Adam Clark and photographic bounty from the best summer ski trip ever.
September 15, 2009, 12:51 PM
By: Tim Mutrie
Adam Clark
The Andes are huge and most resorts, including Portillo, only go up partway. This is the Plataue lift, which accesses some fun terrain and is right next to the hotel.
Photographer Adam Clark caught some rather sick conditions in Chile in late August. Take, for example, exhibits A through D, with abstract by A. Clark:
Some things are just supposed to happen and a last minute trip turns into one of the best summer ski trips of my life. I know, people always say "best day of my life" or "best trip of my life," and maybe because it's just the easiest to remember. Or maybe it really was. Whatever the case, this one was epic. Something about just going with the flow, but, of course, seven feet of snow sure helps.
I arrived to Portillo during Chris Davenport's Ski with the Superstars camp. Dav, Wendy Fisher, Chris Anthony, Ingrid Backstrom and Mike Douglas were all there ripping it up with a bunch of great clients. What better group of people to run into in South America?
Adam Clark
This is Ingrid dropping into a sweet line heli-skiing by Valle Nevado. Even though it was 12 degrees Celcius at the bottom, there was still deep, dry powder to be found—and since you're in South America the powder is found on the south-facing slopes.
After nine days of fantasy skiing in Portillo, Ingrid and I made the trek to La Parva, Chile, to hook up with our friend Greg Harms, who is one the guides for Valle Nevado heli skiing. We discovered the the heli-skiing has some of the craziest and best terrain we have seen in South America. Big ramps, huge couloirs, tons of pow and all surrounded by 20,000-foot volcanoes and middle earth-looking rock walls. It was sunny and warm with soft snow at the resort and powder in the high elevations. With safe conditions we were lucky enough to ski anything that looked good.
Sidenotes—
• On our last day in Portillo we attempted to hike the Super C couloir; there was seven of us putting in a boot-pack that was at times three-and-a-half feet deep. It was taking a loooooong time and by the time we got close to the top you have to cross over into a different couloir. And at that point wet slides were coming down, so we had to turn around; which actually wasn't all that bad since we got to ski a bunch of cold powdery ramps.
• The helicopter pilots for Valle Nevado have oxygen hooked up to their helmets because you usually drop above 14,000 feet and will sometimes get dropped above 15,000. Deep breath. —Adam Clark
Adam Clark
Chris Davenport on our last day in Portillo... not a bad way to finish the trip.
Adam Clark
Ingrid ripping a classic Portillo line. This is accessed by a crazy T-bar that holds five people at a time. Once on top you can traverse to tons of fun terrain or hike for 15-20 minutes to tons more terrain like this.
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Contributors
John Symms
My friend is a pro. In fact, many of my friends are pros. How else do you think I got this job?
Tim Mutrie
Journalist and blog-a-neer, big mtn. correspondent Tim has a desk-sized condo in a little place called Aspen.
Seth Morrison
If you don't know who Seth is, just click out of this blog and walk away. (Seth is a big mtn. legend, you see.)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
Sage went from washing dishes professionally to freeskiing professionally — aka "professional growth."
Ingrid Backstrom
World traveler, prolific ripper, reader and smiler, Ingrid lives in a cabin at the base of Squaw Valley.
Nate Abbott
Driven by coffee, powder, music, laughing, books & possibilities, photographer Nate is a lurker with Leica.
Liam Downey
Vermonster, Level 1 vet and large animal veterinarian, Liam's 6'5" frame makes him a large animal himself.
