Ahhh Portillo, you had us at “hello, there’s a two metre snow storm on the way.”
It’s been well over a decade since I first heard these words down a phone line five days before I was officially due to arrive in Chile. Words that had me on a plane to Santiago early, and up the famed switchback road to the giant yellow Lego building in the Andes sky ready to wait out the impending blizzard.
Guests in the all inclusive Portillo arrive on a Saturday and leave the following Saturday. Unless there’s a storm, then they may have to wait it out in nearby Los Andes for days before the road is cleared. Those already seconded in the resort may choose to leave early lest they get snowed in past their departure date, others, like me, arrive early to ensure they’re there when the resort opens after mandatory avalanche bombing.
This is how I found myself with just a handful of fellow guests playing pool and sipping Pisco Sours as a raging storm settled in the high alpine outside the hotel perched at 2800m altitude. On a normal week Portillo hosts a mere 450 guests which means there’s never a lift line on the 500 hectares of in-resort skiable terrain. With over half of those guests gone, what lay ahead was untracked powder for days.
Did I mention the “guests” included my “ski camp leaders” Chris Davenport and the now late and still legendary Shane McConkey? I know, I should have led with that – and that our other leaders Mike Douglas, Wendy Fisher and Chris Anthony were stuck with the rest of the camp at the bottom of that switchback.
Let’s just say when the sky cleared to blue and this majestic condors came in to fly over the peaks above the Lake of the Inca below, we were ready.
If you’ve been to Portillo then you have a story. No one gets out of here alive without one. Mine involved blizzards and old historical tunnels filled with chilled beer, dancing on tables, lakeside hot tubs and candid photos filled with hilarity and some of the best skiing ever (until I broke my leg, but that’s another story).
A week here is akin to band camp on steroids, and a cross between the Love Boat meets the Shining with two bars and a disco nightclub plus gyms and sporting pitches hidden deep in the basement.
It is simply thrilling fun. Here’s six reasons why.
No lift lines
Seriously, there are simply no crowds here. The resort is open to day skiers and boarders but the “village” itself sleeps around 450 across differing accommodation options. If there is a lift line then you’ll likely share it with a famous US or Austrian or other alpine racing nation ski team who come here to train in their summer.
The slingshot Roca Jack
If you want to get to the good stuff for advanced and above skiers and boarders then you’ll need to ride the famed slingshot lift before traversing and hiking to some seriously epic terrain. Because the terrain is steep the slingshot uses a pulley to haul you up the mountain alongside four others. When you get to the top you’ll need to immediately dismount and turn yourself down the fall line to prevent yourself going backwards. Trust us, it’s actually fun.
All inclusive ski improvement weeks
Settle in for a seven day week or choose a four or three day “mini” week. Everything’s included, room and three meals (and then some) a day. Though you’ll need to settle your own bar bill, ouch.
Take up a traditional Portillo Ski Week to improve your skills with daily instruction or book in for a camp with the likes of Chris Davenport or Kim Reichhelm.
There’s wine for everyone
You’re in South America, the home of new world wines that win awards around the world. Make the most of it with the annual Wine Week when wine snobbery is celebrated with a different vintner from a Chilean winery each day with tastings and more.
You can heli-ski here
Imagine, cruising the peaks of the Andes in a helicopter, setting down and then taking off on skis and a snowboard through Chilean powder. Well, you can, at Portillo. You can also take a scenic flight with lunch or simply utilise the chopper to transfer you from Santiago airport to Portillo in a smidgeon of the two hour drive time.
The Super C
For the advanced to expert skier and boarder with the skill set and grit required, there is the Super C. This renowned couloir boasts a 1320m descent after a two hour hike with some daring no-fall zone traverse moments. Expect a narrow chute that is, at times, 10 metres wide, that will provide you with the ride of your life when the powder conditions are right.
