Thank you to our Jumpstart Group this week! Our 23rd annual early season camp! (YES we’ve been around a LONG time!) Coaches Richie Jameson and Tom Murphy led 8 students to better early season skiing on GREAT conditions at Squaw Valley Dec 9-10, 2018. Thank you to alum student and welcome new ones to the NASTC Family!
Rock Climbing Season Has Begun!
Learning how to rock climb is easy and rewarding with NASTC’s certified guides. NASTC offers private rock climbing lessons and guiding on Donner Summit in Truckee. Donner Summit has world class granite that is ideal for climbing and you will get big views of the Tahoe Basin with each climb. Rock climbing is a great way to get away from the crowds on busy weekends and find some relaxation in the outdoors with friends and family. Call NASTC, 530-582-4772 to book a guide, two-hour, half-day (4hrs) and full-day (7hrs) time slots are available.
Rock Climbing Guiding & Lesson Rates
Corralco – Chile’s Hidden Gem
Just before the Chilean landscape starts to break apart and about a 90 min drive from the main city of Temuco is the Malcahuello Natural Reserve. Within the reserve is the statuesque Lonquimay volcano, on it’s flanks is one of Chile’s best kept skiing secrets – Corralco.
The ski area is just over 1200 acres and does not include the backcountry skiing options. The runs in Corralco are steep with technical pitches coming off the top of the volcano. It has some of the best snow quality in South America and it’s newly renovated hotel is a bastion of tranquility full of natural light and wood. Explore a new side of Chile this summer August 22-29.
Books to Read this Summer
If you can’t chase the snow to the southern hemisphere, there are ways to satisfy the need to slide on snow. Here are some good reads to fuel your skiing daydreams. For those that are really snow/ski starved the only solution is to come to Chile with us.
Right on the Edge of Crazy – on tour with the U.S Downhill Ski Team by Mike Wilson
Ski the 14ers by Chris Davenport
Free Skiing – how to adapt to the mountain by Jimmy Oden
Total Skiing by Chris Fellows
Portillo – the spirit of the Andes by Henry Purcell
Start Haus Bike Demo Day
The Start Haus in Truckee is also a full service bike shop. It carries new and used bikes as well as a service and repair shop. June 6th is a Bike Demo day that includes a stunt show, free demo rides and discounts on bike sales. Come check it out! Don’t forget to join in on the FREE community bike rides every Thursday at 5:00pm. Meeting place is the Center for Health and Sports Performance parking lot.
Private Ski Guiding (from $95-$495 full or half/private or group/customized/all levels):
Design your own day! Our private ski guiding day allows you to design exactly the day you want or your group wants! Want to ski new lines all day? Or gain lots more education about backcountry skiing safety. The backcountry skiing is great this year! Your day can be based at the resort, and we’ll tour into the sidecountry, returning to the chairlifts after skiing long, untracked lines. Or your day can be 100% in the backcountry and we’ll tour up peaks like Castle, Donner, Anderson, or Judah Peaks on Donner Summit. This is a great way to get powder turns in well after the mountain is “skied out,” and to find new terrain if you feel you’ve skied everything at your home resort.
During a side country or backcountry adventure with NASTC you can improve your turns also while out there. Your NASTC guide is not only a certified guide, but a ski instructor/coach who can give you pointers on your skiing technique as well if you like!
Rent your AT skis/skins/boots at Granite Chief, Tahoe Mountain Sports, The Backcountry, or Sports Hub in Truckee. We recommend you call ahead & make a reso.
Beacon, shovel and probe rental from us for $25/full or half day/person
(or each item for $10/full or half day/person)
You’ll meet your guide either at the NASTC office (10710 Donner Pass Rd), or at the designated trailhead.
Prices range based on group size. Five person maximum per guide.
FULL DAY (9am-3pm) HALF DAY (9am-1pm)
1 person-$495 $295
2 pp- $295 per person $195 pp
3 pp- $235 pp $155 pp
4 pp- $199 pp $135 pp
5pp- $175 pp $115 pp
Email for details and bookings: [email protected] or 530-386-2102
NEW this year! The most exciting thing to hit Tahoe: Snowat skiing at Homewood! This is an on-going, book-when-you’re-ready NASTC offering. Bring your group, or call us and we’ll add you to one! Homewood Snowcat Adventures will debut this winter on 750+ acres of backcountry terrain on the flanks of Ellis Peak! Our guides are ready to take you out to enjoy it and improve with guided instruction! Once transported to the peak, groups of up to 10 skiers and riders will enjoy access to a wide variety of terrain options – from perfectly-spaced tree runs to steeps, powder bowls and intermediate-level glades – all leading guests back to the in-bounds terrain at the resort. Participants will enjoy laps of up to 1,828 vertical feet from the top of Ellis Peak – where panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and the Desolation Wilderness await – to the bottom of the Old Homewood Express chairlift.
