Ski Portillo, Chile (12)

2013 Best Summer Trip #12

Located in eastern Chile on the shores of the sacred Lake of the Incas, Ski Portillo is a bit of a throwback. There's no glitz or wild après-ski scene at South America’s oldest ski resort, just pure powder, dazzling white Andean peaks, and no lines at 14 lifts thanks to limited ticket availability for day-trippers.

When to Go: Ski and snowboard season 2013 is June 22-October 5.

Where to Stay: Perched slope-side, canary yellow Hotel Portillo is the only option, promoting an esprit de corps among guests and the attentive staff. Weekly, all-inclusive rates at the iconic hotel cover lift tickets, recreation (heated outdoor pool, climbing wall, fitness facility), and four meals daily, including 5 p.m. onces (teatime).

How to Get Around: Located near the Argentine border, Portillo is a two-hour drive northeast of Santiago. Rental cars, airport and hotel transfers, and a Saturday shuttle service from the city are available for resort guests and day skiers. One-day lift tickets are limited, so staying at the resort is the best way to guarantee maximum slope time.

Where to Eat or Drink: Red-jacket wait staff warmly greet resort guests by name as they return to assigned tables for breakfast and dinner (8:30 or 9:30 p.m. seating) in the main, leather-paneled dining room. Lunch is more laid-back at outdoor Tio Bob’s, where barbecued fish, wine, and Andes views are served slope-side near the Plateau Lift. From 1 to 3 p.m., nonskiers can ride up (and back) to meet their skiing companions around the restaurant’s sun-drenched wooden tables.

Travel Tip: The Hotel Portillo is located 9,450 feet above sea level, making high-altitude sickness a possibility. Symptoms include headache, shortness of breath, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Allow at least a day to help the body adjust to the altitude safely before hitting the slopes, and drink water throughout each day to stay hydrated.

Helpful links: Ski Portillo

Fun Fact: Portillo’s Va et Vient (come and go) lifts work basically like giant slingshots, propelling five skiers at a time up the mountain. Since the pulley system was designed specifically to provide access to steep avalanche-chute runs, only experts are encouraged to make the somewhat daunting, yet completely safe, trip.


throwback - 倒退，返祖
glitz - 华美
dazzling - 耀眼的
Andean - 安第斯山脉的
perch - 栖息，停留
canary - 金丝雀，淡黄色
esprit - 精神
corps - 团体，兵团
inclusive - 包括的，包含的
iconic - 符号的，肖像的
recreation - 修养
laid-back - 放松的
drench - 使浸透，使充满
fatigue - 疲劳
hydrated - 含水的
slingshot - 弹弓
propel - 推进
pulley - 滑轮
specifically - 明确
steep - 危险的，陡峭的
avalanche - 雪崩，（邮件，不幸，提问等）杀到
chute - 斜槽，滑道
daunt - 使气馁