Job Discussion Forums

[davechile]

Hey everyone
How do you get around?
Do you all ski/snow board?
How close is the nearest slopes to Santiago?
Is it affordable for lift tickets?

Rental cars expensive?
Motorcycles do able?
cycling to work?? is it possible?
metro/bus?

I plan to do alot of private lessions. Is it customary for them to come to my apartment?

Thanks for taking the time to share with me.

Dave

[denise]

If you don't have a car, the nearest ski slopes are about a 90-minute or 2-hour ride with a shuttle service (skitotal.cl or skivan... don't know the website or phone number). It costs about $12 or $14 round-trip to any of the three closest ones--La Parva, El Colorado, and Valle Nevado (the best for snowboarders). Portillo is further away and thus more expensive.

I found lift tickets to be nearly as expensive as they were in Japan, the main difference being that in Japan I earned loads more money! If you want to go regularly, you may need to dip into your savings.

d

[eve-gold]

CYCLE. Within Providencia/Centro/Las Condes area the distances are manageable and you can just go on the pavement. Bike can be bought for 70lucas. San Diego con 10 de Julio is where all the bike shops are.

[-Stu-]

As Denise says the major resorts are two hours away, however you can also ski/snowboard at a resort in the Cajon de Maipu, called Lagunillas, which is nearer, and is Chile's only non-profit ski resort. Lift tickets are $CH8000 per day, however it's a pain to get to as none of the usual transport providers go up there. If there was enough interest, and I would guess 6-10 people would do it, I think Skivan would probably take you there. Send me a message if you're interested in this as I may have a few friends that might be up for "chartering" a van up to there, or hiring a car if there was only 4 or 5 of us.

Valle Nevado might have the best terrain, but I personally prefer El Colorado as it's a) not as high, so I tire less easily, b) it's quieter, and c) it's cheaper. If you have a Banco Santander account, or a pal that does, you get 10% off of your lift ticket. Transport to Colorado is CH$7000 - CH$8000 return, it's usually $1000 more for Valle Nevado.

Ski season starts in mid-June so drop me a line if you're interested in a trip up into the hills, I try and get up there at least once a week during the season.

PS. Hey Denise how was the rest of your Peruvian Vacation? It was nice to meet-up with you there in the sand dunes.

[denise]

The rest of the trip was awesome! We passed through Ayacucho on the way to Cusco/Machu Picchu, and then back to work... And you? You had quite a long vacation, from what I remember.

I'll be down there for a couple of weeks of snowboarding in early July. The heat up here is killing me!

d

[-Stu-]