Dates and Pricing: call the NASTC office 530-582-4772 or [email protected]
The word “portillo” means “opening or road between two heights” – an apt descriptor for both the Chilean ski resort as well as the transformations that occur on its slopes every summer. The highs and lows, laughs and cries of this annual trip set a standard for personal exploration unlike any other ski experience. To truly immerse yourself in the adventure, start by clearing away any preconceived notions you might have of what a ski vacation entails. Full-immersion summer training in Portillo will redefine your expectations.
Portillo is located approximately 100 miles and at least 37 switchbacks from the Chilean capitol of Santiago. Approaching the grand yellow Hotel Portillo feels a little like seeing land after a long time at sea. You can smell its essence and feel its terra madre. The soul of Portillo greets you upon arrival, transporting you into a trancelike state, a combination of the warmth of the hotel and the immensity of the outlying environment.
Get off the shuttle and just try not to gawk at the infinite skiing possibilities. With more than 2,500 vertical feet and 1,300 skiable acres serviced by 14 lifts, the Chilean Andes resort offers steep groomers, couloirs, deep powder runs, and trails that look like expansive tongues lapping up the sides of the rocky summits. Adding to the locale’s formidable physical strengths is the logistical icing on the cake: Portillo limits the number of guests to 450 to avoid the long lift lines and crowded restaurants that are the hallmarks of many U.S. resorts.
The summer training ground for many national ski teams, Portillo comprises two sides of a huge valley where the slopes fall steeply from the summits to the more moderate terrain surrounding the shores of glacial blue Lake Inca. The higher reaches of Portillo skiing are serviced by five-person Poma lifts that rocket you 1,500 vertical feet in seconds. (A hair-raising tortuga/ turtle ride on your back can result if you’re unprepared for the abrupt stop at the top.)
The steep runs available off the Roca, Condor, Vizcacha, and Cara Cara lifts will challenge even the most advanced skiers. The Juncalillo and Plateau lifts can satisfy any level but are known for excellent cruising and carving possibilities. And for those who like to take their boards out of bounds, there are ample options as well. Traverse out into “El Estadio” (The Stadium) after a short climb from the Roca Jack, and ski huge bowls or dramatic chutes before carving it back into the ski area boundaries.
The days in Chile can blend into a weeklong continuum of exhilarating alpine ski descents, lazy lunches at slopeside restaurant Tio Bob’s, sweaty hikes to untracked powder in the Laguna runs, wine drinking and interesting conversation in the main living room, lounging by the pool, fine dinners in the dining room, and rowdy, highly entertaining hours in the bar and disco.
This summer, why not forego the usual vacation for an experience that will push your personal limits and challenge what you know about ski adventures? Arrange a trip to Portillo through Lake Tahoe, California-based North American Ski Training Center (NASTC). By pairing small groups with experienced coaches and guides who have received extensive custom training, NASTC strives to fill each participant’s cup with knowledge, passion, and adventure – and to develop a supportive environment that’s void of distractions such as self-criticism and unrealistic expectations. During the Portillo experience, participants must open themselves up to the idea that extraordinary feelings don’t have to be infrequent. In Portillo, they’re virtually inescapable, and the magic resonates with young, old, and everyone in-between.
Next NASTC Chilean Adventure August 15-24, 2014
The North American Ski Training Center (NASTC) will run its 19th annual All Conditions/All Terrain Adventure Skiing Week August 15-24, 2014, in Portillo, Chile. Perhaps it’s because skiing in August is the perfect opportunity to refine your skills for the approaching season, or the fact that the resort has taken care of everything you need for a seamless ski vacation, or maybe it’s the instantaneous bonds that form among our coaches and students … whatever the reason, the August trip is one of our most popular.
At Portillo, you’ll enjoy the finest food and famous Chilean wines, skiing right out your door, the spectacular Andes, world-class personalized instruction, and vacation amenities that include massage, pools, yoga, and movies. The NASTC goal is to guide you to some epic big mountain skiing (whether you are intermediate or expert) and advance your skills by a full level.
