Sarah Elliot - Provincial J1 Dev. 2007/11/29

On October 7th I arrived home from an amazing training camp in Portillo, Chile. A famous ski resort in the Andes Mountains, Portillo is famous for its ideal ski conditions and “Hotel Portillo,” a 4 star hotel. There was a group of about 20 people from the J1 BC Development Team and the BC Mens and Womens teams. We arrived tired and smelly after the 11 hour flight to Santiago and a 2 hour bus ride with 31 switch backs. Our accommodations were not in the hotel, but in a small octagon shaped building appropriately named “The Octagon.” We didn’t mind at all because the U.S. Mens National Team was staying one floor up from us. But the Mens National team wasn’t the best thing about Portillo- the skiing was. The first day not all of our skis had arrived yet. The few of us who had skis or borrowed them got to ski and we couldn’t believe the conditions. It was blue sky, velvet snow, and sunshine. There was also the exhilarating experience of that first ride on the “Roca Jack,” a five person pama/T-bar that travels to the top of the downhill at about three times the speed of a regular T-bar. The training was excellent. The first day was GS, then two days of Super G, followed by a great day of Slalom with the BC Womens team, one more day of GS, and then Downhill. I ran downhill for the first time and I loved it. The Super G and Downhill track had lots of rolling terrain. I had some exposure to jumps, which I found challenging but really fun at the same time. Unfortunately, my last run in the Downhill I crashed, bruised my shins and pulled my right calf. I couldn’t ski for 3 days but got caught up on homework and iced lots. I had company though because a few other athletes also had injuries. I was pretty disappointed and wanted to ski, but I didn’t want to cause more injury. Finally on my last day in Chile I was able to free ski. Skiing aside, there was always a lot to do. We could go swimming in the outdoor pool, play ping- pong, or go to tea time in the dining hall. That was my other favourite thing about Portillo; the food. Lunch and dinner were 4 course meals served by charming Chilean waiters. Overall, Portillo was an unforgettable experience for my teamates and me, thanks to BC Alpine and all the coaches. I hope this was the first of many trips to Portillo, Chile.