Chapelco is a resort in Neuquén - San Martín de los Andes (Argentina) skied between 1250 and 1980 metres, with 29 km of pistes and 11 lifts.
Chapelco is in Neuquén - San Martín de los Andes, Argentina, with the base at 1250 m and the top at 1980 m.
Chapelco has not announced its opening date for the 2026 season yet. Our own estimate, based on the resort's altitude and its past seasons, puts it around June 20, 2026: that is a forecast, not an announcement. The resort confirms the date each autumn and we keep it up to date at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/chapelco.
Chapelco is expected to close for the 2026 season on September 28, 2026. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (1980 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/chapelco.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Chapelco daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/argentina/chapelco, and the live cameras at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/chapelco. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (1980 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 1250 and 1980 metres, a vertical drop of 730 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 1250 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Chapelco report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/argentina/chapelco.
Chapelco has 29 km of pistes and 11 lifts, between 1250 and 1980 m of altitude.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Chapelco — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranva.app/en/shop/esqui/chapelco: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.
At the resort ticket office on the day, or online in advance from the official Chapelco store (https://www.chapelco.com/tarifas/). Which pass types exist and who each one suits is explained at https://www.caranva.app/en/forfait-esqui/chapelco. Buying online avoids the ticket-office queue, which first thing on a Saturday is the first half hour of skiing you lose.
Yes. Chapelco has an official ski school with qualified instructors (https://www.chapelco.com/escuela/), and lessons — group or private — are requested at https://www.caranva.app/en/clases-esqui/chapelco. Group lessons are cheaper and sort people by level; private lessons fit your timetable and progress faster. For a first-timer, what works is a morning lesson plus rental gear set up to their size, not borrowed.
Yes. The live Chapelco webcams, with piste conditions and the snow report, are at https://www.caranva.app/en/webcams/esqui/chapelco.
In the same valley or the next one: Cerro Catedral - Bariloche (120 km of pistes, up to 2388 m) and Cerro Bayo (25 km of pistes, up to 1782 m). Comparing their top altitudes helps when snowfall is scarce: the ones that top out higher tend to open earlier and hold on longer at the end of the season.