but have never clicked into an alpine touring binding. Here is what we tell first-time tourers when they ask how to get started in Patagonia.
What is ski touring, exactly?
Ski touring (sometimes called "AT" for alpine touring, or "skinning" for the uphill technique) is skiing where you walk uphill under your own power using adhesive climbing skins on the bottom of your skis, then remove the skins and ski down. Your boots switch between a walk mode (flexible) and ski mode (locked forward) with a lever at the back. Your bindings release your heel for climbing and lock it for descending.
It is different from cross-country skiing (flat terrain, skinny skis) and from backcountry skiing (which describes the terrain, not the technique). You can tour inside resort boundaries on uphill routes, or you can tour deep into the mountains — same technique, different scale.
Why try ski touring in Patagonia?
Three reasons. First, the terrain is generous: the Andes around Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes offer beginner-friendly touring in stunning settings. Second, you get away from the resort crowds fast — 30 minutes of skinning puts you on a ridge with no one else in sight. Third, it is the gateway to the backcountry skiing we cover in our backcountry skiing in Patagonia guide, but with a much lower entry barrier on mellow beginner routes.
Do you need to be really fit?
Fitter than a typical resort skier, but not an endurance athlete. A reasonable benchmark: if you can comfortably hike uphill for 2 hours at a moderate pace, you can ski tour. A beginner outing is usually 300-500 vertical meters of skinning, which takes about 60-90 minutes for an average skier.
Skinning uphill is more efficient than hiking because your skis glide forward rather than lifting off the snow. The motion is closer to walking on a treadmill with a slight incline than climbing stairs. That said, expect to be breathing heavily — the altitude at Catedral (up to 2,100m) adds a real hit if you're coming from sea level.
Essential gear for beginners
You don't need to buy your own touring setup for a first trip. Rentals in Bariloche cover everything you need:
- Alpine touring skis — lighter than resort skis, with binding inserts for tech bindings
- Tech bindings — the pin-style bindings that release at the heel for climbing
- AT boots — boots with a walk/ski mode lever at the back
- Climbing skins — cut to fit your skis, with adhesive underside
- Collapsible poles — taller grip for uphill, shorter for descents
- Avalanche safety kit — beacon, shovel, probe (required even for mellow routes)
- 30L backpack with ski carry straps
Bring your own helmet and goggles — skin the uphill in goggles on your helmet, flip down for the descent. For the full layering system, see our Patagonia ski packing list.
How to use skins: the technique
Skins stick to the base of your ski with a reusable glue. You line them up, press them on, and trim the tail clip. Going uphill, the nap of the skin grips going forward and glides backward — so you slide your ski forward as if you're on a long treadmill rather than stepping.
On steep sections, you engage "heel risers" on your binding, which tilt your boot forward to keep your calves from burning out. On switchbacks (kick turns), you pivot one ski at a time to change direction — this is the hardest technique for beginners to master, and a guide will walk you through it on day one.
At the top, you rip the skins off (in one smooth pull), stow them in your jacket to keep the glue warm, switch your boots and bindings to ski mode, and descend like normal.
Where should beginners start in Patagonia?
Cerro Catedral uphill routes: Catedral has designated uphill skinning routes inside resort boundaries. Low-risk, clearly marked, and with lift-served descents if you get tired. This is where we take most first-time tourers.
Cerro López lower slopes: A mellow forested approach with moderate angles. No serious avalanche exposure if you stay on the designated route.
Chapelco perimeter tours: San Martín de los Andes offers less-crowded touring with easier logistics. Read our Chapelco vs Catedral comparison for more on the two resort towns.
Cerro Bayo skintrack: Villa La Angostura has a short skinning route off the resort's upper lifts. Beautiful views, short commitment.
Avoid Refugio Frey, Cerro López upper ridges, and anything above treeline until you have at least a full season of touring experience.
Lessons vs. learning on your own
Honest answer: book a lesson or a guided intro day. Ski touring has enough small technique details — skin application, kick turns, transition efficiency, skin failure troubleshooting — that a half-day with a local instructor will save you from a full day of frustration. Our custom experiences include intro-to-touring days that combine instruction with a mellow objective.
If you're traveling as a group, we can also run private touring instruction for groups, which is especially useful for friends traveling together at mixed skill levels.
When is the best time for beginner touring?
Late August through September. Stable weather, settled snowpack, and enough daylight to take your time learning. July is also workable if you accept that storms will sometimes cancel your planned day. Our week-by-week ski season breakdown goes deeper on the seasonal patterns.
One common mistake to avoid
Do not try to ski tour in your regular alpine boots with alpine bindings. The walk mode on AT boots is what makes skinning uphill sustainable — locked-boot skinning destroys your shins and your mood within 30 minutes. If renting AT gear is out of reach for your trip, stick to lift-served skiing and sidecountry for this visit.
Ready for your first tour?
We run beginner ski touring days out of Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, and San Martín de los Andes as part of custom itineraries. Tell us you're new to touring when you reach out, and we'll pair you with an instructor-guide who teaches this for a living. Start planning your Patagonia ski trip — whether you want a full week of touring or just one day mixed into a resort trip, we can build it around your skill level and fitness.