Portillo, Chile
Plans to build the ski area were drawn up in the 1930s. Construction began in 1942 and the ski area was opened in 1949. Several of the ski lifts on the west side of the valley were destroyed by avalanches in 1965 and were rebuilt in time for Portillo to host the Alpine World Ski Championships in August 1966. Those championships marked the emergence of Jean-Claude Killy, who won gold medals in the downhill and combined events. Portillo has since become one of the principal destinations for ski racers to train during the northern hemisphere summer and hosts the national ski teams of Austria, Italy, and the United States.
The summit of the mountain (Ojos de Agua) climbs to 4,222 m (13,852 ft). Nearby peaks include Los Tres Hermanos at 4,751 m (15,587 ft) and La Paraya at 4,831 m (15,850 ft). Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western and southern hemispheres, is nearby at 6,961 m (22,838 ft), which exceeds any peak in Europe, Africa, and North America; only the Himalayas, Karakoram, Pamir and Tien Shan in Asia are higher.
Location
Portillo lies close to the border between Chile and Argentina at Paso Los Libertadores.
Season
The ski season at Portillo typically runs from mid-June to early-October, conditions permitting.
References
- ^ Once in a Lifetime Journey. "Tierra Atacama - A luxury retreat in an otherworldly destination".
- ^ Atwater, Montgomery M. (1968). The Avalanche Hunters. Macrae Smith Company. ISBN 0-8255-1345-6. OCLC 449852.
- ^ Lange, Serge (1986). 21 Years of World Cup Ski Racing. Johnson Books / James Wotton.
External links
Media related to Portillo, Chile at Wikimedia Commons