If you go here, you can hear me talking about Valle Nevado and Portillo and their upcoming ski season. The show also talks of other subjects, such as the Ski Club of Great Britain reps (with journalist Lou Cameron-Hall), and what is going on in the ski industry.
The View from Aiguille du Midi towards Grandes Jorasses. 65 x 50 cm. In my shop here.
Start planning your next trip!
You can search for your own accommodation in the snow for your next ski holiday through our Accommodation Search tab. Or if looking to stay in the heart of the Mont Blanc Valley in the Aosta Valley, check the direct booking for Il Coure della Valdigne here. This is our own family home in the mountains, that I am renting out when not using.
Il Cuore della Valdigne. Book your lodging directly with me here.Il Cuore della Valdigne. Stay at the Heart of the Valdigne to ski in Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila/Aosta.
Featured Image: Skier off-piste in Portillo. Photo by Liam Doran. Courtesy Ski Portillo.
Valle Nevado is one of those ski resorts that you should go and visit. That is why I have put together this must-read guide to Valle Nevado. Located high in the Chilean Andes, to the west of Santiago, this is the centre of the Tres Valles de Chile (the 3 Valleys of Chile). Here you feel that you are definitely skiing in high mountain.
The ski season runs from late June till early October, but it can be movable depending on snowing conditions.
The Andes are majestic, from whichever side you see them. Valle Nevado counts with the best sunsets you will ever see on the mountains. The pinks, oranges and yellows of the sky are jaw-dropping. This is caused by the smog in Santiago (believe it or not!), but even if smog is awful, up in Valle Nevado you have a spectacle of light. Plus the smog gets stuck down in the valley!
Endless possibilities in Valle Nevado. Photo courtesy of Valle Nevado.
Location – The Must Read Guide to Valle Nevado
Valle Nevado is located 46 km west of Santiago. You need to take the road out of Santiago and the paved road to Farellones for 32 km until the diversion the last portion to Valle Nevado.
How to Get There – The Must Read Guide to Valle Nevado
You do have to be careful driving up (and down!)- the 59 hairpin turns to get to the resort. Read beforehand the timing of going up and down the road, as depending on the time of the year, and during all weekends during the ski season, there are early hours to go up and hours in the day to go down. The road is a bit thin, and when there is heavy traffic, when people finish their ski week, it could be too tricky to have traffic both ways.
As you will not be driving while in Valle Nevado, you might be better off taking a shared or private transfer to get up the mountain and back.
Aiguilles des Drus et Aiguille Verte. Soft Pastels, pan pastels and charcoal on La Carte Pastel. 65×50 cm (20″x26″) in my shop here.
$75 Airfare Offering into Aspen; Book by Friday, Oct. 8
In Celebration of Aspen Snowmass’ 75th Anniversary Ski Season, $75 Airfares to/from Southern California to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport
Special this Winter, Also Book $75 Lift Tickets
This winter, Aspen Snowmass celebrates 75 years of skiing in Aspen. In conjunction with this occasion, airlines are offering special $75 airfares to/from Southern California to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. This unique deal features direct service from Los Angeles and Orange County into Aspen and is available now through Friday, Oct. 8.
Aspen Mountain with the Town of Aspen. Photo Dan Bayer- Aspen Snowmass. $75 Airfare Offering into Aspen; Book by Friday, Oct. 8.
“Our 75th anniversary is a historic milestone and we are thrilled that our airline partners have joined the celebration by matching $75 one-way airfare offerings,” says Kristi Kavanaugh Bradley, vice president of sales, at Aspen Snowmass. “With up to seven flights daily between Los Angeles and Aspen, during the winter season, it’s a great time for guests to take advantage of these specials.”
The 75th anniversary airfare offers round-trip flights into Aspen/Pitkin County Airport from carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, with $75 one-way, or $150 roundtrip basic economy fares. Bookings are valid 21 days starting now through Feb. 28. Minimum stay requirements apply and vary based upon departure date. Inventory is limited to certain fare classes and will not be available on every flight. Restrictions may apply. This offer expires Friday, Oct. 8.
