Courses - International

Depart Friday Aug 9 and arrive home Sunday Aug 18, 2024 (Ski Saturday-Saturday)

OUR 30th YEAR IN PORTILLO 

Price: $6995 Octagon (4-person room) / $8995 Double / $11,795 Single

Includes: Santiago airport shuttle roundtrip, 7 nights lodging, 4 meals/day, lift tickets & 6 days instruction in groups of 6 or fewer, tech talks, video

Portillo is South America’s premiere ski resort, famous for its majestic setting and deep snow. Once you go, you’ll never want to leave.  There is a reason we keep going back to this friendly, exclusive and exhilarating resort.  Ski down to the glacier-blue Inca Lake or traverse into huge bowls amidst 15,000ft Andean peaks. With 14 lifts, 23 runs and all the snow of a maritime range, Portillo is home to big mountain extremists, world-class racers and everyday carvers; but amidst the social atmosphere of the living room and the late night disco, everyone is equal.

This is one of our favorite courses as Portillo is unlike any other resort in the world. Its majestic Andean setting is weaved amongst Incan folklore and the ultimate in skiing culture and history.  The incredible setting and atmosphere of Portillo will lift your soul and capture your heart.  Portillo offers its guests world class skiing, dining and lodging.  Gastronomy and hospitality are held to the highest standards and the terrain is legendary.  Portillo has its own gymnasium, fitness gym, swimming pool, spa, movie theatre and nightclub.  You don’t have to leave this Andean paradise for anything; Portillo has it all, in fact you may never want to leave.  At Portillo, you become part of the family.  You will encounter great camaraderie during your stay and can expect to make lifelong friends as you live, laugh and ski side by side in this Andean treasure.

The NASTC ski training camp addresses the three major components to successful skiing performance: technique, fitness, and equipment.  By addressing all 3 components in a full immersion multi-day ski training program you will make substantial improvements to your skiing.  The NASTC staff is comprised of the top ski instructors in the United States, members of the PSIA National Alpine Team and the teachers of teachers. Your skiing will improve in a safe, fun, and highly professional way under their watchful eyes.  You will ski in small groups with the same instructor all day, all week.  Backcountry tour options exist, as does group helicopter skiing.  This is the ultimate ski vacation: a superb mountain, fun-loving people, delicious food, fine wine and a beautiful hotel.  You are sure to improve, make new friends, and enjoy yourself. Portillo is everyone’s paradise!

Below is a general itinerary for our trip.  This schedule may change slightly based on the group, the weather, etc.  We will send you an updated itinerary prior to departure.  Additionally you will find below suggested equipment and clothing lists. You do not need a visa with an American passport, but you must have a valid passport to travel to Chile – your passport cannot expire within 6 months after your trip. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us anytime.

ITINERARY

Friday– Depart from the US (we are able to get relatively inexpensive tickets, let us know if you would like us to book your airfare for you), connections are usually out of Dallas, Atlanta and Miami.

Saturday – Arrive Santiago approx. 7:30am-8:00am, clear immigration and customs, van departure for Portillo approx. 8:45am.  Arrive at Portillo 11:00am-12:00pm, have lunch (optional), pick up lift passes & ski in the afternoon. (this is an easy afternoon as we know you’ll be a bit tired!)

Ski Portillo all day every day.  Lodging and meals at the beautiful Hotel Portillo, “Las Onces” Chilean afternoon tea hour, afternoon clinics, video reviews and enjoying the hotel activities and amenities:  Gym, ping pong, aerobics, swimming pool, sauna, massage, bar & disco at the hotel

Sunday– Orientation to the mountain/Warm into skiing.  Basic skills: stance and balance, drills & exercises.  Fundamentals of good skiing.  Baseline Video & video review. Pisco Sour welcome reception

Monday – Explore the mountain, skill development.  Anatomy of the turn, components of adv. skiing, video.  Individual feedback.  Evening Tech Talk & Video Review

Tuesday– Situational skiing (bumps, crud, steeps, powder, etc.)  Focus on short turn topics: rotary, edge, pressure as they apply to the short turn.  Exploring the mountain for challenging conditions.  Individual feedback

Wednesday– Free ski day on your own, helicopter skiing or backcountry option (book early).

