Portillo Ski Resort | Chile
The Spirit of the Andes
Here are the key things to know about Portillo:
The skiing is great: It is above the tree line and compact with incredible terrain for all levels. Extraordinary off-piste skiing is reachable with or without hiking, and the Roca Jack is one of the world's great runs. The powder is Colorado quality, and the weather in mid-August is comparable to early spring: -6 to 2 degrees and tons of sun.
The hotel and mountain: There is only one hotel, and it's legendary. There’s not much else there - which is a huge part of the appeal. The hotel only holds about 450 people, and those are the people with you from Saturday to Saturday. No one else. That means you have a world class ski area that you’re sharing with 450 others. No lift lines. No hassles. Great service. So while you may know no one at the start of the week, you’ll know many by the end of the week if you want to. Yet you can also be left alone there without a problem if you prefer. Most importantly, it's a very relaxed place where you can spend high-quality time with family and friends.
Typical day: Wake up, put on your ski clothes, enjoy a white tablecloth breakfast. 10:15 meet for lessons or free ski, lifts open at 9 am. (The ski school has some of the world’s best instructors including Mike Rogan and Robin Barnes, so people at all levels tend to take lessons). Ski until noon, then White table cloth lunch (or eat at Tio Bob’s on the mountain). Afternoon – ski/hang out/workout/ hike/etc. 5:00 tea. Siesta – swim outdoors, fall asleep reading a book in the hotel’s “family room”, hang out. 7:00 or 8:00 meet for a drink before dinner. 8:00 or 9:45 dinner – fantastic food and great wines. After dinner – family room, bar, disco. Sleep. Do again the next day!
Race course: A GS course is set most days and is available at no extra cost. Run it as many times as you'd like. On Thursday, there is a race open to all guests, and it's great fun. Afterwards, they host a great party with awards for all ages.
Other guests: You never know who will be seated right next to you, but if they’re famous, you can’t tell and they don’t really care. It’s totally comfortable and relaxed for all. The person next to you might be an Olympic medalist, a current or former World Cup racer, a major political figure from South America, the US Ambassador, a Wall Street player, or some family from wherever that just wanted to ski in Chile and put their pennies aside to do so.
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