Life is simple at Portillo. When you are on a NASTC ski training vacation at Portillo, you need only think about your skiing, sleeping, and eating. Sure, you can think about a lot more – meeting new friends, partying at the bar and disco, working out alongside the Austrian and U.S. ski teams, unwinding with yoga, stretching, or massage, watching a movie, or practicing your Spanish – but the beauty of Portillo is how it embraces the simple life. You eat at the same table with the same waiters four times a day; your room is 30 seconds from the slopes, the dining room, and other hotel amenities; and the warm Latin culture lures you into a relaxed state of mind.
Portillo – the perfect “Ski Training Center” in the NASTC name. At the Portillo facility, we have access to the movie theater for video screening. (Don’t worry, only your supportive NASTC friends will be watching as we gently critique your slope-style.) And the optional morning routine is hassle-free: rise, walk 30 seconds to NASTC’s trainer-led morning stretch, upstairs to a healthy breakfast, and then don your ski clothes and head out to the slopes. Quick, easy, and the ultimate in convenience. You’ll enjoy the opportunity to ski in small groups, benefit from coaching by the best instructors in the world, and talk about your ski day over delicious lunches.
Summer skiing ties your seasons together. Feel like you never left your boards (or your newfound skills) when you jump back on the snow in December. A full week of honing your skills under the watchful eyes of top NASTC trainers will work wonders for your skiing and confidence level. One memorable NASTC week will give you insight into and solutions for your equipment issues, too, and leave you with a solid action plan for continued improvement during the upcoming season. For an eye- and mind-opening Chilean experience, bring your lofty goals and insatiable appetite for fun.
Getting to Chile
Getting to Chile is a painless, overnight flight and at most a three-hour time change. Travel times from the following U.S. cities to Santiago average:
Dallas (9 hrs)
Los Angeles (10 hrs)
Miami (8 hrs)
New York (10 hrs)
San Francisco (12 hrs)
If you live on the East Coast, the time change is nil: Chile is in the same time zone as New York City. For those coming from the West, the biggest adjustment you’re looking at is a three-hour time change – negligible when you compare it to the eight-hour hit you take traveling to Europe, which can require a couple of days just to get over the jet lag. When heading to Portillo, you land in the morning, shuttle up to the mountains in three short hours, enjoy lunch and a nap, and hit the mountain for some skiing.
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Skiing in the Southern Alps is a different experience than the typical charming alpine villages that comes to mind when one thinks of skiing in Europe. We will be skiing in the areas of Serre Chevalier, Alpes d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes and La Grave. Skiing past blue glacier ice, winding your way on skis back to the village, having a top quality trainer to coach you and help you through the challenging areas, then finishing off the day sitting by the fire with drinks in hand re-counting the day’s adventures is an experience that will mark your skiing memories forever.
We will spend the week, exploring these different ski areas, working on the technical skills for off-piste skiing as well as tactics for negotiating various types of terrain and snow conditions. The week will also include off-piste skiing excursions on glacier terrain where you will be coached and guided by seasoned professionals.
What awaits you is big adventure, big fun and a unique venue that will stand out amongst all your other skiing experiences, because there really is nothing like having a fun, adventure filled day and watching the sun set on one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world.
Includes: double occupancy lodging (single upgrades available), breakfast & dinner daily, lift tickets, coaching & guide
The North American Ski Training Center (NASTC) based here in Truckee, CA runs a weeklong adult ski training camp in Portillo,Chile. NASTC brings the top ranked instructors from the U.S to coach the weeklong ski program. The camp focuses on freeskiing skills and breaks down your technique to help you build a stronger skillset and overcome the proverbial plateau. The camp’s theme is to improve one’s comfort on all types of conditions and terrain. Groups are small and intimate which means lots of 1:1 coaching time with your trainer. Portillo offers an endless supply of terrain including the ideal ski in/out setting. Not to mention Portillo has a lot of inspiring history to draw from and its guests include businessmen from Brazil, music producers from New York, snow enthusiasts from Europe and North America and of course the U.S and Austrian ski teams. For many reasons Portillo is the ideal training ground, its isolation way up in the Andes offers breathtaking views and almost bottomless powder, due to its expansive off-piste terrain, it’s hard not to get some fresh tracks after a storm.
This is most certainly not the ski camp your kids go to. Meals involve gourmet creations from the hotel’s heavily lauded restaurant. When you walk through the door at the end of the day you hand your skis and boots to a valet that stores them overnight for you. There is a bar with live music every night as well as a nightclub if you have ambitions to dance till the sun rises. A heated outdoor pool and hot tub where you can take in the spectacular sunset over the Inca Lake.
At the end of the week, not only will your skiing skills be stronger than ever but you will feel relaxed, rejuvenated and inspired, it’s all part of the magic of Portillo.
