Unbelievable History
The Beginning of a Dream
Toni Sponar first came to Chile in 1962. He instantly felt a connection with the land, the people, and of course the skiing. He worked at Portillo as a ski instructor every austral winter.
As the years went by he began doing some consulting work for people wanting to build ski areas in the fledgling South American ski world. His job was to travel through the Andes in search of areas that would support a ski area.
In doing this, he realized that his dream was to start a ski area of his own. In 1980 he found the land that is now Ski Arpa and was able to purchase it.
Overcoming Challenges
He then began the monumental task of building a ski area with no money and no real experience in the actual building, planning and infrastructure of a ski area.
After many failures such as avalanches taking out lifts and bankruptcy, he was able to acquire a snowcat, and the Ski Arpa you experience today was born.
A Family Legacy
After a few years of operating Ski Arpa on his own, Toni's son Anton joined him in 2006. From that point until today the Sponars have brought countless unforgettable ski days to thousands of people.
We can't wait to add you to that list.
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