Remembering 'Sun Dog'
As told by Santiago Guzman
During the austral winter of 2014, ‘Sun Dog’ was filmed in the snow-capped peaks that overlook Bariloche, Argentina. Refugio Frey, which serves as the only protection from the ravaging winds of the high alpine environment, draws wanderers of all sorts to its doors. When a dog named Conga arrived with skier Santiago Guzman, the hills were filled with their infectious energy. The windswept landscape became a backdrop for the pure joy of the two mountain souls as they shared time in the wild. Looking back on the trip, here is how Santi remembered it...
DPS was planning to shoot the first Cinematic film in South America, but the rest of the details were kind of blurry.
DPS was planning to shoot the first Cinematic film in South America, but the rest of the details were kind of blurry.
Snow conditions were variable, something pretty common back home in Argentina, so I figured going to the refugio to camp was our best option. I thought bringing my dog along would add something to the mix, but Ben [the filmmaker] made some magic with all the given ingredients.
Conga is my dog, or as I like to picture it, she’s the dog who lives with my girlfriend and me. She’s a 7 year old border collie/labrador/street dog, a great mix.
Conga was pretty stoked about the whole thing. She was almost a pup, pretty new to skiing, and her energy was through the roof. She wasn’t allowed in the refugio, so she slept in a shed next to it. I didn’t know if she was going to be able to handle it, but she did just fine!
The mountains of Patagonia are well-known for their wind, it’s part of life, and we’ve learned how to deal with it. Of course, sometimes we get storms without wind and amazing powder days. The bright side is that if you know where to look, you can find twice as much snow in wind deposit zones.
Refugios [backcountry huts] are a big part of our backcountry scene. Back in the day, a group of Europeans that migrated to Bariloche in the early 1920s planted the mountaineering seed and started building huts. Those original refugios were eventually improved, and more were built. We ended up with a nice hut system that allows you to connect some amazing zones while traversing beautiful routes through the Andes.
To enjoy more DPS Cinematic short films, visit our Vimeo page: vimeo.com/dpsskis