Vail Resorts announces indoor safety protocols for 2021-22 season
Vail Resorts today announced its Winter Operating Plan for the 2021-22 ski and ride season across its 34 North American resorts, centered on its commitment to safety and the guest experience. The protocols were shared in a letter to guests Monday, and focus on the spaces most prone to transmission – those located indoors.
Straight from the Newsroom of VailResorts.com
Young and Independents walk through the village to ski in Vail, CO. Photo: Craig Orsini. Vail Resorts. Vail Resorts announces indoor safety protocols for the 2021-22 season.
“We are fortunate that the core of our experience takes place outdoors in vast mountain settings,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “However, as we welcome guests from around the world to the indoor experience at our resorts, we feel it’s important to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19. We all need the opportunity to enjoy and experience the great outdoors, and we could not be more excited to welcome guests back to our resorts for the 2021-22 ski and ride season.”
Aspen Snowmass Releases First-Ever Progress Report on Methane-to-Electricity Plant
Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) today released a report that tells the story of how ASC and its partners – Oxbow’s Elk Creek Mine, Holy Cross Energy, and Vessels Carbon Solutions – turned a coal mine in Somerset, Colorado into a clean-energy production facility. It also documents how much electricity has been generated since the project began, how much harmful methane has been destroyed, and how much revenue the project generates annually.
“We recognize global warming as an existential threat to our business,” said Matt Jones, ASC’s Chief Financial Officer, who worked with representatives of Oxbow to make this project happen. “We can’t stand by and wait for others to solve this crisis. We’re trying to do what we can to make a difference.”
Cerro Catedral has opened its lifts: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.
Cerro Catedral has opened this ski season 2020. Only residents with season pass can ski. This is a pilot scheme for ten days. Catedral is the first resort opening in the region amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first resort in South America opening!
Ski map Catedral Alta Patagonia. Cerro Catedral has opened: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.
Cerro Catedral, in San Carlos de Bariloche has opened its ski season 2020 only for locals with a season pass. The first day in the mountain in the year (Thursday 23 July) was fresh and sunny, with a depth of 2 m of snow in the summit.
Depending on this trial, the resort will do a bigger opening of its terrain in August and September.
skiing in Cerro Catedral. Archive photo. Cerro Catedral has opened: skiing for locals with masks and record snow levels.
Gustavo Gennuso, major of Bariloche told Télam:
“On one hand, the resort has an important role for Bariloche on jobs. But there are also vital needs as the relationship of mountaineers with the mountain. Those are the ones pushing on opening the mountain to help this activity”.
The Must-Read Guide of Vail, Colorado- Where to Stay, how to ski the Mountain, Where to Eat and Drink.
Vail is one of the most renown ski resorts in the world. It was one of these resorts I always wanted to visit when I was young growing up in Argentina. Luck struck me and I was able to visit several times, and also worked for Vail Resorts long time ago now. International visitors always want to visit either Vail or Aspen. Those are the famous resorts they know. This made me then put together the Must-Read Guide to Vail to help you organise your trip to this grand resort!
This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
Vail’s 10th Mountain Division skier. Photo: Vicky Galarraga. @vickydevail. The Must-Read Guide to Vail, Colorado.
The History of Vail
Ute Indians used to settle within this territory in the summer. They used to travel to the most arid lands on the west during winter. The Utes used to call the Gore Range that overlooked the valley the “Shinning Mountains”.
Came WWII and the United States created a training center called Camp Hale. Here the 10th Mountain Division trained for alpine combat. They went on to fight on the Mountains of Northern Italy. When they came back, they were the force to develop the ski industry in the USA.
One veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, Peter Seibert, came back to Colorado. He joined the Aspen Ski Patrol and Ski School. Then he went on to become the manager of Loveland Basin Ski Area. At that moment, Seibert and Earl Eaton start looking on developing a new ski resort in the Rockies.
