| History of Skiing in Chile
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| | Valparaiso near Santiago with Mendoza,
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| Getting from point A to point B in the
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| | Argentina. The tall peaks that formed the
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| rugged Andes was a cinch in summer. Come
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| | country's western border were simply seen
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| winter, though, deep snow, howling winds
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| | as too large and too difficult to
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| and massive mountain passes meant going
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| | explore. When it opened in 1910, the
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| anywhere east or west was nearly
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| | railway crossed the highest mountains in
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| impossible. Skiing in South America was a
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| | the world outside the Himalaya, and
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| necessity before it was considered a
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| | changed the way Chilean saw the snowy
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| pleasure. On both sides of the imposing
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| | peaks. Travelling on skis proved the only
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| Andes Mountains, skis were first strapped
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| | way for workers (led by English and
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| on by explorers, engineers and military
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| | Norwegian engineers who'd brought their
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| trainees attempting to travel across
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| | boards over from Europe) to make the
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| treacherous mountain terrain, to colonize
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| | Uspallata Pass, not far from what is now
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| remote valleys and to guard both sides of
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| | Portillo resort. Skis were necessary for
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| the border. Portillo, the first ski
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| | transportation before they became a
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| resort in Chile, and Catedral, the first
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| | source of fun.
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| one in Argentina, were created by
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| | Portillo
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| visionary immigrants who had a sense of
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| | The new sport introduced by European
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| the adventure potential of the amazing
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| | railway engineers caught on in Santiago,
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| Andes.
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| | particularly amongst social clubs of
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| Picture the poor guys laying the railway
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| | Europeans who established a company,
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| tracks beneath the tall Andes. Working in
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| | Hoteles de Cordillera S.A. that would
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| the freezing snow 3,810 m above sea
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| | build a hotel just west of the Uspallata
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| level, in knee-deep snow. When their
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| | Pass. The first chair lift went up at
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| European bosses suggested strapping on
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| | Portillo in 1946, making it the first in
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| wooden boards so they could head back to
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| | South America. The resort opened in 1949,
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| the work camp faster, they must have been
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| | and was an instant hit with Chileans from
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| intimidated. But after a few quick
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| | Santiago. The resort was purchased by
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| lessons on the basics of skiing, the
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| | Americans Bob Purcell and Dick Aldrich in
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| wooden boards surely made life even a
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| | 1962, and hosted the World Alpine Ski
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| little bit more fun. When eager athletic
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| | Championships in 1966, drawing world-wide
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| types from Santiago joined them for
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| | attention. In 1987, Michael Prufer broke
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| winter weekend ski trips, the essential
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| | the record for speed dsecent at Portillo,
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| became an indulgence.
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| | clocking 217.68 km per hour.
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| Isolated from the rest of the world by
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| | Since then, other ski resorts have opened
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| the Andes, with a long coastline, Chile
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| | up and down the Chilean Andes, including
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| had little reason to attempt mountain
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| | Termas de Chillán in the 1970s and La
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| travel until the Trans-Andean railway was
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| | Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado in
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| built in the early 1900s, connecting
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| | the 1980s.
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