Chile September 2010; Taking Some for the Team

[upcruiser]

Just returned last week from 3 weeks in Chile for a work trip and while it definately wasn't of the "overland" variety of trip it was a blast and I took alot of photos. We were there to train for 2 weeks in Portillo then finished up with our last week in Valle Nevado, a resort nestled up in the mountains above Santiago. Many people envisions Chile as being some sort of 3rd world country without many modern amenities which couldn't be further from the truth. This was my 7th time travelling to Chile and probably the most posh accomodations I have had there yet. Definately good living. The snow was very scarce this year, one of the worst snow years they have had on record but we still managed to get everything done we were hoping for. Here is my photo record of those three weeks, warning, lots of pictures!

Lets hear it for a little bit of corduroy!

Hotel Portillo

Looking down on the Argentina, Chile border

I spent a good week running snowmobiles to shuttle the athletes up the mountain due to the lack of snow.

Snowmobile shuttling, Lindsey Vonn and Stacey Cook getting towed in the back.

Weather moving up the valley towards our downhill track.

sunset in Portillo

They weren't hard on the eyes at all....

Not exactly roughing it

Sun breaking over the Andes

 

[upcruiser]

Chilean military Mog

Chilean military Defender

Julia and Alice goofing around. We had a dual race where everyone was asigned an animal name, Julia was T Rex and Alice the elk.

Lindsey giving feedback on the downhill course at the bottom.

Julia versus Julia, Ford versus Mancuso in the dual giant slalom start. Good action our last day in Portillo

Raska, the hotel dog, I swear I never saw it awake.

Morning lineup of skis, these are Julia Mancuso's downhill skis.

These just never got old!

Mancuso versus Smith

My favorite skis.... too bad we didn't get any pow..

 

[upcruiser]

Valle Nevado

Four Square cross training

Kiley in the start, Sarah on deck

Our hotel in Valle Nevado, schwanky accomodations at 10,000 feet. The road up from Santiago is always interesting, something like 55 switchbacks on a sketchy narrow road.

Lindsey launching out of the start.

More colorful sunsets

Sarah Schleper out of the start

Schlep shralping some giant slalom

Kiley out of the starting gate.

 

[upcruiser]

Lindsey on the last day running the dual slalom

Sarah versus Hailey

Lindsey versus Laurenne

Chelsea and Alice

Hailey leaving the start gate

Just part of the gear we have to travel with, logistically challenging big time.

Schlep rocking war paint

Heading home.....

 

[Ash]

Love your reports. What a neat 'job' you have

 

[upcruiser]

Love your reports. What a neat 'job' you have

Thanks! And thanks for putting job in quotes. haha Actually, I only take pictures of the fun stuff, I don't really show the grueling, late nights in the ski room or all of the other stuff that doesn't photo so well. I have decided to start documenting all of my trips, as I haven't in the past and find myself forgetting so much of the stuff I have been fortunate to experience. These are like digital photo albums for me and help me keep record of stuff. Getting to share it is an added plus.

 

[Mr. Leary]

:drool:

That is all.

 

[suntinez]

Gonna keep torturing me with photos huh? :wings:

These are awesome. You're gonna be dangerous once you get a camera! :ylsmoke:

 

[taco2go]

:Wow1: certifiably enviable.

Those mountain vistas and sunsets are unreal. Thanks for sharing your travels both near and far with us, Kristian. keep them coming.

 

[DexGtr]

damn ...and i'm here stuck in my cubicle....nice pics man!

 

[smslavin]

Thanks for those. Made my morning. I'd love to have your "job" too.

I only take pictures of the fun stuff, I don't really show the grueling, late nights in the ski room or all of the other stuff that doesn't photo so well.

From my viewpoint, I'd love to see all the other "stuff". You'd probably be surprised at how well it would come out. It'd really finish off the documentary aspects to the trip.

 

[Haggis]

Keep posting photos of your trips, Kristian. They are always a pleasure to browse through and make me ponder wandering in parts of the world that I never really considered before.

 

[upcruiser]

Gonna keep torturing me with photos huh? :wings:

These are awesome. You're gonna be dangerous once you get a camera! :ylsmoke:

Camera? Me? Never! haha

 

[upcruiser]

Thanks for those. Made my morning. I'd love to have your "job" too.



From my viewpoint, I'd love to see all the other "stuff". You'd probably be surprised at how well it would come out. It'd really finish off the documentary aspects to the trip.

Thanks, and point taken. I guess I have this fixation with the pretty and fun stuff. I like the idea of getting the dirt and grit too. Let's see what I can do. I am leaving tomorrow AM for Switzerland so will have a chance again to take some shots.

 

[upcruiser]

Keep posting photos of your trips, Kristian. They are always a pleasure to browse through and make me ponder wandering in parts of the world that I never really considered before.

Thanks Mark, Chile is a wonderful country. I have had the opportunity to travel the northern end of the country a bit and would love to get over there in their summer sometime to explore the southern end a bit. It is a very dramatic landscape and always stunning.