Two skiers survive dramatic avalanche at Cerro Chapelco

Two skiers survived a dramatic avalanche at Cerro Chapelco in Argentina’s Neuquén province after a large mass of snow broke loose above them.

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon in an area commonly known as “the ridge,” nearly 2,000 meters above sea level. The sector is not open to visitors and receives no maintenance or monitoring.

Video circulating on social media showed the skiers descending in zigzags as the avalanche suddenly emerged from the upper part of the mountain. The snow did not reach them, and both people escaped unharmed, according to LM Neuquén.

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is not prepared, marked, signposted, monitored, or protected against the hazards inherent to the mountain.

After the slide, the resort activated its safety protocol to keep skiers and pedestrians away from the affected area. It also organized preventive measures and assessed the safety conditions.

Chapelco emphasized the importance of following instructions and respecting restrictions in potentially dangerous areas. Its regulations state that off-piste zones are not prepared, marked, signposted, monitored, or protected against the hazards inherent to the mountain.

The rules also place responsibility on users for accidents arising from uncontrolled or excessive-speed skiing, entering closed runs, or skiing off-piste. They explicitly prohibit entering a run closed by the resort and say the center will not be responsible for harm suffered by someone who enters a closed run.

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The user will be solely responsible for accidents and collisions resulting from uncontrolled or excessive-speed skiing, choosing a run unsuitable for their skiing level, using defective equipment, entering closed runs, and skiing off-piste.