MOUNTAINSafety on The Mountain

At Cerro Castor, we believe that enjoyment and safety should go hand in hand when visiting the ski resort. Therefore, we recommend:

Each colour indicates the slope’s level of difficulty:

They help us locate ourselves on the mountain and indicate the location in case of accidents.

Used to show the slope name, difficulty level, and the remaining distance to reach the end of the slope.

These are usually orange signs indicating “closed” – “slow” – “danger,” placed in specific locations on the mountain.

On the slopes, you can find poles or markers that indicate the edges of the trail in the colour corresponding to the trail level.

The Cerro Castor patrol team is made up of 17 patroller-rescuers. They hold professional certification, “Patroller-Rescuer,” granted by AADIDESS and other institutions recognized worldwide.
The patrollers are distributed throughout the mountain, with four fixed posts strategically located.

They wear internationally standardized uniforms consisting of a red jacket with white crosses. In addition to their clothing, they carry portable communication equipment and a backpack with specific daily assistance tools. They also have vehicles suitable for traversing the mountain, providing support whenever necessary.

The patrol team works on the slopes daily, providing information and assistance across all areas of the ski centre, before opening, during operation, and after slope closure.

At the start of each day, the team meets with the safety director and the heads of each sector to organize and assign tasks. Each patroller is assigned a sector and one or more slopes to monitor and prepare before public access.
The team sets up signage on the slopes and performs tasks to secure and protect potential hazards using side markers, beacons, and all protective and signalling materials, such as nets, pads, and signs.Finally, they report the daily slope conditions, weather data, and snow accumulation at three points (Base/480/Cumbre).

Each patroller stays alert at their post and patrols their assigned slopes. Primary accident response is the priority; when an alert is received, the nearest patroller goes to the site, requesting the presence of staff and materials needed for care, immobilization, and transport of the injured person. These actions are performed in constant communication with the base infirmary

The team inspects the slopes to ensure no skiers remaining, checks the condition of equipment and assesses slope conditions, in order to coordinate the grooming machine work where necessary. Grooming machines operate after closure, and their work is vital for safety.

The slope service team is responsible for executing emergency evacuations from chairlifts. For this reason, weekly practices of technical manoeuvres are carried out to ensure a successful evacuation. This team is selected and trained by patrol members and is composed of patrollers and staff from other areas.The team also develops the necessary protocols and procedures for cases that require them, such as evacuations, accident assistance, avalanche interventions, etc.

Cerro Castor does not have a high avalanche risk, but it is very important that skiers are informed and strictly follow the signage and instructions from the patrol.

The Slope Safety Service works on preventive avalanche intervention and determines the daily risk level, then this information is set on the signage located at Cota 480 and at Cumbre (summit). They also warn of potential danger on specific spots through signage or by performing controlled triggers manually when necessary. The risk scale used is the same as in other South American ski resorts.

The patrol professionals are internationally trained through AADIDESS (Argentina), ANENA (France), AAA (USA), and AIARE, enabling them to act in prevention, search, and rescue of potential victims. They carry special equipment such as ARVA, PROBE, and SHOVEL, which each patroller keeps in their personal kit.
Additionally, stratigraphic studies of the snowpack and continuous observations of its stability are performed periodically. Daily meteorological records are taken at three points on the mountain: Base-480-Cumbre (summit), including temperature, wind, cloudiness, partial and total snow accumulation, and snow quality.