Eaton was local to Colorado and started skiing when young. By 1940, he was ski racing in Aspen while working for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Glenwood. In 1957, he and Seibert climbed Vail Mountain in winter and realised of its potential as a ski area.
Friends Skiing Groomed Terrain in Vail, CO.. Photo: Daniel Milchev. Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.
Vail Mountain Wooden Clock, painting by Martina Diez-Routh in soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper 80x60cm unframed, on sale framed in a wooden light rustic wood frame. Actually exhibiting at the QC Terme hotel in Courmayeur Mont Blanc. See it in my shop here.
Great news as Aspen and Snowmass are opening for the Summer Season. Aspen Mountain will open on June 12, while Snowmass will do so on June 21. Camp Snowmass will open on June 15.
A family hiking under the Silver Queen Gondola in Aspen. Photo: Aspen Skiing Company. Aspen Snowmass is opening for the Summer Season.
Aspen is in my heart as I was lucky enough to live there for a while. Beautiful town, lovely people and amazing views. There is lots going on to keep you busy! This summer new policies and operating guidelines will be in place to protect guests. And also protect employees.
This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
What will open in Aspen Snowmass for the summer
There will be opportunities of sightseeing, riding gondolas, hiking and mountain biking. Or you can ride the mountain coaster. You can choose to be as active or lazy as you want. By seating and staring at the mountains, you can forget about daily chores!
The Lost Forest mountain coaster. Aspen Snowmass is opening for the Summer Season.
On June 12, the Silver Queen gondola will start running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to go up Aspen Mountain. There you will have a chance to do some sightseeing, play disc golf or hike. You can take a nature program offered by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. Or ride up the cablecar to take your kids to play at the children’s play area. Going up and down the gondola is a great day out, at least for my kids!
Some food and beverage services will be available, all with strict social distancing. The operations on Aspen Mountain will run daily till September 7 and then on weekends till October 4.
Mt Baldy, first American Ski Resort to open after COVID19, a social experiment?
This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.
I do hope that it works! Mt Baldy has just reopened operations, only for experienced skiers and boarders that have their own equipment. This is not the time to learn how to ski or board, not use the tubing park!
Maximum of four people will be able to check in every 10 minutes and they have to pre-arrange their time to arrival. Only season passes and one day lift tickets will be able to come. Cars need to be parked with three parking slots between them in the parking lot, if not they will be towed. There will not be so many customer relations personnel on ground, but some will be directing the parking. If people arrive prior to their time slot, they’ll need to stay put in their car until their time is due.
A chair lift ride at Mt Baldy. Mt Baldy, first American Ski Resort to open after COVID19, a social experiment?
The cafeteria will not be open on the top of the mountain, but some refreshments will be available at the bottom of Lift 3, Thunder Mountain.
The lifts in Mt Baldy are doubles, so they are asking people to ride the chairlifts on their own, and only ride with someone else if is living with you. Toilets will only be available at the base area and on the top of the mountain and being cleaned more than regularly. The resort is asking people to try to do their necessities prior to coming to the mountain. For me not having a toilet would be a problem, but if there are forests around, that would suffice! (at least for number 1!)
Second fire at Chapelco Ski Resort within a couple of weeks.
The ski resort of Chapelco, in the Lake Region of the Argentine Patagonia, has suffered a second fire within a couple of weeks. The resort located just outside the village of San Martín de los Andes recorded a fire this morning, around 9.30 AM local time, in the equipment rental shop called Austria, located at the entrance of the resort.
Fire of the rental shop Austria in the base of Chapelco, in San Martin de los Andes. Second fire at Chapelco Ski Resort within a couple of weeks.
For unknown reasons, the flames consumed in minutes the whole rental shop, while the tourists where running away barefoot. Three groups of firemen went to put the fire out.
A big dense cloud of smoke can be seen from the city, located 5 km from the resort. The skiers and tourists have been posting all day photos and videos on social media.
The fire occurred in the parking lot where the rental shops for picking up and leaving ski and snowboard equipment are located, and the shop called Austria was completely burnt. The firemen where working to avoid the fire to spread out.
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