Escape The Heat Wave And Go Skiing In Chile's Andes Mountains
The Valle Nevado resort, comprised of several buildings, has 3 hotels, 6 restaurants, 12 shops, 4 bars and a spa.
The ride to get to Valle Nevado is breathtaking, but with about 50 switchbacks it can also be nauseating. If you don't have a strong stomach, take Dramamine before embarking on the hour-long journey from Santiago.
On my first morning at the resort, I stepped out onto my balcony and awoke to a spectacular sunrise at around 7am.
The common deck area was quiet as people were waking up and getting ready for the ski day.
After a hearty breakfast at the resort's buffet, I donned my ski gear and hit the slopes.
Here's a panoramic view of the Valle Nevado resort complex, from the ski slopes.
Because it's high above the tree line, nearly every inch of these mountains is skiable—and people do ski over all 2,500 acres.
There are 14 chairlifts at Valle Nevado, including a high-speed quad that takes approximately 10 minutes to get to the top. The resort is also installing a new gondola for the 2013 ski season.
The view from the chairlift is incredible: endless powder-covered mountains just begging to be skied.
And more spectacular mountain views. If you want to ski these, you may need to take a helicopter. (The resort arranges heli-skiing.)
Remarkably, the resort never gets that crowded and the lines for chairlifts never seem to get too long.
Après-ski. At the end of the day, everyone heads to the outdoor deck to drink Chile's signature beverage: pisco sour.
Or they squeeze into the 25-person hot tub—lovingly nicknamed "the man stew"—with drinks in hand.
There are weekly wine tastings on Thursdays and torchlight parades on Saturdays. There was a wine tasting event with vendors showcasing local Chilean wines and food when I visited.
There was a live band playing too.
As the sun began to set, the trails, etched with lines from skiers and snowboarders, glistened in the harsh light.
It was incredible to watch the setting sun's rays slowy illuminate the craggy mountains.
Watch the shadows play over the mountains—a truly spectacular sight.
As the sun set behind the mountains, it gave off a gorgeous golden hue.
At night, people huddle around the central fire pit for warmth before heading to one of the resort's bars.
Here's another place you can escape the heat wave.
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