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portillo

Ski Portillo, Chile, Closing Day 2024, Report: Is it 2025 Yet?

Report from September 21-22, 2024 Ski Portillo is just over two hours from the Santiago Airport. Although bus, private driver, and helicopter transfers are available, we opted for a rental car. The drive through the foothills was full of vineyards, which made for a great halfway stop. Once in the valley, traffic started to slow behind trucks traveling through the […]

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Brett Ploss | September 24, 2024
1 Comment

Cerro Catedral, Valle Nevado, Portillo, and Other Patagonian Ski Areas Extend Season After Heavy September Snowfall

You just can’t give up on the season in South America. After a rough start with sub-average snow conditions for roughly half of the ski season in the Andes Mountains, it started snowing again—hard. Las Leñas Resort in Argentina reported a 10-foot+ storm total last week, with over 3 feet of snow falling in 24 hours. Cerro Catedral in San […]

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Martin Kuprianowicz | September 14, 2023
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Two Chilean Ski Areas Damaged By Heavy Rainfall

Just as the South American ski season is kicking off, a few resorts have been damaged throughout the last few days by a major storm. This system brought feet of snow at high elevations and a ludicrous amount of rain at low elevations. The Nevados de Chillán ski center reportedly received 900 millimeters of rain (35.4 inches!) in a four-day […]

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Avatar photo Spencer McLaughlin | July 3, 2023
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The Top 5 Ski Resorts in South America:

South America is huge and the Andes mountain range is the longest mountain range in the world with the tallest mountain on Earth outside the Himalayas. The good skiing in the Andes is mostly in the south and can be phenomenal. On the right year, it can be non-stop snowstorms in the south and incredibly long, smooth descents in the north. South America is raw, rad, and wild. If the snow isn’t just right, the culture most certainly is. Seven nights a week there is a raging party waiting for you at Wilkenny, Dusk, or any of the other of the many night clubs in town. Combine these clubs with how good looking Argentines are and […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | April 8, 2022
23 Comments

Portillo, Chile to Open on Saturday For First Time in Nearly 2-Years

Chile

Thanks to the fresh snow that dumped on South America last week, Portillo ski resort in Chile announced yesterday that they will be opening on Saturday for the first time in almost two years. Related: Powder Alert: Parts of Chile and Argentina Expecting Anywhere From 3-10 Feet of New Snow Over Next 5 Days The resort didn’t open last season […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | August 26, 2021
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Continued Border Closures Restrict Travel to South America

Chile

South America instituted some of the world’s strictest lockdowns due to Covid-19. International travel was completely shut off when several countries instituted border closures. Popular ski resorts such as Portillo, Chile, Valle Nevado, Chile, and Las Lenas, Argentina never opened due to restrictions or announced before the season started they wouldn’t open for the South American winter season. While most […]

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Taylor Stephan | September 9, 2020
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Large, New Ski Resort Planned in Argentina with 13,000-Foot Peaks & Hot Springs | “El Azufre”

There are many great ski resorts in South America –  Portillo, La Parva,  Bariloche, Las Leñas, Chillan, Valle Nevado and many others, but it’s always good to have one more ski resort! Developers are currently planning a large, new ski resort near Mendoza, Argentina that will be named “El Azufre”. During recent years, central Andes have experienced the worst winters […]

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Claire Weiss | September 6, 2019
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Shane McConkey: Free to Ski

“Whether it was steep, extreme descent or new freestyle, what we were doing was freeskiing, free to ski our own style on our own terms” – Shane McConkey There are so many words said about Shane.  There is practically no ski or outdoor magazine, which hasn’t written about Shane, but when it comes to the legend it seems like it’s never […]

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Claire Weiss | August 28, 2019
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Valle Nevado Ski Resort, Chile – 30 Years of Good Food, Fine Wine and Blower Pow

[sponsored by Valle Nevado] It’s been 30 years since Valle Nevado Ski Resort opened its doors. One of the more iconic resorts in the world, Valle Nevado sits nestled in the Andean Mountains in some of the most spectacular terrain in the Southern Hemisphere. The season down south is just around the corner so after you get your fill of […]

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D’Arcy McLeish | April 26, 2018
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2 Large Storms To Hit South America Next 6-Days | Up to 93″ of Snow Forecast

Southern South America has been going off of late.  We just had 9 powder days in a row here at Cerro Catedral, Bariloche, Argentina… 2 more large storms are forecast to clobber southern South America in the next 6 days.  One storm is hitting now, the next storm hits Monday night. Snow levels start high for both of these storms and […]

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WeatherBrains | August 17, 2017
1 Comment

South American September Shred Sessions: Portillo Chile Official Report

The 15/16 northern hemisphere ski season for me was amazing. I was very fortunate and lucky to ski the terrain and snow that I did, and have the ability to travel to many awesome places. I give thanks daily for my blessings.
After closing out my North American season where I grew up on Kachina peak New Mexico in June of 2015 I was forced to be a responsible adult and focus on my career. Thus working 60hr plus weeks from early June all the way up until September. Appling the ski bum mentality working hard all summer in order to pursue skiing all winter.

