Sand Skiing in Huacachina

The ski season has begun in BC and most of us have been blessed with cold temperatures and light snow. Recently I returned from a trip to Peru where I got to enjoy a different kind of skiing, while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. In the small oasis of Huacachina, four hours south of the capital Lima, their lies massive sand dunes spanning miles. Here you’ll find ski shops equipped with a full fleets of well used alpine skis, boots, poles, helmets and snowboards. But instead of taking a chair lift or hiking up, there are dozens of dune buggies ready to take you on a roller-coaster ride to the top of the dunes.

Before every run we would have to apply candle wax to the modified base of the skis to ensure the skis would glide down the sand. The day started late, in order to avoid the affects of the strong sun on the sand and extend the life of the wax. Every lap we would pile into the dune buggy and rip back up to the top, I can only assume this can be equated to a much more thrilling snow cat ride.

Skiing back down was a blast. After listening to the guide’s counter intuitive advice to ‘lean back’, we all got the hang of it pretty quick. Five laps later we enjoyed a sunset cruise back to the buggy and a nighttime ride back to town. All in all it quenched our thirst for skiing, but as you might expect didn’t compare to Kootenay cold smoke.