Mountain Capital Partners has purchased its second Chilean ski resort.
The ski resort management company, which owns Purgatory Resort and Hesperus Ski Area, announced last week it has purchased La Parva Ski Resort near Santiago, Chile. The company bought its first Chilean resort, Valle Nevado, in spring 2023.
“Valle Nevado and La Parva represent some of the best ski resort brands in South America,” MCP Managing Partner James Coleman said in a news release. “Together, with these two world-class resorts, we are committed to creating the largest and best lift-served resort in the world.”
MCP’s interest in La Parva stemmed from it sharing boundaries with Valle Nevado, making it easy to connect the two resorts. La Parva has 14 lifts, 40 trails and over 3,000 feet of vertical, with access to over 200,000 acres of heli-skiing.
MCP spokeswoman Stacey Glaser said the company’s intention is combine both ski areas to allow skiers over 5,000 acres of terrain. Glaser declined to comment on the cost of the purchase, saying the company does not disclose its payment on private transactions.
“We’ve been talking about creating one name or one brand for both resorts,” Glaser said. “That's something that we’re still talking about. We’re not in a rush to make that decision.”
Possible upgrades have not been finalized for La Parva, but MCP management says it will prioritize construction of new lifts, adding snowmaking and trail development.
“We are closing an important and successful milestone for La Parva, and we are sure that MCP will continue to build a unique ski resort,” said Leonidas Vial Claro, former controller of La Parva in the release. “We shared with James and his team the vision to develop a world-class resort in the Southern Hemisphere and that purpose, together with the commitment of all those who worked for this agreement, was fundamental.”
La Parva marks the 11th ski area MCP has purchased.
Since 2015, the company has poured $78 million into improvements to its ski areas and bike parks. Those include the gondola at Arizona Snowbowl and snowmaking improvements at Purgatory Resort as well as others.
However, Hesperus Ski Area was unable to open this season because of a gearbox failure to the Bighorn Lift. In March, MCP announced that Hesperus would be closed through the 2024-25 winter season because of lift maintenance issues and the ski area’s inability to make snow.
Glaser said the company was making progress on finding solutions for Hesperus but could not disclose details regarding that progress.
“I am optimistic that we’re going to find a solution,” Glaser said.
MCP is still working through the details regarding La Parva’s availability on the company’s Power Passes. Currently, the company’s 12-day Power Pass and season Power Pass allows for seven days at Valle Nevado.
Glaser anticipates something similar with La Parva.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
