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Ski in Chile

Ski Portillo

Chile is well known as an attractive skiing country, with spectacular natural landscapes settings for winter snow sports in the Andes Mountains.

Quality of snow, tracks, slopes and services are so good, that Europeans lovers of the white sport choose our country to continue their ski season.

Ski history is related to need and creativity of human beings in transporting themselves through snow areas. The first ski racquets are from 4000 or 5000 years ago, they were found in Sweden and Finland. By the middle of XIX century, people had a great interest in practicing ski sports, new places for practice were open, and adventure and ludic sense brought skiing to new frontiers.

Nordic ski, or Cross-country ski, can be practiced in areas with low slopes and is similar to trekking in skies. Alpine ski is known for being practiced initially at the Alps. It is the most extended ski practice in Chile, with the exception of “Termas de Chillan” Ski Centre were cross-country ski is also common. Alpine ski is pure adrenalin, since it is performed at high slope places.

In Chile ski history started with.the railroad construction to Argentina, through the Andes Mountains. At the end of XIX century, two Norwegian engineers Elmar Rosenquist and Michel Hermundsen studied the feasibility of the railroad construction during the winters of 1887 and 1888. Nowadays, this area hosts the “Portillo” Ski Centre. Their workers and engineers were the first group who took advantage of this beautiful ski area. In 1909 the first Ski Club, called the German Excursion Club, was founded in Valparaiso. Ski sports were promoted by the government and business managers, inviting from abroad well known skilled instructors. As a result of this development, in 1966 “Portillo” in Chile was the Ski World Cup Host.

 
Ski Portillo


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