Thursday – Exploring the off-piste: Tactical skiing in the bumps/steeps/crud, drills and exercises for developing off-piste tactics.  Video in the off-piste.  Personal coaching feedback on free skiing.  Video review.

Friday– Consolidating your improvement:  Feedback on and off-piste and personal drills to use.  Free skiing/personal coaching. Wrap-up

Saturday – 1/2 day skiing: group’s choice for topic/free-ski option.  Depart Portillo for Airport after skiing & lunch.  Flights usually depart Santiago airport between 8:30-10:00pm.

Sunday– Arrive back in the U.S

*Helicopter skiing is available on Wed (not incl).

SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE:
7:00 Optional stretching & warm-up
8:00  Delicious breakfast of fruits, cheese, croissants, rolls, eggs, cereal at our table in the dining room
9:00  On the hill for ski training: exercises and drills to bring your skiing up to the next level
12:30 4-course lunch at our table in the dining room (lighter than it sounds!)
1:45 Back on the hill, shoot video of your skiing, explore the terrain, one-on-one coaching
4:00 Wrap up the day’s lessons; head in to change for tea and indoor session
4:30 Video Critique or Tech Talk in the theatre (bigger than life-size)
5:00 “Onces” Tea/Coffee with pastries and rolls at our table in the dining room (Yum!)
7:00 Apres ski & down-time: ping-pong tournament, work out in gym, get a massage, play chess, nap, hang out in bar, swim/hot tub
8:30pm Dinner at our table in the dining room
10:00pm Bedtime or hit the bar for some live music and fun.  The disco gets going at about midnight!

EQUIPMENT/CLOTHES/ITEMS LIST
You should pack as you would for an 8-day lodge-based ski trip. Please be prepared for inclement weather and sunny warm days.  Chile’s August is usually equivalent to Tahoe’s February.  Winter in Santiago can be quite chilly with some occasional rain showers.

Alpine skis, boots, and poles
Helmet
thermals top and bottoms
midlayers
Fleece or thin down layer
ski pants
Ski jacket
1 pair spring and 2 pairs winter gloves
Warm wool beanie, baseball cap,
ski socks
Jeans, slacks, shirts, sweaters for après-ski, comfortable lodge shoes, “mountain dress up” evening attire for dinner (coat and tie NOT necessary) (dining room is casual for all meals except dinner)
Swimming suit (heated outdoor swimming pool at hotel), gym clothes & shoes (full gym, basketball court, indoor soccer)
Sunglasses and goggles
Toiletries, masks, sunscreen, and chapstick, moleskin, Band-Aids, altimeter watch (optional)

LODGING:

Our basic price includes lodging in the Octagon Lodge; this is a smaller lodge just steps away from Hotel Portillo. Each room offers four spacious bunks and a private bathroom. These are great deals for families and groups of friends. Guests in the Octagon Lodge enjoy all of the hotel’s services including meals in the main dining room. The Octagon works well for singles; it is very nice but basic and has private bath and daily maid service. Many of our guests upgrade to a single or double in the Hotel Portillo building itself, which puts you in the hotel with an amazing view and a lovely room, and the ability to walk in slippers to stretching or breakfast!  Please contact our office to upgrade (and get pricing).

**Cancellation Policy: If you have to cancel for any reason (including medical), we require written notice in our office 60 days in advance of the first day of the course.  With 60 days or more notice we can refund your payment minus a 10% cancellation fee.  Once we are within 60 days of the first day of the course, we unfortunately cannot refund any portion of your payment even in the event of sudden illness or injury to you or your family.  We recommend that you buy trip cancellation insurance (available through your travel or insurance agency) in case you get sick or injured (please stay healthy!) before or during the trip, and baggage insurance (check your Homeowner’s policy or consult your travel or insurance agency) for your ski gear and clothes.