EPSC Chile Trip: August 6-22, 2026
Most of our group of 45 adventurous souls arrived in Santiago on Friday the 7th and amazingly, there were only a few whose flights didn’t arrive when expected. Santiago has a beautiful modern airport. We got through the formalities and to the buses easily and departed directly to Valle Nevado Ski Resort, about a 2 hour drive.
Everyone wanted “provisions”, so a stop at a major grocery store had been arranged & we all loaded up. They had an excellent selection of Chilean wines and other “beverages” that we availed ourselves of.
We were fortunate that the access road was clear, as the week before the Santiago region had experienced a major El Nino storm that caused major flooding in the lower elevations, dumping 11 feet of snow at the ski resort. It also closed the access road to the Portillo Ski Resort, that affected us later on.
The check-in process was a bit chaotic, but efficient and we all settled in. We stayed at the Hotel Puerto del Sol, one of the three main places to stay in VN.
Skiing began on Saturday and conditions could not have been better, Sunday as well. Bluebird sky, little wind, great snow. Then another system arrived bringing gale force winds at the top, and flat light. 100% of Valle Nevado is above tree line, significantly, and there are no trees or other vegetation for orientation in flat light conditions. Only lift infrastructure. And rocks.
The next few days of skiing were challenging, and several small groups got stranded on the adjacent ski area La Parva side, as high winds had closed the access lifts back to VN. The situation resolved by end of day and all returned without further incident.
Valle Nevado is one of the three ski areas making up the Tres Valles, along with La Parva and El Colorado. The resort itself is unlike what most were familiar with skiing in North America and Europe. There are no nearby ski towns or villages. It has been described as a cruise ship sitting on a mountain, which pretty well describes it.
There were three main restaurants (all excellent) and a buffet that we rotated through each night. Some visited the disco at the adjacent Hotel Tres Puntas, those that still had some life left in their legs after skiing all day. And many took advantage of the heated outdoor pool and spa facilities.
SANTIAGO
On Friday 14th we checked out and bused it back to Santiago, staying at the beautiful boutique Hotel Bidasoa in the Vitacura district. Saturday, we had one of the optional guided tours to numerous attractions in the city. While it rained on & off most of the day, it didn’t dampen our spirits.
The last stop was the Pueblito los Dominicas artisanal market, where local craftsmen and artists have little shops set in an adobe village. Lapis Lazuli jewelry (Chile is the worlds second largest producer of the semi precious stone), hand made leather items, pottery and much more were offered. Several of us stayed on after the bus departed, for lunch at a highly recommended local place, specialty being Pastel del Choclo. Shepards Pie is the closet analogy, only made with seasoned ground beef, chicken, olives, raisins and layers of coarse corn and corn meal (Cholco is a Quechuan word for corn). A totally local dish and totally amazing. We left wanting more.
Others visited local museums, the Recoleta Cemetery and shopping venues. Santiago is a very modern city with excellent transportation options, including a Metro and Uber, which many of us used to get around.
The optional trip to the Portillo Ski Resort on Sunday had to be cancelled, due to the access road still being closed after several weeks. It is one of the main transportation routes between Chile and Argentina, and with over 1000 trucks stranded at the border, our chances of reaching Portillo were slim. The upside was everyone on that tour had an extra day to explore Santiago.
On Monday, a large group spent the day in the Maipo Valley visiting three wineries. This was one of the optional tours, the rest of us had another day in Santiago.
Tuesday, we departed for the next destinations; Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, stopping on the way for a winery tour and lunch with wine pairings. We stayed at the Sheraton in Vina del Mar, located on a local beach and a popular summer destination for Chileanos. There were sunsets over the Pacific and the lights of Valparaiso covering the hills in the distance at night were stunning. As there was no set itinerary, other than a tour of Valpariaso or a visit to the National Maritime Museum, people were free to do as they pleased or just relax, a welcome break at an incredibly beautiful place.
And finally, on Friday, we had a mercifully late departure from the Sheraton back to the airport, stopping at yet another lovely winery in the Casablanca Valley for a tour and tasting.
This trip was a year and a half in planning and was the first time for almost all participants to visit Chile, or South America for that matter. It was obvious from the beginning that no one was disappointed. Maxine of Alpine Adventures, our travel agent, did a fantastic job organizing and handling the expected glitches that inevitably occur. I want to thank Max and her local guides, Alvin and Gary, for all the extra work they put into making this a most memorable experience.