Ryan Mulcahy | October 9, 2016
0 Comments

UPDATE: American Rebel Bode Miller Training in Chile Using Bomber Skis, Full Tilt Boots, Funny Helmet/Googles

Tuck Jerry!

Bode Miller has ventured to Portillo, Chile in order to train with the U.S. Ski Team at one of their camps. Some noteworthy information of his exploits down south is the gear with which he is training. Rocking some of Bomber Ski’s newest race skis along with a pair of Full Tilt boots and a futuristic helmet made by OSBE, […]

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Dylan Cautela | September 27, 2016
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Up to 40″ of Snow Forecast for South America this Weekend

Winter is just around the corner in South America. Last week, Cerro Castor (Ushuaia, Argentina), Catedral (Bariloche, Argentina), Valle Nevado (Santiago, Chile), and more were hit by the first snowfall of the year. A few days ago, Cerro Catedral, in Bariloche, turned white for a while. Now it is the turn for Las Leñas, in Mendoza, and Portillo and Valle […]

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Matias Ricci | April 13, 2016
0 Comments

VIDEO: Portillo, Chile Season Highlight Reel

Portillo, Chile just had thier best season in about 7 years including a storm that dropped over 6-feet of snow in August. This edit was created by our Portillo reporter and winner of the only South America Freeride World Qualifying competition in 2015, Andrew Rumph.  “I was fortunate enough to spend my fifth season here working as a ski instructor […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | October 9, 2015
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Las Lenas, ARG and Portillo, Chile Have Best Seasons in Years | Both CLOSED for Season

The legendary ski resorts of Las Lenas, Argentina and Portillo, Chile are now closed for the season. They both had the best seasons they’ve had in many years as predicted by the El Nino forecasts for South America. Here is the best video of the year from Las Lenas, Argentina from the best day of the year in Las Lenas: […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | October 6, 2015
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VIDEO & Photos: Big Powder Day in South America Today

South America and especially central Chile just got hit with another big storm. Valle Nevado is reporting over a foot of new snow today and the photos look epic. Portillo got a healthy amount of snow as did La Parva, Chile. Even Argentina got in on the goods with Las Lenas getting new snow and Catedral in Bariloche, Argentina gettting 4″ overnight. Winter is not over in South America. South America and especially central Chile just got hit with another big storm. Valle Nevado is reporting over a foot of new snow today and

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | September 25, 2015
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Portillo, Chile Conditions Report: Wind Buff is Good Stuff

It’s been another great week here in Portillo, the weather has been unsettled with a few cloudy days and a little snow. Off piste it’s been pretty firm low down, so the smart skiers have been hiking to the higher shadier aspects to find soft snow. The classic chute ‘Super C’ has been skiing really well recently with powder at the start of the week, and smooth wind buff today. On the groomed runs the coverage is still fantastic with good snow all the way down to the base of Juncallilo, the conditions are getting springlike, so the runs are hard and fast in the mornings then soften as the days progress.

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Guest Author | September 1, 2015
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VIDEO: Heli Skiing Portillo, Chile with Ian McIntosh in August

ian mcintosh heli skiing portillo, chile

We didn’t even know they had heli skiing in Portillo, Chile. Apparently, they do and apparently Warren Miller Entertainment took full advantage of it. Ian McIntosh and Ingrid Backstrom went heli skiing for Warren Miller’s cameras on some Alaska style terrain. All this great footage coming out of Portillo is starting to make us jealous…

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | August 26, 2015
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VIDEO: One Sick Run in Chile with Ian McIntosh

Ian McIntosh was just in Portillo, Chile skiing with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa for Warren Miller Entertainment. It was a quick trip and he’s already home, but the damage was done. This run was one of many solid lines Mac skied while in town. “Almost home and back to summer but here’s another one from Chile. Just good clean fun, blue skies and gorgeous pow.” – Ian McIntosh

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | August 22, 2015
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Portillo, Chile Conditions Report: Big, Nasty Terrain

Although the powder was skied off all the nooks and crannies for our day trip on Monday, Portillo certainly has a nice base, and the weather was unbeatable. Sunny and warmish, it was great cruising the groomers and the Va et Vient lifts were fun as always. Tio Bob’s still serves up great burgers, camarones al pilpil and the beer is cold. Perfect day! The sun was hitting hard and some powdery avalanches were bringing down the prior weeks snowfalls. Here the Roca Jack with a couple of snow waterfalls on the slopes beyond:

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Guest Author | August 21, 2015
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